Hello Everybody, And Welcome
To "A Hero's Dream!"
Reviews:
Tero7323: Thank you Tero, I'm glad to see you comforting words. And to you and everyone else reading this, please understand. Though Skyward Remnants was my story, I had a hard time balancing both narratives. Here, however, it will be easier to both showoff Link's ability and create my own character and add to the setting of the story. So, if you enjoy this, please continue to read this.
Darkmist111: This is an AU, with an entirely new tale, and a slightly older Link and Zelda. Though it hasn't written in this chapter or the last, Link is 20, with Zelda being 21. I will add the previous game mechanics with accurate descriptions of why and how, and he does start off at zero, though with one plus.
Super Heavy Weapons Guy: This is an AU, with no direct ties to one specific timeline. This is just supposed to take place after ALL of the games. Except for CDI.
Lilif3r19: Thank you, I tried really hard to keep it subtle enough to where you could guess it early, but direct enough where you'll know.
Shadyxlr: Thanks man, here's your new chapter, with quite a bit in it I hope.
Dragonmaster150: Thanks for understanding dude! As I told Tero7323, this is my chance to follow some of the narrative, but create my own in many aspects. For instance, since I am a fan of Japanese culture, but disappointed with how little they added in the show, expect some real… shady characters.
Dfelkselkr: I'm glad you like it, here's some more to satisfy you.
Fierce Spartan: I'm glad you're hooked!
Gojosin: I'm glad to see more people from Skyward Remnants here, and hope to see more of your reviews. And don't worry, since I can add more of my own creative twists in this story, there will be plenty of Passion. I've already summarized the way I want this story to go down for about ten chapters.
Alexkeller: Glad to see your review for this story too, hope to see you in the future!
VocaloidBrony: Thank you for your kind words, and yes this is a different Link. Though, I am sorry this took a while. Between planning for the future of this Fanfic and trying to plan the best finale I can for The Stars of Remnant, doing my job, and finding what I want to do with my life in college, it was difficult to pick up this story and write again. Also, I wasn't sure if you use a translator, or you can read but not write English, so I'm going to include a Spanish version of this review.
VocaloidBrony: Gracias por sus amables palabras, y sí, este es un enlace diferente. Sin embargo, lamento que esto haya tomado un tiempo. Entre planificar el futuro de este Fanfic e intentar planificar el mejor final que pueda para The Stars of Remnant, hacer mi trabajo y encontrar lo que quiero hacer con mi vida en la universidad, fue difícil retomar esta historia y escribir otra vez. Además, estoy seguro de que si usa un traductor, o si puede leer pero no escribir en inglés, voy a incluir una versión en español de esta revisión.
Plopprince: I'm glad to see you here too, and I hope like the fight scenes that will certainly come in future chapters.
Inheritance1990: Well my friend, I hope this will give you enough motivation to commit!
Sacke110: Yep, he's pretty much starting from scratch. But, as you could probably infer from the climax of the last chapter, not totally from scratch.
So, with the reviews done and answered, let's head to this new chapter!
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Last time, we watched as Link and Zelda lost in their fight against Ganondorf, as he proclaims his victory to the Goddesses, and all of Hyrule! But, in a twist of fate, The King of Evil has had his wish granted, bringing The Hero of Hyrule and the Princess of Destiny along. Though Link has landed what may be the final blow against his enemy, he must now survive in a new area, with no weapons or gear. How will he fair, where is Zelda, and where has the King of Evil taken them? Let's find out!
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Chapter 1: Recovery and Discovery
I was never someone to wake up easily, that was a fact of my life.
I woke up like it was any other day, with the sun high over my head and a crick in my neck. As my eyes slowly opened, and I felt the stiffness in my neck and the cold surface on my back, it slowly dawned on me…
'I slept on watch again, didn't I?"
I felt a yawn force its way out of my mouth, as I sat straight up. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for me, as I usually took the first and only watch of the night. Zelda tried to take first watch once, but she quickly realized that she couldn't wake me up without a little force. Force, that in the middle of the night, was almost impossible for her to summon before collapsing in the sleeping bag.
So, I was usually the one to start watch and leave her to sleep.
As the yawn grew bigger, I stretched my arms back, curving my spine to stretch it out and get the kinks out of my neck. I also pointed my toes away from me, feeling my calves and thighs stretch out.
That's when I felt a sharp pain over my right arm and left thigh, as well as the incredible soreness through my entire body. I gasped at the sudden feeling of pain moving through me, which forced my ribs to ache in horrible pain. I could even feel the large scab on my chest pull, the dried blood almost tearing in two and leaking out the life-giving liquid once more.
I immediately relaxed my body, stopping any more attempts to stretch out my stiff muscles in hopes to stop myself from passing out due to the pain. As soon as I did, I felt how ragged my breathing actually was, and how horrible it was to take those breaths.
"Damn…" I said out loud, feeling my dry tongue scrape against my teeth. 'Why do I always stretch after sleep?' I thought, to avoid the unpleasant feeling that came with moving my tongue. ``you'd think I'd learn after Zelda had accidentally hit me with Di-'
It came to me. instantly, like a lightning bolt from the heavens themselves. Everything that had happened, from Ganondorf to the demons chasing me down to…
Zelda…
I sat there, with the tree at my back, acting unnervingly calm as my fear rose. I breathed in, ignoring the incredible pain in my chest, before breathing out slowly.
Panicking wouldn't help me, just as it certainly didn't last night. I had used up too much energy desperately looking for my sword and almost ended up Demon food because of it. Such a thing can't happen again.
Besides…
I felt my stomach shake my whole body, as I gasped slightly at the pain in my ribs.
I was too hungry to be afraid of anything.
The gnawing pain of hunger was just as bad to me as the feeling in my ribs. Sure, being on the road for most of my adventure, I was used to sometimes having to give up the chance to eat. That was to be expected, as I couldn't find food in places like Death Mountain or Gerudo Desert without difficulty. But, I usually had something for Zelda and I by the end of the, taking from emergency reactions I placed in my pouch, which could only store a handful of food.
So going what might be two days without food, I could feel it affecting me more then the pain from my ribs. And the dehydration was worse. I could feel my lips cracking with the slightest movement, making it incredibly painful to speak. Not that speaking was a huge problem for me , as I was used to being quiet.
But, enough thinking. I need to eat something, now.
