A Hero's Dream

by TwinGamers011701

The Hero of Hyrule, and The Princess of Destiny. The paragons of the Hylian race, with the powers of Courage and Wisdom at their side. Together, they were capable of combating any enemy, even the Power of the King of Evil. But when said King calls upon the powers of the Triforce by mistake, with a wish that was never truly desired, how will the two handle the new dangers ahead? AU

3. Heroes, Bandits, and Mages

Hello Everybody, and Welcome

To another chapter of "A Hero's Dream"!

Now, let's not hold anyone up, and get to the reviews, and then the Chapter!

darkmist111: That, you will see in this very chapter, as Link faces quite a bit of opponents, with quite a few handicaps. And, in true Zelda style, weaknesses to exploit!

Dracus6: Though I thank you for the Idea, My brother and I have quite a few works in the making already. And, unfortunately, I have yet to get to three houses, so it wouldn't work for me. I will get to it eventually though, so I may keep it in mind. However, I am uncomfortable with writing full romance, and am absolutely not… comfortable with writing gay romance.

Gojosin: That was actually a mistake in writing, as I wrote quite a bit of my last story and many of my potential One-Shots in the Third person. So, it was really hard to transition from almost 270,000 words in the third person, not including the stories still in development, to the first person again.

VocaloidBrony: Due to the fact that Google Translate and Spanish Dictionary say a relatively similar thing, I'm going to assume that you suck at writing! XD But seriously, I can't make a lot of sense of this, so I'm going to write assuming what you wrote.

Go History gets interesting: I think you mean this story, Hero's Dream, and thank you for the compliment.

Link met with members of the Raven Tribe, it is an interesting change since most Link stories meet the Team RWBY: This on is Self-explanatory, and I thank you for noticing. I tried to find something interesting to do with the story that would change it from the normal types of story.

He asked me what the Link and Raven meeting will be like.: I'm going to assume that he means darkmist111, who mentioned the meeting between the two.

By the way something I forgot to put in my first comment. The Truth is a True Pity to cancel Skyward Remanent, I really liked the story, especially when Link Paralyzes the Omega Beowolf that part was my favorite

Anyway, I'll be waiting for the next chapter: Thank you, and I'm sorry to disappoint but know that that wasn't an easy decision to make. I tried to find a way to keep the story but change the direction it was going in, but it was getting too stressful. So, I decided to change the story to this. I really hope you enjoy this though, as I put a lot of work into rethinking the story.

Alexkellar: Well, like my cousin Kyle would say, "I'M BACKKKKK!" XD I hope you enjoy this extra-long Chapter. Also, through a Fairytail X Fate/Stay Night, I realized you had a Deviantart account and a lot of fantastic pictures based on many Fate and RWBY fanfics. But none for me T-T!

But seriously, I hope you enjoy the chapter and hope to see more pictures on your account!

So, with the reviews done and answered, let's head to this new chapter!

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Last time, we read as Link awoke within an empty plain, surrounded by the dust of all of his enemies! With another one disappearing in front of him, he turns to find the Blade of Evil's Bane had been closer than he had assumed. Hungry, hurt, and in need of rest, he fished and ate food, and treated his wounds, before he heard the sounds of gunfire. Tracking them, he found the three Bandits Mac, Mary, and Ed. Trying to follow them to find a map of the area, he is caught! How will he escape from their grasp? Will he discover where he truly is? Who is the leader of this Branwen Tribe? Let's find out!

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Chapter 2: Hero's, Bandits, and Mages

It had been an hour since I had been caught by the three bandits. One hour of simply walking in multiple directions, as they tried to confuse my sense of direction within the forest.

One hour of having to deal with Mac keeping me at gunpoint, with Ed in front of me. All while Mary had tied a rope around my neck, pulling me around like some slave.

I sighed again, cursing whatever I did in a past life to deserve the luck I had now.

"Hurry up boy!" Mary called out in a sickening glee as if she enjoyed the fact that I was bound in rope. "We don't want to upset the Boss just because you took too long!"