With an effort that I shouldn't have had the energy for with what might've been two days of starvation and dehydration, I attempted to stand up. With my legs weak and stomach-turning from a lack of food, It was hard to stay standing. Despite that, the need for food and water outweighed the need to just sit down and sleep.
I took a few steps forward, my vision blurry from my dry eyes, as I rubbed them in an attempt to get them wet and see clearly. I would need all of my senses as sharp if I was going to find anything to eat.
Yet, as my eyes were closed in an attempt to clear them…
I almost slipped, as the ground seemed to move with my weight alone, as I finally had a clear look at my surroundings. And what I saw was definitely quite a shock.
Last night, in the heat of battle, I had seen everything very clearly. In fact, as the moment I had though might've been my end, I had taken special care to remember everything that I had seen.
As such, I couldn't help but notice a major difference. Mainly, all of the destruction that was surrounding me.
What was once a beautiful green clearing, with tall trees and healthy-looking grass, now looked as if a wild Dodongo had come and spun circles around me. Tree trunks were slashed, showing the wood underneath the bark, the ground looked as if a farmer had plowed the dirt around me for days on end. Nothing seemed untouched, as the entire area surrounding me had been absolutely destroyed.
Except…
I turned around, kneeling down to look at the ground beneath me even closer.
What I saw was, without any other word for it, strange. In the ground was a clear line, where the upturned dirt and the soft green grass met. Looking from the corners of my eyes, I saw that the line was the same there too. It was as if, whatever did this, couldn't even approach the grass where I had sl-
My ears heard it long before it roared. I could sense the rustling of leaves, and crunching of the now-dead leaves that had been shaken from the trees.
"RAWRRRRR!"
The roar had clearly come from behind me, so to counter that, I rolled forward in the grass, turning on a dime to face the Demon that was attacking me.
Its size and shape became clear to my eyes, as I looked into the blood-red abyss of the demon's eyes. It was exactly like that of the Demons who had chase me last night, though this one was a foot larger than them. It was sailing through the air, ready to crush me with the weight of its body and cut me with its sharp claws.
Without a second's hesitation, I raised my right hand towards the Demon, imagining my shield being placed exactly where my arm. This was done so quickly and was so ingrained into my instincts, that I had completely forgotten.
My shield and equipment were all gone.
I felt my eyes widen at such realization, as I looked at my arm, the bone completely shattered. It was impossible to block anything sharp with just an arm, least of all a broken one.
Seeing the situation clearly, I studied my opponent, looking for any direction to get away with getting struck by the Demon. I was already injured to the point where it would take months to heal alone, so I couldn't stand to take any more damage. With that thought running through my head, I prepared my legs to move, to escape this monster's claws.
Yet, as I had begun to move…
The claws that had attempted to cut me down seemed to be filed down at record speed, disappearing into pure specks of pure light. The incredible speed at which its claws disappeared didn't stop there though, as as soon as it sunk into the soft dirt, it's front leg faded away into the same light.
I could only stare at the demon, as it struggled within the soft dirt, struggling to escape whatever was causing it to turn into pure light. With the sudden lack of danger, everything seemed to move at the right speed once again, as I fell on my side into the soft grass. Of course, because it was my luck, I fell directly on my right arm, which pressed directly into my ribs causing my vision to blackout in pain.
I shouted in agony, causing my lip to split as I rolled myself onto my back. By the time I was able to see again, all that was left of the Demon was its skeleton, and even that was fading away into pure specks of light.
I took a second to breathe, watching the skeleton disappear in the best detail I could describe with my eyes swimming. Yet, all I could see was the demon disintegrate into the same specks of light as before, wondering what could be causing such a thing.
'Though, now I know where all that soft dirt came from.' I thought to myself, looking at the area around the now dead Demon, who had struggled so much to escape that the spines and claws had upturned the earth."But, if the reason the entire area was like this was because of the demons…'
'How many of them tried to attack me while I slept?"
The thought caused a chill to move through my spine, as I looked around at the destroyed area. Hundreds of Demons must've attempted to kill me in my sleep, and I was none the wiser. How many were there? Why were there so many?
However, it did clear something up for me. I had been wondering why there was a line in the grass when I woke up, but the answer was clear to me now.
Something or someone was protecting me through the entire night. Who or what that was, I wasn't sure…
But I had an idea.
Last night, I had been following that woman, trying to see who she was and where she was going. Then, when I had been cornered, someone had told me to rest. Maybe it was her?
If that was the case, then…
I turned around slowly, trying to find what exactly had kept me sitting upright the entire night. If whatever had been protecting me was still there, then I may be able to get some answers on who this woman was.
But, as soon as I laid eyes on what I had slept against the entire night, I felt my jaw drop to the floor.
Sitting there, waiting in the soft grass, was a familiar sight.
A sword, as beautiful and as deadly as any weapon should have the right to be, sat with its length a foot deep within the earth. It stood there, light from the sun shining down on it, like the creation the heavens could be nothing but proud of. The light itself was reflecting off of its polished blade, to the point where I could see my own reflection on the tempered steel. Its edge was sharp enough to cut the dirt with no doubt a small push on its purple handle and guard, which was shaped into a crescent moon with the points facing upward, with wings moving back down to the blade. In the center was a large amber gem on both ends, shaped into a rhombic pyramid, with small golden inlays under it and curving a little outward.
The handle was wrapped in straps of thin green leather, making it easier to have a grip upon the blade, and a circular pommel ending on a small, flat extension. And finally, near the guard of the blade, the metal extended outward, where an image of three triangles was etched in the center, two triangles right next to each other, and one on top of those two.
I could only stare at what was before me in awe, as I could hardly believe what was happening. It was here the whole time, the very blade I was searching for.
My sword… The Blade of Evil's Bane...
The Master Sword.
I slowly stood in a daze, barely aware of my arms and legs moving before my mind could comprehend. I didn't mind, however, as my mind was too focused on the complications of this.
That woman… she lead me here. But… why?
Many questions ran through my mind, as I felt my body take a step closer to the Master Sword. Who was she? Why did she lead me here, and refuse to speak or even show her face? How did she know that this sword belonged to me?
Though, as these questions popped into my head, some part of me told me... that they didn't really matter.
In some ways, I knew that she was connected to me, somehow. She was familiar, she held a trust from me that only a few people had. I even felt like I should know who she is, even after seeing only a silhouette of her.
But I also felt… that I already knew the answers to those questions. That, one day, I would get those answers, whether they come from her mouth, or someone else's.
Besides…
Something told me that that woman was much closer than she seemed.
With that thought, I realized I stood directly in front of my blade, simply staring at the handle. A surge of confidence welled through me as I gazed upon it, as if looking upon a friend I know would never let me down.
I slowly reached out my left hand, wrapping it around the handle, feeling the cool steel and warm leather from my gloves comfort my palm and fingers..
As if something had woken up from within the blade, a surge of power ran through my arm. But, unlike the magic Ganondorf forced through me in our battle, this energy felt natural. As if I were given back something that had been taken from me.
I cracked a smile, as I simply kept my hand on the blade, feeling some of my fears simply melt away. It was strange how comforting this blade was to me, like an old friend constantly by my side. Supporting me through my lowest points, and standing by me at my highest.
And so, with that thought, I flexed my arm.
The sword was out of the ground, and I couldn't help but marvel at the lack of soil upon its blade as I did. Though, that thought was quickly pushed to the side, as I held the blade out in front of me. I admired the weight of the blade and the perfect balance that seemed to fit so well into my hand. I even gave it a small test swing, and immediately felt the air part before the sword, as if avoiding its edge.
With the test swing done, I simply placed the blade back into the sheath on my back, feeling its presence as a comfort to my soul. With my sword with me, I simply walked away, being careful not to fall within the soft dirt again.
It was time to see what this country had to offer.
"Damnit!" I seethed through my teeth, once again using the Master Sword in my left hand to cut through my target below me. The swing wasn't perfect, as my injured leg made it hard to swing the blade. Despite that, the blade was still as dangerous as ever, it's edge as sharp as always, as I tried to cut my target in half.
However, my enemy danced out of the way, aiming to retreat. I would not let such a thing happen, as I attempted to kill it again. Aiming once more, I tried to stab my blade through its body, killing it with one swift blow.
Yet, even that missed, as the unrelenting hunger within my stomach ached, increasing my frustration. Attempting to use that anger to my advantage, I once again aimed for my target, trying to strike it for one last strike.
Of course, it didn't work, as the combined strength of the river, and the force of the overextended swing caused me to lose my balance.
Although, falling into the cool stream wasn't so bad, as It soothed the aching pain in my leg as well as my right arm.
Though, that never stopped me from glaring at my target, that swam away with its school.
"I never liked eating fish anyway…" I seethed under my breath, as I attempted to stand within the running stream. It was hard standing without full motion of my arms and legs though. Not to mention the rocks beneath my feet, which were slick with years of erosion and what might have been algae.
Using it as a sort of cane to keep myself steady, I sunk the Master Sword into the river bed. This gave me a strong handhold to lift myself up and allowed me to get out of the thigh-high water.
As I did, I couldn't help but wonder how the people of Hyrule would think. Me, standing in a random river, using one of the most important relics of our entire history as a walking stick.
I chuckled a little at the imagery, and slowly but surely made my way towards the edge of the river. It took me a while to get up the steep edge, using the exposed roots as footholds and the younger, flexible trees as ropes to help me climb.
When I finally climbed up the steep ledge, I arose to find the fire I had made, using dry leaves, sticks, and a flint and steel and quickly moved to its side. The water I had just been in already chilled me to the bone in the soft yet constant breeze.
I began to gently sit down, as to not aggravate any of my multiple wounds. There, I rang out my tunic and pants, getting as much of the water out as possible with only one hand.
It had only been a couple of hours since I had begun to walk through these woods since the discovery of my sword. Two since I realized I desperately needed both water and food to ever hope to continue this journey.
He had been looking for some sort of town or village, hoping to find something through the foliage of the forest. However, despite hours of walking, he couldn't find anything, not even a well-worn path in the grass.
Telling me that I was likely in the middle of nowhere, far from any sort of settlements that could aid me.
That didn't bother me much at the time though, as I was used to walking and jogging for days on end. It had gotten to the point that on our adventure, Zelda had to force me to slow down to let her rest daily. According to her, his amount of stamina was inhuman, and so was my ability to stay up at night.
My record was four days straight, and I only ever needed one night to get all of my energy back. It was another reason why I was usually the one to keep watch at night and look for monsters when she slept.
Though, Zelda was always mad when I would tell her that. Afterward, she would force me into the tent and force me to sleep, using Nayru's Love to make sure I couldn't get out. She would regret it sometimes though, as when I was asleep, it was hard to wake me up.
Anyway, I was ok with walking for days straight if I had to.
My body, on the other hand, was sore with pain and needed food and water. Even I, with my apparent inhuman stamina, needed something to keep myself going.
So, with a broken arm and a heavily injured leg, I attempted to hunt for food.
Easier said than done.
With no access to any of my equipment, save for a flint and steel, some cloth to use for my wounds, and my sword, I had nothing. No bow and arrow to hunt with, no slingshot to daze any animal I could find, no fishing rod to attempt to catch fish. Not even a Clawshot to bring animals towards me, and kill them with my sword.
All I had was my wit, my dominant hand, and the Master Sword. If I were fully healed, and my energy brimming to the top, I could possibly use my sword beams. But, I would starve and die of dehydration long before I was fully healed.
I briefly thought about throwing my sword at it, or maybe even a stick, but that was quickly turned down. I wasn't that desperate, and it served no purpose other than scaring the animals away. Besides, what are the chances of actually hitting something, and landing a killing blow? Maybe if I had a spear, but anything else?
So, instead of trying to kill a deer or the odd boar by throwing my sword at it, I decided to find somewhere I could camp out and find some food with ease. When I heard the roaring sound of the river, I knew I could try and get some fish in the river. Though, the part of the river I had discovered was moving way to fast for me to fish for anything, as I couldn't stand within the current.
So after walking upstream for an hour, I found a proper part of the river where I didn't have to be standing chest-deep in the river. The rivers flow was also nice and smooth, allowing him to see the fish that swam by. Not that it mattered much, as I couldn't even swing my sword at full power.
I grabbed at my stomach through my wet tunic and chainmail, feeling the bruise from Ganondorf's kick sting as I put even the slightest pressure on it. I moved my hand up, feeling the four broken ribs, two on each side, also made by Ganondorf. Finally, moving my hands up even further, I moved towards both the hole in my chain mail and tunic.