I felt the unexpected pull of the rope, as it tightened around my neck, ceasing any breaths that I could take. I quickly moved forward, but the rope was still tight around my neck, making it hard to breathe.

"Good boy! Who's a good boy!?" She said tauntingly, patting my head like an owner would its dog. "Here's a treat for listening!"

With that said, she quickly grabbed the knot on the rope, loosening the rope. I took a deep breath, relaxing as I finally got my needed oxygen. All before she tightened the rope again, making it hard to breathe while making my world filled small black spots.

"Ah, ah, ah…" Mary began, wagging a finger as she walked backward, as I could almost feel the satisfaction from that act roll off of her. "Don't be too greedy now! We wouldn't want you to punished before the show begins. Well, maybe the boss doesn't..." She spoke under her breath, as I could see a gleam of anticipation grow within the twisted girl.

"Cut it out you sick, perverted freak!" Ed shouted from the front of the group, probably as sick and tired of this act as I was.

"What did you say?" The girl asked as she turned around, hand already on the double-barrel at her hip.

"I said cut it out!" The young man began, though he couldn't force down the chuckle within his throat. "I-if you wanna do something like that, do it when we aren't witnesses to your freakish kinks! We don't need any more campfire stories about you, little miss Bloody Mary!"

"Don't you dare call me that, you Hyena-faced bastard!" Mary cried out, her face going entirely scarlet in utter embarrassment, as I could only raise an eyebrow at the strange title.

Though, Ed began to nervously laugh at her, further angering the girl. "You think that's funny y-"

"Cut the shit, you two!" Mac shouted from behind me, making me cringe at the volume of his voice. "We're close to camp, and if I'm gonna get a headache, I gonna get it because I'm as drunk as a sailor! So shut it!"

With that, the group fell back into silence, as we made our way to this camp.

I sighed again, making sure I kept up with the girl and her makeshift leash. What I wouldn't give to just knock these three out and just leave. Of course, even if I wanted that, there were quite a few problems.

One, we're these hand cannons.

I had seen full well what these hand cannons, or guns as they called them, could do. They tore through Demon hide, and even demon armor with the ease of a simple pull from a finger. Though I was confident that I could take on any of these bandits, these guns could turn the entire battle.

Not only could they potentially kill me with a difficult to track, well-placed shot. They could even deafen me if I wasn't careful!

That wasn't something I was going to risk, and I was certainly going to hold off on that test for as long as possible. I didn't want to feel the smaller equivalent of an arrow moving at twice the speed pierce my skin.

Second…

I was still completely and utterly lost.

Mistral? Branwen Tribe? Guns? Hyena? Semblance?

I have never heard these terms, nor have I heard of these people or Kingdoms. They were alien to me, just as these trees were alien to the land of Hyrule, or the fish I had eaten earlier.

Which, once again, begged the question…

Where on the Goddesses green earth was I?

I looked to the sky, trying to find anything that may point me in the direction of where I was. Ancient Hylians were said to have used the stars to help them find their way back to Hyrule if they were ever lost at sea. I learned enough about constellations and stars to guide my way, in case I lost my compass.

But, once again, misfortune shown upon me.

Above me was not the pitch-black sky with brilliant stars, or the moon hanging prominently within it. Rather, it was a seemingly endless supply of clouds, blocking the sky, and any light that could shine down from it.

For the third time in two minutes, I sighed.

Even if I did escape, from both the Bandit Camp, these three, and the guns they carried, I would only be wandering around aimlessly. No Map, No Compass, no stars, and no landmarks to help guide my way.

I would be blindly trying to find both a Kingdom to remain safe from demons while I heal and find Zelda. Perhaps I may find her if I just wandered blindly, but how long would that take? A month, a year, maybe even a decade?!

No, Hyrule was already in a state of disrepair due to the countless Demons that roamed the land. Even worse, with Ganondorf dead, and the final connection to the royal family missing, there would be a power struggle!