There, in the center of my chest, was a large cut, most likely created when The King of Evil punched me across Hyrule field. I don't remember ever getting this wound, and it certainly wasn't from those Demons last night. It was the only time I wasn't coherent enough to remember such a thing.
Finally, grabbing my sword, I used the mirror polish to look at the injury on my face. Sure enough, my nose was still broken, hurting with every touch, and every breath I took. It even blocked my breathing, as one of my was swollen shut. And worse, the right side of my head was swollen to the point that I could see my the bump through my hair.
With these injuries, a practically shattered right arm, and a leg I couldn't even stand on properly, it was no wonder my swings were weak. Despite popular belief, swinging a sword was not just the use of one's arms. If it was, every soldier in the Hylian army would be almost ridiculously top-heavy.
Every part of the body needed to work together in harmony, shifting and moving so that the maximum strength could be reached. The legs, the core, the shoulders, the placement of the feet, everything was important. If one didn't work, then the flow was off and the blades swing would be that much weaker.
Of course, I could still work with this. Despite the importance of the whole body for combat, I have long since figured out that I could never always be at full strength. The battle against Ganondorf, still clear in my mind, was a perfect example of this.
I've learned to fight far beyond the best of my abilities, even in the worst of times. This time was no different…
So, with that thought in mind, I quickly grabbed a stick at my side and put it in between my teeth. Then, before I even had a chance to think, I put my nose in between the pointer and middle finger of my balled hand…
And simply squeezed it, and jerked it back into place before I could register the pain.
The stick in my mouth snapped with the pressure I had placed on it, as I held back an incredible scream of agony. Tears built up in my eyes, as squeezed shut in the incredible pain. Every muscle I had followed suit, as my body reacted to the white-hot pain coursing through my body.
Which, of course, made the pain worse, as my ribs moved painfully from the air I was trying to keep in my lungs. My right arm also curled in pain, as it only added to the outright agony I was feeling.
After a few minutes of slow breaths, I finally calmed down enough to the point where he could grab his sword, and use it as a mirror.
Luckily, it seemed that I didn't have to go through all of that pain for nothing. My nose was back in alignment, though horribly bruised. It would take some time to heal, but it would no doubt look just as it did before it was broken.
With that fixed, I spit the stick out, washing my mouth with clean water, and took the time to look at the rest of my face, as there weren't any injuries I would have to fix. Though, I'll have to wrap my head, to hopefully keep the swelling down.
I flinched back at my own reflection, I finally took the time to look at myself in the sword. And, to put it simply, I looked awful.
My hair, from the lack of any washing for two days, was covered in layers of dirt and grease. This turned my usual light blonde hair into a darker shade, and was matted to my head in a veil of oily sweat. My hat was just as dirty, covered in dirt and mud from the river, making the usual emerald green turn into a mossy color.
My eyes, which were a brilliant blue, were bloodshot due to the lack of water. Though they were healing pretty quickly, as with the fire and my metal canteen, I had a steady supply of healthy drinking water. I also had small scapes over my face, which had been described as by many to be quite handsome.
Other than that, my face looked exactly the same. Same old Link, even if I was in an entirely different country.
I gave a quiet sigh, before searching through one of my four pouches. One was the obvious magic pouch, located on my left hip, which still didn't work no matter how much I focused on any item. The second pouch on my back was my emergency supplies, such as the canteen, emergency first aid supplies, and an emergency fire starter kit, which he had used..
The third pouch on my right hip carried emergency rations, such as bread and dried meat. But, it was near empty, and no where close to be able to fully feed me. So the most I could use it for was a quick snack or bait for the fish in the river. But, with no fishing rod, it was pointless to try.
The fourth and final pouch, which was fastened to my sword and shield harness, was my wallet. All of which were filled to the brim in assorted Rupees, from Green to Gold, totaling at around 7,999.
So, reaching into my emergency supplies pouch, I pulled out the adhesive wrap, which was wrapped tightly around itself. Grabbing some of the thicker kindling I had used to make the fire for preparation, I attempted to unroll the wrap. However, as it stuck together rather easily, thanks to the natural Deku Sap, it was hard to remove it with only one functional hand.
Giving a quick sigh, I looked for any simple way to remove the sticky wrap. Luckily, such a thing was easy to find.
Thrusting the Master Sword into the dirt, I quickly found the small lip where you were supposed to remove the wrap. Pushing it into the sharp edge of the blade, it parted the two wraps with ease.
Unwrapping at least three inches of the sticky wrap, I took one of the sturdier sticks and cut them into nearly equal halves using my sword. Using my left thumb to measure the width of my nose, I placed the two sticks onto the bandage. Matching the distance an extra half-inch to both the right and left, making up for the height of my nose.
With that done, I picked up the bandage and placed the center of it on my nose. Since it was still sensitive, it stung quite a bit. But, I bore with it, making sure the bandage was tight so that my nose could heal properly.
I sighed in relief, knowing that the worst part of healing my injuries was over. Though I still had a bad leg and a broken arm, those could be set correctly with very little pain. The ribs, well, there was nothing that could be done with them. The muscles in his chest made sure that those ribs unless they snapped off, would stay in place. I just needed something to ease the pain.
So, with my nose bandaged up, I went to the next injury that was the easiest to fix. Refilling the adhesive wrap, I put it back into my emergency supplies, before grabbing some normal wrap for my arm. Removing the pin that kept it wrapped, I set it to the side to grab the rest of the supplies I would need.
Grabbing a much longer and thicker stick from the pile of kindling, I made sure it was as long as my arm. Quickly grabbing another stick of about equal size, I sat on my knees, before thrusting the two sticks into the ground. Then, when the two sticks were properly spaced out, I placed my right hand gently it between them.
With that done, I quickly grabbed the wrap and spun it around both my arm and the two sticks, creating a splint. Making sure it was nice and tight, I placed the pin that was used to keep the wrap from unraveling. Then, after wrapping it around my arm again, only this time closer to my elbow, I merely did a simple knot with the wrap itself.
With the splint finished, I moved on to my head, which was much simpler compared to the other two. I simply used the last of the wrap to compress the swelling. Though it hurt to have it on, I knew it was better to keep the swelling down so my head could heal properly.
My leg was just bruised, so it didn't really need anything to help it heal. So, I tried to stand once agai-
My leg and ribs screamed in pain, as the lack of any food and energy stopped any motion. I sat back down with a wet thud, as the vibrations from the sudden landing caused pain to rip through my leg and chest.
I sighed, which moved my chest once again, causing incredible agony. If every step and breath caused me this much pain, how was I supposed to find shelter?
'I guess there was no avoiding it…' I thought to myself, as I slowly moved back into my emergency supply pouch.
Rushing through the pouch, I felt for my target, trying to discover where in the world I had placed it. As I kept moving my hand, I felt the cold touch of glass, as I squeezed my left hand around, and pulled out a small glass vial.
The glass vial itself was quite small and was only able to hold about 6 fluid ounces. But I was less worried about the vial, and more about what was inside the vial.
Horribly viscous liquid lay inside of it, coating the walls of the vial in a dark red stain. Every once in awhile, it seemed to bubble up and slowly rise to the top. I pulled the stopper off of the top of the via, and a pungent odor quickly poured out, as I felt my nostrils burn from the smell.
From just the look of it, any man, woman, or child in Hyrule could tell you that this was a Potion. A liquid made by the many apothecaries in Hyrule, to help keep the people nice and healthy. However, this was not like any normal Potion.
This horrible concoction made by some mysterious researcher was known as a Dark Potion. A potion made from the byproducts of the much brighter Red Potions, and cooked with the use of some Monster Essence. Why anyone would ever combine those two things, I would never understand. In fact, by sight and smell alone, I would've never bought it if it cost me my life.
However, there was a reason these Dark Potions were still selling in crazy amounts, even with its horrible look and smell. That reason was the effect this potion gave.
It was the most powerful painkiller in Hyrule.
One serving of this, and any Hylian, Zora, Gerudo, and Goron alive would almost completely block any sensation of pain. No matter how severe or fatal those wounds were, you would feel no pain, sores, or even discomfort. You would know the wounds are there, and whatever new wounds you may get, you would feel. But little to no pain was ever felt.
It was revolutionary how useful this potion was to the field of medicine. Red, Green, and especially Blue Potions themselves would sell for quite a pretty Rupee, and would only see instant effects when consumed in large doses.
The opposite was true for the Dark Potion. It was incredibly cheap to buy, and only ever needed small doses to work. The vial in my hands gave me almost 12 doses, and each dose lasted almost twenty-four hours.
Unfortunately, this potion was just as dangerous as it was useful.
Taking too much of the Dark Potion could have some serious, but otherwise temporary, side effects. Taking too big a serving could have you completely numb, unable to feel anything at all for days on end. No sense of touch or sense of pain at all. You could cut off your own hand and feel absolutely nothing, till the millisecond you die.
Any more than that, and you would lose all muscle control, and be a rag doll with no way to move even your eyes. More than that, and many of your organs, including your diaphragm and lungs, would cease functioning, making you unable to breathe as you feel nothing. More than that, and your heart and brain would instantly stop, causing sudden death.
Though, you would need a half a gallon before it can ever stop your motor functions. And much more to inflict instant death. But it only took taking twice the original dose to become numb to all pain.
Which made it an absolute pain to fight many of the enemies he had faced, who took that double dose and preceded to become berserkers.
But the possibly dangerous side effects weren't the reason why I despised this potion. The real reason I hated it…
Was the taste.
I glared at the small vial with an obvious grimace, as the mere memory of the last time I had this potion was fresh on my mind. It was directly after I had faced my first Darknut, which had given me a concussion, a broken shoulder blade, a broken sternum, and a large cut from my shoulder to the middle of my chest. With an incredible amount of blood loss, I couldn't think straight, and couldn't grab my potion from my magic pouch.
Zelda had to use her magic to heal me, but she was almost out from trying to help fight off the giant Knight Demon. She even broke her arm when she tried to protect me with a hastily put up Nayru's Love. So, without potions to heal her magic power, or a potion to heal me, she had to put me back together with the emergency wrap.
However, every movement I made was complete agony, and I almost passed out from the pain. As I was the only one who had access to the Potions, I needed to be awake to get those potions out of my pouch. But, if I were knocked unconscious, I couldn't take them out.
So, Zelda gave me a single dose of Dark Potion to help me handle the pain and keep trying to get a red and green potion out.
It had tasted awful, and that taste had lingered for hours, making everything I ate and drank taste equally as bad! Though, arguably, I had made a full recovery because of the potion, I vowed never to drink it again.
But now wasn't the time for that.
If I really was in a different country, then Zelda is likely in a very similar situation. Though he was positive that she could take care of herself, Ganondorf could still be out there. For all I knew, that man could be searching for the both of us at this very moment, plotting his revenge.
And Zelda was the prime target for such revenge.
Ganondorf had already threatened to kill her, all so that he could watch me suffer. He didn't care if he lost the perfect Queen to his rule, all that mattered to him was that I suffered.
I felt my heartache at the very thought of Zelda being hurt because of me. She had been with me through the entirety of my journey, every step of the way. She had taken care of me when I was injured and offered support when I felt that I couldn't go further. She had fought tooth and nail with me and had sacrificed so much to save her kingdom.
She had suffered enough for a lifetime. We both have. She didn't deserve to be hunted to the ends of the earth. She didn't deserve the threat of death on a near-daily basis.
She deserved better.
So, I will give her better. I will make sure she receives everything she deserves for everything she has sacrificed.
Even if it means I have to slay the King of Evil and all of his minions!
I glared at the small vile in my hand, before bringing it to my lips. I tossed my head back, being careful to be sure I was taking the proper dose. With an effort that seemed almost ridiculous for drinking a small amount of liquid, I swallowed the vile substance.
Before I vomited the potion back up into the fire, as it gave off a hideous purple smoke.
2 Hour Later...
It took two more doses before I was able to keep the potion down. Even so, I could still taste the damn thing, as I resisted the urge to spit the potion back up.
Thankfully, the potion actually worked, as I could feel almost none of the pain I had felt earlier. Though the taste of what he could only assume was Bokoblin sweat and rotted fish cling to my tongue, making me gag every so often. Even warm water with salt, which he had in his emergency rations pouch so he could dry and save any meat he collected, didn't help.