For all I knew, there was already a war taking place for who would take the throne. And, with all the people in need of help and support, they may very well follow any Duke or Duchess who had saved enough wealth to fund such an excursion. All so they could return to some semblance of order, and finally, begin the repairs Hyrule so desperately needed.

So, there was no other choice.

I needed to find Zelda before I returned to Hyrule, or else the kingdom we had sacrificed life and limb for may be gone for good.

So, with that in mind, I had already begun to start the plan when I had been captured. All with a simple limp, and the occasional sucking of my teeth in pain.

The reason was simple. Though my injuries were apparent to anyone who looked at me, due to all the gauze on my arm, face, and head, they didn't know about the Dark Potion.

They thought that the reason I wasn't fighting back was that I was too injured too. It was probably the reason they didn't even try to disarm me. They didn't know that I was almost completely numb to this pain.

And there was no doubt that their boss would think the same thing. They would look down on me, giving me the opportunity for a surprise attack, and a likely chance to grab a map and find the closest city.

Though, knowing how such plans usually go… I may need to keep my mind open.

So, for now…

"Hurry up boy!" Mary began, pulling on the rope around my neck, as I had to force back a low growl.

I just had to bear with it.

---

Just like Mac had said, it didn't take long to finally get to their camp. Though, it was less of a camp and more of a well-guarded base.

I looked up at the twenty-foot tall walls, hidden within the trees. The walls themselves were sharpened on the top, a primitive but useful way to ensure no large creature climbs over the wall. I couldn't see the rest of the camp, however, as there was a large wooden gate in the way, enforced with bands of riveted steel.

It was makeshift and temporary, meant to be moved by a horse and wagon, or just abandoned if necessary. More hints to nature to the job of the three of bandits, as it was easy and cheap to make.

Though, I didn't have a lot of time to study the defenses and possible weaknesses of the camp. Rather, I had to focus on what seemed to be the guards for the entrance.

Though, I had to wonder why they seemed so injured. From what I could see from inside the camp, most, if not all of the Bandits, seemed to be nursing quite a few cuts.

"Mac…." One of the men at the gate began, limping forward with a raised eyebrow, looking directly at me and Mary with a raised eyebrow. When I say Mary though, I meant the leash that she was holding on to. "Care to tell me why Mary has some sort of Bondage Slave with her?"

Mac seemed to laugh at that comment, as Mary seemed fairly pleased with that statement…. too pleased. Ed, on the other hand, looked rather embarrassed at such a comment, as he looked away from the group.

"Never one to cut words, are ya Donald?" Mac began, as the one now known as Donald simply rolled his. Though, the laughter from Mac ceased, as he looked at me with a glare.

"This guy," Mac began, pointing a thumb at me while turning back to Donald. "Tried to follow us back to camp. Figured that whatever he wanted from us wasn't something that we'd be ok with."

Donald glared, turning his gaze towards me, examining every inch of me, as if searching for something. Though, it wasn't that hard to figure out what, as his eyes widened again when he saw the Master Sword.

"Why the hell is he still armed!?" Donald asked loudly, as his glare turned to my three makeshift Wardens.

Ed flinched at the loud voice, as he chuckled under his breath like a small whistle. Mary jumped at the sudden sharpness within his voice, almost an entire foot in the air. Mac and I, however, didn't move an inch, and merely raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Mac began simply, as he stepped up to Donald, curiosity filled within his eyes. "Don't you see how injured he is?! Broken nose, head trauma, a broken arm, Hell, even a few broken ribs based on how he was breathing! Injuries like that against our entire camp?! Come on Donald!"

"Don't you 'c' mon Donald' me!" Donald began, glaring at Mac, aiming all of his hate straight into his eyes. "You know the drill! Unless given explicit orders, you need to remove any weapons on the prisoner's person!"

"Oh please," Mac started, crossing his arms as Ed, Mary, and I could only watch the exchange of words. "All he's got is a sword! I doubt he could even pick it up as he is now, much less remove it from his sheath!"

"Did you check to make sure all he had was a sword?" Donald asked, crossing his arms while looking me up and down, as if trying to find anywhere I'd stash a knife.