So, to try and distract himself from the taste, he went back to fishing. Yet, even though I was fixed up, with my pain practically gone, I couldn't catch a single fish.
It was beyond frustrating, coming so close to eating something, but missing by only centimeters of difference. Centimeters that wouldn't exist if I were fully healed.
It got to the point where, if I had my Magic Pouch working, I would just throw an Underwater Bomb in the river and hope for the best. Yet, since I didn't have any bombs, I had to do something a little more… embarrassing.
``I never thought I'd have to use my hat as a makeshift fishing net….' I thought to myself, as I bit into one of the three cooked fish I caught by placing a piece of bait in my hat. I cringed as I chewed into it, as what should have been a delicious fish was ruined by the horrible after taste of the Dark Potion. 'I can't let Zelda find out about this!' I told myself, as I could only imagine her laughing at my expense.
I forced myself to swallow the fish, ignoring the urge to get rid of the horrible taste. It would be a waste of good time and energy if I didn't eat this, and I'd have to go fishing again. And he wanted to avoid that for as long as he could.
So, despite the taste of bokoblin sweat sticking to my tongue, I continued to eat the rest of my fish unopposed.
Or, that is what would've been the case, if my hearing wasn't stronger than an average Hylians. As, to the normal ear, nothing could've been heard from the roaring river at my side.
But I did.
I froze mid-bite into the fish I had just cooked, unsure whether or not what I had heard was real. Removing my teeth from the soft flesh of fish, I turned my head towards what I had thought I heard and focused.
….Bang….
I heard it once again, but not well… It was too quiet, and I could barely hear it over the river and the popping and fizzing of the damp wood in the fire.
I closed my eyes and cupped my ear, focusing entirely on my hearing to pick up the sound. I let every noise fade into a simple hum, focusing only on the smallest noises.
...bang….
There it was again!
Opening my eyes, I focused on the direction from where the sound came from, before grabbing my sword. With a simple move that came as easy as breathing, I slashed a simple arrow into the dirt, pointing in the direction of the sound.
These sound, though far and withered through distance, were as easy to identify as the sound of my own breath.
Explosive Powder… the kind used to fire cannons.
The canons that cities used to defend their walls.
The connection was easy to see, even for me. This whole time, a city had been nearby and I had been unaware of its existence. Then, someone or something came too close to the walls, perhaps a large demon or an attacking kingdom.
Whatever the case, the maintenance and amount of Explosive Powder to pay for and fire a cannon made to defend a castle was not cheap. You would need someone trained to aim the cannon, quite a bit of Explosive Powder, proper ammo, and someone to repair said cannon should it be damaged. And it the case of a city, you would need to multiply that by at least 15.
That kind of upkeep took money and lots of it. Nothing a simple town or village could produce to defend themselves.
So that meant there was a relatively large city nearby, which meant…
A Landmark, as well as a map! The first steps to finding Zelda, and returning back to Hyrule.
I moved as quickly as I could, taking the two remaining fish and covering them in salt to dry them out, and using the Master Sword, to carefully cut thin pieces of meat. Given enough time in the sun, they could turn into some basic jerky, and add on to provisions. Though, it took some time to use the longsword to cut the meat with one fully functioning hand.
With that finished, kicked some sand into the fire to avoid the chances of a forest fire. Grabbing the steel canteen from the coals of the fire with a small stick, and sticking it into the cool river. With a loud his, the canteen cooled at an extreme pace, as the water inside still boiled.
That would have to do though, as he was in a hurry. If the cannon fire stopped, before he could start the journey, he may just lose the source of the sound. And if he was off by more than five degrees, he may end up miles away from the city. And if the city used this dense foliage to hide from attackers sight, he would never find it.
So, before the canteen became too hot to handle in his hands, he snapped the lid back on the canteen. Then, I simply placed it back into my rations pouch, hoping that the warmth of the canteen would dry some of the still damp parts of the tunic.
With the meat prepped, the water ready, and the fire out, I grabbed the Master Sword with my left hand. Though it would be faster to run, my leg was still injured, and any deep breathing could break my ribs further.
So, sheathing the Master Sword, I grabbed one of the long sticks I had created for this very occasion. It wasn't anything special though, just a simple stick that came just a little above my waist.
With that, I began to move in the direction of the arrow I had created. Though I could still hear the cannon fire in the distance, so I didn't really need it. But it was always good to be prepared.
I moved as quickly as I could with my leg. Though I felt no pain from the muscle, I could still feel how tight it was, and how it groaned as I moved it. So, I had to move slower than my usual jogging pace.
Though, it should only be a few miles away, as the sound of gunfire couldn't travel more than a few miles. An easy stretch compared to the Gerudo Desert, and it's seemingly endless dunes of sand.
However, due to the fact that they might confuse me for the people or demons they were firing at, I moved slowly and taking cover behind the trees with every shot I heard.
By the first hour of walking and taking cover, I started to finally hear more than just cannon fire...
I started to hear people too…
"-any of these fucking Grimm are there!" I heard a woman scream at the top of her lungs, as rapid cannon fire quickly followed suit, though, even though the loud thunder-like claps of the cannon, he could still hear the loud growl of initiation
Hearing this, my ears zoned in on the direction it was coming from. Though, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at rapid-fire sounds of the cannon. How fast was she loading the cannonballs into the cannon? And how in the name of the Goddesses was she carrying both the cannon and the cannonballs?
Curiosity building up inside of me, I decided to move faster, trying to see this spectacle myself.
It took another five minutes before I finally got a good look at the person responsible for such a loud attack in the woods. Careful not to let her see me, in fear that she would shoot me with a cannonball, I hid behind a tree and peeked out slowly. Though, with the number of trees in the area, it was very hard to see any recognizable details, such as a knights crest, as to help me understand which kingdom this is.
All that I could see was that she was as tall as I was, had something strange in her hands, wasn't alone…
And she was being attacked by a large number of Demons.
I could see them racing between the trees, as black and as hideous as the three Wolfos that had chased me just last night. They were dodging and attacking the girl, and what looked to be two other guys. As one of the warriors within the group were attacked, they would try to kill that demon, only for a new attacker to blindside the group. And the Demons repeated themselves over and over, slowly but surely weakening the whole group.