"Dear god, yes!" Mac began, more than likely tired of all the questions. "He only has the sword! Everything else is just food and water! Now can we please go into camp so we can start the show already!"

"...fine" Donald said simply, before looking towards my sword with a glare. "But I'm taking that sword. I don't want any more surprises today."

"Do whatever you want!" Mac said with a simple wave of his hand, walking towards the gate with a slow stride. "At least he's not my problem anymore!"

With what he wanted to say said, as he gave a loud, sharp three-note whistle.

That must've been the signal to open the gate, as I watch as the large and heavy gate was lifted. I couldn't see where the mechanism to open the gate was, so I was curious to how they had opened it.

That didn't matter at the moment though, as I could only watch as Donald moves behind me. Out of his eyesight, and still wrapped in rope by Mary, I could do nothing but sigh.

'Looks like the plan just got a little more complicated…' I thought to myself, as the weight of my sword was lifted off my back….

But the sound of metal scraping against metal was nowhere to be heard.

"What the hell?!" I heard Donald whisper, as I could feel the larger man almost pull me up with my sword. I hissed in pain, as the strap attached to my scabbard dug into my broken ribs.

I looked over my shoulder, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. Though, all I could see was Donald's hand on my sword, trying to remove it from its scabbard. But, no matter how hard he pulled, the sword wouldn't budge, as if it were s-

"It's… stuck!" Donald shouted as he kept trying to remove my sword, lifting me up as he did. But, even my weight and his pulling combined couldn't free the Master Sword.

But I knew better.

The Master Sword wouldn't just let anyone wield it. The Blade would only ever let the Hero use its strength, and no one else. It has been that way for generations, and nothing had changed in this new country.

The blade wouldn't let itself be removed from my sheath, much like how it couldn't be removed from its pedestal. In fact, it was showing quite a bit of restraint, as I had watched it burn certain men and women for getting within an inch of its handle.

Perhaps… the blade knew my plan, and was holding itself back?

It wasn't that hard to consider, as, within all the stories I've heard of the Hero and The Blade of Evil's Bane, they spoke as if the sword was alive. As if there was a soul within the blade, that was forever loyal to the Spirit of the Hero.

Maybe they were true….

Those thoughts left me though, as I was dropped roughly onto my feet, the rope still around my neck still tight.

"Did he put some mechanism to keep his sword in?" Donald asked as I could feel him staring at my sheath, looking for an answer. "No, it's too thin to hold anything like that…"

Donald kept muttering to himself, as I heard someone giggle at me. I turned to Mary, the one responsible for such a noise, as it finally turned into full-blown laughter.

"No wonder you didn't put up a fight!" Mary laughed, as she pointed at me with a sinister smile. "You really are a dipshit, aren't you, denting your sheath so much you can't even remove the blade!"

With that, she laughed again, pulling on his makeshift collar towards the gate of the camp. Though, Donald didn't find it so funny, as he grabbed onto the girl's shoulder, holding her back.

"Wait just a minute!" Donald shouted, keeping his hand on her smaller shoulder. "We don't know that! He could just be tricking u-"

"Fuck off!" Mary said, brushing his hand off of her shoulder, and grabbing the gun at her hip. "You've checked his weapon, as well as his sheath, and you can't even pull it out! So stop wasting everyone's time, and let me take him to Raven!"

Donald and Ed took a step back, as Mary simply moved forward, taking me through the rather large gate. Why she wanted to hate me to this ' Raven' so quickly was a mystery, but I figured the less I could understand the girl, the better.

So, I instead focused on the camp around me, trying to find any structural weaknesses. But, rather than the base within the circular wooden walls like I had been expecting…

I only saw a recently raided camp.

Tents and storages that were once here were torn to the ground, claw marks covering almost every inch of the camp. Deep trenches were formed in what used to be stable and even dirt, no doubt formed by the demons that had raided their camp. Only on tent still stood, and that was a large red and grey tent that stood on a small wooden platform, the furthest away from the gate. No doubt, the one belonging to their boss, as it was in the most secure position if anyone were to invade, and was the best maintained.

The bandits, almost 40 of them from what I could count, were all working to get the camp built back up. Ten of them were working on a rather large hole on the left side of the camp. The rest were fixing the tents, putting them back up and sticking them together. They were all tan, and most importantly, injured.

Seems that they didn't take on whoever raided them without a fight.

But when they caught a glimpse of me, they all stopped and stared, before sizing me up.

I could feel their intense stares looking directly at my pouches, wondering what could be inside of them, and how much they were worth.

As I moved to the center of camp, every single one of the bandits followed, a grim smirk on their faces as they did. It was like they were expecting something, but what, he wasn't sure.

He got his answer soon though, as every bandit in the camp surrounded him as if waiting for something. Before he could question what was going on, Mary teleported behind him suddenly, grabbing him by the ear.

"Good luck," She whispered in his ear, as she kicked him behind his knee, forcing him to the ground. As I still needed to pretend I could feel this, I gasped in pain, with my ear still in Mary's hold. "Hope you survive the night."

With that, she walked off, giving me a wink that made my spine shiver in disgust. Though, that was the least of my worries, as I heard the cloth of a tent open up. I faced forward, towards the bosses red tent, studying what I may have to face.

The person within the entrance of the camp was a woman, the same height I was, though maybe a little taller. She was attractive, with short brown hair shaved down on the sides with lengthier hair on the top. Her skin was tanned, giving me the impression that she was often in the sun, which helped make her bright blue eyes all the more striking.

She wore a tan jacket, with its sleeves torn off and with the collar left up, accompanied by a choker with a buckle on it around her throat. The collar was then cut into a V shape, moving down far enough to expose her black undershirt and a bit of her cleavage. Her pants were a dark shade of red, held up by a belt with a pouch hanging off of it's left. Over those pants were what looked to be leather stoking, more than likely to cover her legs from any damage. Though, that was made pointless by her rolled up right pant leg, and matching rolled up a fingerless leather glove on her left hand, showing the skin of her leg.

Her other arm had the glove unrolled, moving all the way up to her elbow with a gauntlet covering her forearm. Her boots were an exact color match with her jack, beige with white cuffs, laced with white shoelaces, and topped off with a pair of rolled-up red socks. Though, my eye wasn't on her appearance or the fact that she was walking up to me, moving down the wooden steps...

Rather, it was the prominent tattoo on her left arm, depicting a phoenix rising from a bed of Spring Flowers. Though there was no color within or on the tattoo, merely different shades of black, it was beautiful.

My eyes were drawn to it, no matter how hard I tried to look away. It was as if she was calling attention to as if she were hinting at something she kept hidden.

Finally, she stepped up right in front of me, looking down as if examining a spot of mud on her boot. Despite being in what should have been a precarious situation, I simply looked up at her with a look of cold indifference. All as I tried to come up with a to escape, while trying to, at least, get a map.

"So this is him, hm?" She began, still glaring down at me as if I was some cockroach in her path. When she said that, she walked around me, studying me further. "The man that tried to break into our camp…"

As she did that, I simply stood myself up, my eyes never leaving the woman stalking around me. I also watched for any other attempts to try and make kneel, as that was not something I would let happen a second time.

With only one walk around, it seems that she had her fill, and glared back at me. I met the glare again, inclining my head ever so slightly to meet it straight on.

Though, that seemed to have the opposite effect, as she smirked at me.

"I was expecting someone a little taller."

The entire camp laughs at her comment, as I simply ignored the jeers from the crowd. Though, I couldn't hide the fact that my stare turned into a small glare grew, and a vein on my forehead throbbed.

'Was I really that short?' I thought to myself, as I tried to think back to all of the Hylians I've met in my life. But, that was on the back of my mind, as I kept creating plans to escape.

The woman, seeing that such a comment got to me, continued, as if daring me to make a move. Maybe she was trying to break my concentration, making it easier to get what she wanted. "And what's with all the green? Trying to blend in with the trees?"