It was a plan of attack that had closely resembled that of the Leevers tactics of attacking in the Gerudo Desert, where food and sustenance were hard to find for the weaker Demons. So, they banded together, closing in on their prey and ensuring no escape for whoever was caught in it.
I could only watch and grimace as they were continuously blindsided, as one of the women, supposedly the one that had shouted earlier, fired shots in random directions.
Though, stranger still, he was certain that he could one of the men… laughing?
"We are so dead!" The man shouted out, as he laughed almost hysterically at the Demons within the trees. Though, the man seemed to recognize this, as he tried to cover his mouth. With very little success.
"Will you stop laughing!" The other, older man screamed, as I could see him shiver from here. "We're might just die here, and you can barely hold your gun straight!"
"I-I-I, I can't, pft-" The other man tried to respond, as he tried to hold his laughter in long enough to speak normally. Though, that didn't end up working, as his head snapped back as he giggled to the heavens.
With them obviously distracted by their seemingly insane colleague, I moved as quietly as I could. Still, in an attempt to stay in cover, I immediately moved towards another tree, closer to the three-man group.
As I moved, I nearly jumped directly behind the tree, as another cannon fire went off. Once behind the tree, I attempted to find where this cannon was, and how they were reloading it so fast.
I peeked out from behind the tree, and from there I got a better look at the group.
My immediate attention went to the one who was laughing hysterically with his head held back. He looked about 23, with a lithe physique to the point where he almost looked starved. If it weren't for the red shirt and gray pants, I was certain I could see most of his ribs. Though it didn't seem like they were starving him, rather that was just the way he looked.
His head was mostly shaved, except for a long strip of hair that almost stuck straight up. The hair itself was grey, with strange black spots peppering the hair.
He held what could only be a shoddily sharpened hunting cleaver, with a black and red striped handle. In his other hand, he had four finger claws, which were white and sharp.
The other man, who was trying to shut the young man up, was much older by comparison. Though it was only going off of the pure silver hair, and the wrinkles across his hands. He too wore gray and red, just like the younger man, with what seemed to be leather underneath. In his hands, he held a small, strangely shaped club, with what looked to be a cylinder and a hole in the front.
The woman who had shouted earlier, who I will dub the angry lady, was nearly as tall as I am. She and wild, fire-red hair, and wore brown leathers that offered very little protection to her heart and midriff. Her sleeves seemed to have been ripped off, and her pants were too short and thin to offer any protection. Though, her feet were well protected, with a pair of what looked to be leather and steel grieves. In her arms was a club similar to the old man's, though longer and with only two hollow cylinders.
As I looked at the curious group, I couldn't help but focus on the strange weapons in their hands. Namely, the strange clubs that they had.
A hollow club? What use was that?
Such a weapon would immediately be unusable after a few mere strikes. Though the smaller one may be fine, due to the fact that it couldn't generate enough force to bend the hollow steel. The one in the angry woman's hands though, one strike in an incorrect place could bend the entire club, curving it ever so slightly.
I frowned, looking upon the group in pity. They must've been so desperate for weapons that they paid for the cheapest weapons they could grab. Though, I wondered what sort of blacksmith would make such a weapon.
I stabbed my walking stick into the ground, reaching for the blade on my back. If they were that desperate for any weapon, then they were surely a dangerous situation. Helping them might even get them to trust me enough t-
BANG!
I almost screamed in pain, as the sound of a cannon seemed to go off. I cringed as my eyes squeezed shut, and covered my ear quickly as possible. My ears rang like a bomb had just gone off near my head, and the world around me seemed to blur.
'What…. what the hell was that!?' I asked myself, though I could barely hear that thought, as the ringing in my ears seemed to overpower everything. I opened my eyes, reaching into my emergency pack for the rest of the medical wrap I had. Though I only had about an inch, I bit into one half and tore the cloth in half. With no hesitation, I stuck the cloth in my ears, hoping that would muffle the cannon fire.
Bang!
I sighed in relief, as the still loud cannon fire barely hurt my ears. And, with the Dark Potion still in effect, it was merely an echo of what it could've been. Though my ears still rang, and now it was harder to hear the small groups voices.
Even still, I could see what looked like smoke coming out of the end of the angry woman's club. She seemed to curse though, as one of the Demons attacked woman, as she reached into a small pouch on her hip.
Only for the older man to step in front of her, but his club to the Demons head a-
bangbangbangbang!
I felt my eyes widen, as the club blew four holes straight through the Demons head. Those holes seemed to expand though, as the demon disappeared in black particles.
It was only then that it seemed to click in my mind. They weren't pulling a cannon and cannonballs around with them…
'They had miniature cannons!'
"This is why we don't give inexperienced pissants like you a Double Barrel!" The old man said simply with a sigh, as he took off a small pouch on his side, and tossed both the bad and cl- hand cannon in the air. As the girl focused on the hand cannon that was thrown at her, he snatched the longer hand canon and the bag on her hip.
"Hey!" She cried out, catching the hand cannon and the small bag. "That's mine you dick! Give it back!"
"Shut your goddamn mouth Mary, before I tear off your arms and shove them so far up your ass, people'll be thinking you're picking your nose!" The older man shouted, pushing down on the two steel cylinders of the hand cannon, or 'double barrel' as he said before. I was surprised to see very little resistance though, as the double barrels front bent down, popping out two smaller cylinders. "Ed, you're cleaver!" He said suddenly, before pulling two identical cylinders from the small bag.
"N-no way!" Ed told the older man quickly, waving said sword in front of him in a desperate attempt to keep the demons away from him. " you have a shotgun! I don't have- "
The older man placed the two cylinders into the hand cannon, before he stuck the double-barrel right in front of Ed's face, causing the young man to give a loud shrieking laugh. "- any problem with giving you this to you, sir!" Ed said simply, holding out the large cleaver to the older man.
The man only responded with a small nod, before snatching the sword out of his hands…
And bringing it down on the double barrel, chopping off a large chunk of its front. Much to the angry lady's, Mary's, horror.
Before Mary could make a fuss though, he aimed the double barrel, which now seemed much lighter, in a random direction.
He fired it, as what seemed to be a bunch of small pellets that moved in a large area. Many of the Demons were hit, forcing them to slow down and be vulnerable.
All except one.
A larger demon, just like the one that had attacked me when I woke up, moved directly out of the way of the blast with great speed.
I know, because it almost ran right into me.