Finally, I glared at the young woman in front of me, as the laughter from the bandits grew more hysterical. Though, that was to be expected from a foreign country, who never knew the legend. If only she knew how important this tunic was, and the symbol it represented in my people's eyes.

But, to these bandits from another country, it was merely a joke in their eyes.

Still, despite the words thrown at one of the most important figures in my culture, I ignored them. I simply stared forward, waiting for this 'Branwen' to show their face. Though she did seem respected among the bandits here, it wasn't a type of respect one would find in a leader.

"Ignoring me, huh?" The woman continued with a grin, still trying to throw off my concentration from what really mattered. Though, she didn't seem to like being ignored, as she tried to grab a fistful of my hair.

That wasn't happening though, as I simply caught her hand at the wrist with my own.

The bandits around me pulled out their weapons in an instant, pointing them straight at me without a second thought. Though, the woman in front of me simply smirked, gesturing for the bandits to lower their weapons.

"You're no fun." She told me simply, as I threw her wrist to the side. It didn't do much though, as she simply placed that hand at her side. "At least give m-"

"That's enough Vernal." The muffled voice of a woman spoke, as I heard the rustling of clothes from straight behind me. No doubt, that was the sound of all 40 bandits within the area stood a little straighter.

The woman, now known to me as Vernal, immediately responded, moving away from me. Not unlike a loyal knight, she moved to the side of someone new.

Though, this woman gave an entirely different vibe from Vernal. What with the mask she wore, covering her entire face.

The mask itself was entirely white, with red accents that were shaped in marks, not unlike the demons of this country. The mask itself was a complex work with multiple layers, and reminding him quite a bit of bird, no doubt a reference to her own name. On the mask were four black holes, two on top near where her eyebrows should be with scarlet 'eyes' within them. The two below that were no doubt where she looked through, as they seemed to be exactly where her eyes should be. Her neck was revealed though, showing five red beaded necklaces, and showed some of her collar bone. Behind the mask, her hair was tied back by a red ribbon, as the rest of her flowed down in a sort of feather-like pattern.

Her outfit was entirely made out of black a red cloth, in a strange style or dress that seemed somewhat familiar. From the shoulders, halfway down to her chest, was red along with the sleeves. Though, the sleeves stopped just before the elbow with black folds and black fingerless gloves that worked their way up and under her clothes. From her chest down, it was entirely black, with a matching black short skirt, and detached black leggings, reveal quite a bit of her pale thighs. Though, around her stomach was a deceptive red sash, with what seemed to be depictions of black tree branches and black distant mountains.

She even had a blade on her hip, which her arm rested upon, as she watched like a bird of prey.

No doubt, this was the boss of the Branwen Tribe, Raven.

"So," She began, the muffled voice from behind the mask, with confidence so high, it could've been mistaken for arrogance. "This is the man who attempted to sneak into my territory…" She finished, as she grabbed at the side of her mask, revealing what was under it...

As I mentally threw half of my plans out the window.

She revealed herself to be a beautiful woman, with skin almost too fair to be considered humanly possible. She was a woman that any artist would be proud to draw, with eyes containing a warrior's spirit, and a strong will to survive. But, that was exactly the problem, because those eyes…

Were the red eyes of a Sheikah.

But, that should be impossible. The Sheikah were a race of trained warriors and Assassins that served as the shadows of the Hylian Royalty. They were said to have been the handmaids of the Goddesses themselves, until Hylia came down in mortal form, and gave birth to the royal family. Because of that, they were gifted longevity, and stunning crimson eyes, that were said to pierce the soul of any who stood in the way of the crown.

But, those red eyes didn't lie. She was a Sheikah, and those clothes didn't help, as they were clothes that many Sheikah women wear within their clan. A Yukata, if he was remembering correctly.

But a Sheikah would never wander far from the Royal Family, as it was their sworn duty to protect them from danger. It was drilled into them since a young age, and even beyond. Though some have left the Sheikah Clan, and that was the notorious Yiga clan, so it wasn't too far fetched to believe. But the Yiga have long since died out, killed off by the Hero of the Wild, and the Sheikah of the time.

Even still, if this really was some descendant of the Sheikah, then I was in trouble. With the gift of Longevity on her side, who knew how experienced she was with that blade on her hip. There was also the tools the Sheikah often used, and even the magic kept secret within their clan that she may know.

If I was going to get that map, I needed to be extremely careful. So I made sure to listen to everything she said, as this could be important to create a way out of here.

"Who are you then..." The Sheikah named Raven began, walking up to me with slow and purposeful step. "A little bird on Lionheart's shoulder, some new recruit of Ironwoods, trying to get on the General's good side?"

"Or maybe… Ozpin's new pet?"

I didn't respond, unsure as to who these people were, or what they meant to her. So, with such a lack of knowledge on how to answer those questions.

Though, despite not giving an answer, she didn't seem to mind. If anything, it seems that Raven was expecting something like this. "Whatever the case, it doesn't matter." She continued, her form still relaxed as she moved towards him. "Only a fool would try to waltz right into my camp, and despite his many problems, Ozpin does not hire anyone that foolish. Though, my brother may be the only exception to that rule."

The bandits around me laughed, as I could only raise an eyebrow at her words. A brother? However, my eyes widened at the prospect, as I realized that he may be a Sheikah as well. Though, it sounded like they weren't on the same side.

If- when I get out of here I should search for him. He may be able to help me find Zelda in this country and get back to Hyrule.

"So, If Ozpin didn't send you," Raven spoke up, as she stopped a few feet in front of me, her fingers dangerously close to wrapping around her swords handle. "Why have you come? What reason could you possibly have to risk entering my camp?"

The entire camp was silent, waiting to hear the reason for his attempt to trail Mac, Mary, and Ed. Though, I was quite stuck on what to say, whether it would be a lie of why I was here, or what I was trying to do.

Yet, since it couldn't hurt, I decided to tell the truth.

"I needed a healer," I told her simply, lifting up my broken right arm, while looking her in the eye. "And a map, if possible," I added, placing my broken arm back down, waiting for her answer.

Yet, the camp stayed relatively quiet, as they couldn't believe the answer I had given.

The moment of silence was over before it began though, as everyone laughed at my answer, thinking it was a joke.

Even Raven lifted an amused eyebrow and lip, despite being nothing but steady faced the entire time I had seen her. "A healer and a map?" She began as a chuckle was on the edge of her voice, along with Vernal. "You tried to sneak into my camp, the camp of some of the most infamous bandits in the Kingdom ... for a map."

She walked up to me, still almost chuckling at what every person there thought to be a joke. But, the look behind her crimson eyes was different. More like a bird ready to swoop down and feast on its prey.

I ducked before she even moved her arm back to strike me, as the arm sailed above my head. Before I could stand, she created momentum to kick me, giving me no chance to dodge due to her speed.

Before the powerful kick could land, I took a step forward from my crouched position. Then, with my right shoulder and left hand on her knee, the closest place I could reach without being indecent, and where the force of the attack was lower and tensed.

I felt the powerful force of the kick rush through my arm and shoulder, as I held it back with my braced footing. I was lucky though because if I was a second late, my head could have been struck by this strength, knocking me out for sure.

That was enough to stop all of the laughter in the area, as most people were confused. That was because it only took a blink of an eye for all of this to happen. Those who did see it though were shocked, as I simply pushed Raven's leg away from me.

It didn't seem to affect her at all though, as we simply stood up straight, staring one another down only a foot apart.

"Don't take me for a fool." She told me simply, glaring at me with the full force of her rage. "I know a Huntsmen when I see one, and only a well-trained Huntsmen could have seen that coming!"

"So, who sent you! Ozpin, Lionheart, or Ironwood!"

I stayed silent, as there was no answer that I could give that she would believe. Even if I told her that I was from a foreign land, I had no idea what these people would do to a foreigner. Though, I did notice that, for some reason, she was cautious of these Ozpin, Lionheart, and Ironwood guys.