Seeing the large demon almost run me down, I quickly rolled out of the way, dodging the unintentional attack. The demon, who was getting his bearings, seemed to recognize that there was someone else here.
Turning to me, I recognized something different compared to the others I have seen. Though the clearly sharper bones on its arms and back tipped me off, it was also a foot taller. It's mask also had scratches on it, as if it had fought many battles.
It looked at me with its red eyes, growling as it inched ever closer, ignoring the battle that was going on behind it. It seems I was looked upon as an easy target, as it looked at my wounds, and wrap around my arm.
I quirked an eyebrow though, as it seemed to freeze when it saw my clothes. The other shot up though, when actually took a step back, all in the span of a second. It took a step further back when it saw the sword on my back... as if it were….
That couldn't be though. Demons don't fear humans, especially not injured ones. I had faced and killed hundreds of Bokoblins at the same time, and not once did they stop their horrific onslaught. All as the crawled through the smoke that came from their kin as if they couldn't see it.
Thinking that it was trying to trick me, I stepped forward into a stance, reaching for my sword…
When it tucked it's tail between its legs and roared as loud as it could. All before it bolted in the opposite direction, faster than I could sprint.
I could only stare as it ran right into the group of three he had spying on just a second ago. It knocked all three of them over, charging deeper into the forest at a breakneck pace. The multiple demons that had been attacking the group had also-ran, as they left the forest with their leader.
I could only stare at the now calm, clear forest, as the group of three rose from their place on the ground. Realizing the I was out in the open, I hid back behind the tree, my only defense against the hand cannons without the Hylian Shield.
Still, my mind was running amuck, filled with questions. Who were these people, and where did they get these hand cannons? Why did the demon run away when he saw me? And most importantly…
Where on the Goddesses green earth was he!?
"And that…" The older man began, as he brushed the dirt off of himself. "Is why you leave shotguns to the professional's kid." He told them, before blowing what looked to be smoke from the top of the gun.
"T-they… ran away..." Ed asked as I was unsure if he was asking a question or was just as shocked as I was.
"Damnit, Mac!" Mary shouted at the top of her lungs, snatching the double-barrel out of the old man's, now known as Mack's, hands. "You broke my gun!"
"I didn't break it…" Mac said, taking back the smaller hand cannon, as well as the small brown bag from Mary. "I improved it. Now stop whining! We got some distance we gotta cover if we wanna get back to camp, and I don't wanna see you skulking around like your mother just told you that, yes, she did drop you on your head! Now move!"
Mary glared at Mac with a ferocious gaze, as if she were trying to light him ablaze with her eyes. Only for her to relent with a sigh, as she already began to walk away.
"Ed," Mac spoke up quickly, as Ed quickly jerked his head towards the older man's direction. "Be on the lookout for any more Grimm. It's getting dark, and you're the only one of us with night vision. See any, tell me and I'll kill it faster than you can blink."
"A-a-are you sure?" Ed said simply, chuckling as he wrung his hands in a nervous fashion. "We could just a-avoid the-"
"And let them get away with ambushin' our camp?!" Mac shouted in Ed's face, as said man laughed almost hysterically in fear. "I don't think so you Hyena faced bastard! We lost three guys last night, two of which owed me over 3000 lien from our next raid! Lien that would have gotten me a nice vacation to the beaches of Mistral! So if you don't let me vent my righteous fucking vengeance on these Grimm, so help me God, you and your skinny ass are gonna be strung up by your fucking Mohawk, while I whip you with your mother's tail! Got it!"
"Y-y-Yes Sir!" Ed said quickly, as he continued to laugh hysterically in Mac's face, before running after Mary in fear. Mac was close behind them, putting more cylinders into the hand cannon.
Seeing them leave, I followed after them, realizing with a small sigh that it was the right choice to hide.
Strange weapons, dark-colored clothes, raids where what he assumed were, large amounts of currency were involved?
These three weren't knights, freelance bounty hunters, or even mercenaries…
They were Bandits.
I made sure sneak further behind the three, being careful not to take a step that I could hear. If these guys were bandits than there is no telling how they could react to my presence near their camp. Worse, there was no telling what they would do to a foreigner, who was heavily injured, had a fancy sword, with lots of money, in a country where I didn't know if slavery was legal, and near their camp.
My luck really was shit, wasn't it?
However, despite the risks, I continued to follow them. If they really were bandits, then they would have a map of the country, filled with caravans, towns, and cities where he could finally find a potions shop.
So, despite the numerous risks that came with it, I continued to follow the three oblivious bandits. Moving one tree at a time in hopes of remaining undetected by the group.
However, as I was moving in between the trees, I saw one of the three bandits shiver a-
I felt cold steel press against the back of my neck, as once again, I cursed my luck.
"Trying to follow us, huh?" Mary asked from behind me, hand cannon on my neck, and another on my sheath. Seeing no escape from this situation, as I could see the two look around for their missing member, I simply raised my hands in the universal sign of 'I surrender'.
"What are you, a Huntsmen, one of Lionheart's goonies?" Mary asked me, as I could hear Mac curse at the girl. "Doesn't matter, you'd face the same end regardless. Though, you are actually kinda lucky."
"How's that?" I asked her, watching as Ed finally found them. I could see them pointing the both of us out, as Mac seemed to growl in rage.
"If it weren't for that shiny, reflective metal you have on that sheath, my Semblance would have never found you," Mary told him simply, as she walked around me to face my front.
As she did though, I silently wondered what this 'Semblance' was. Perhaps it was a form of magic, specific to this region? Or maybe something else…
When she finally moved in front of me, with the hand cannon directly in between his eyes. As she did, I watched as she looked me up and down with her sickly green eyes, and smiled as she stared at my face. "And you would've had your pretty little head cut off when you took one step inside. Now though, you can get exactly what you want."
"And what's that…" I asked her simply, as the rest of her little group was just a few feet behind them.
She smirked, probably thinking he was playing coy when he really was just asking her. "Now…" She began, as Ed put his cleaver against my neck, and Mac put his smaller hand cannon to his temple.
"You get to meet the boss of the Branwen Tribe."
Chapter Quote
" On the road of life, one comes across many misfortunes. Though, if you play your cards just right, you may find that it reaps unexpected rewards..."
Next Time, on "A Hero's Dream":
"Hero's, Bandits, and Mages"!