Perhaps they were Bounty Hunters? Or maybe they were famous knights in the area, bent on taking her down? I couldn't be sure, not without more information. Though she did say that this 'Ironwood' was a general, so perhaps they were higher-ups in the Kingdom?

"No answer?" She asked me, still glaring at me with her crimson eyes, as her grip slowly tightened around her blade. "Maybe it really is them… Or maybe…"

Even though I knew what she was going to do, I didn't move.I didn't attempt to escape the crimson katana coming at my neck, as I knew she wouldn't do the dirty deed.

I was right to assume so, as only a centimeter from my neck, the blade stopped. Not even a hair was cut upon my head, as my blue eyes didn't even leave her crimson ones.

"Your working with Salem." She said simply, glaring into my eyes, as I glared back.

The area around me seemed to freeze as they heard that name, as he could even see Vernal's eyes shine in fear. Nothing dared to move at that name, as I could only ask one thing in my mind.

'Salem? Who's Salem?' I thought to myself, avoiding any large breaths to avoid the sharp blade coming into contact with my throat.

"It makes some sense…" Raven started again, keeping her katana at my neck, ensuring that I couldn't move an inch. "The Grimm ambushed our camp by the hundreds last night, all as we slept. No one had a nightmare, everyone on watch was enjoying their free time, yet they were still attracted to something. And suddenly, you're here the next day, stalking around my camp, trying to sneak in. With no negative emotions present, why would the Grimm bother to attack us… unless someone told them to. And there is only one person who can control the Grimm…"

'Control Grimm?' I thought to myself, as I tried to connect something to what she was saying. Control Grimm…

The Demons?

Is that what she was talking about? Someone who could control the Demons? Like Ganondorf?

I shivered, though it wasn't visible to the human eye. Another Ganondorf, here? That was a recipe for disaster.

But, what would someone similar to Ganondorf want with a bunch of Bandits? What would this 'Grimm Controller' get out of raiding them?

"Yet, that still doesn't make sense…." She continued, unaware of the multiple thoughts running through my head. "Why would they send a broken Huntsman like you? Only one person against me? No, that plan would be too illogical, and…" She trailed off, looking back at Vernal, who was listening intently to Raven's theory, before turning back to me. "That leaves too many things to chance."

"So… the only other explanation…" She started to say, as the blade crept ever closer to my neck.

"Is that you, somehow, controlled the Grimm. At least, enough to lead them here."

I could see many wide eyes and quiet mouth work around me, as I only stared at her in puzzlement.

Me, controlling Demons? That was ironic. I, the Hero of Hyrule, practically being declared a Demon King. What on earth could I do to herd a bunch of Demons to this lo-

My eyes widened, as my mind flashed towards that large Wolf Demon earlier this morning. The one that had run from the very sight of the Master Sword…

The same sword that had killed hundreds of Demons, just last night...

"You force them on our camp at night, when we are at our most vulnerable, and follow the party we sent out to clear their numbers back here. Not bad. Though, it seems that in leading those beasts here, you were quite badly injured." She spoke, as she came closer, the base of the blade sliding across my neck, shaving off any peach fuzz that might have been there.

No….

Did… did I cause this? Did those Demons, when they saw the insane amount of kin that no doubt died from the Sword's mere presence…

Decide to run away as far as they could… Even going as far as to destroy any settlements that had been in the way…

The thought was mind-numbing, as I thought about the number of bodies that might have come from those actions. I tried to deny it, as it went against everything I knew about my two full years of slaying Demons that crossed my path.

But, those were the Demons of Hyrule… were these, 'Grimm' as Raven had called them, that different. Were they capable of learning? Were they capable of emotions?

Did they feel fear?

I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand. These thoughts would be consulted later when there wasn't a sword at my neck.

Though, even if I could shove the thoughts of such things aside for now…

The guilt remained.

"So," Raven began, bringing her blade closer to my neck if that was even possible. "How did you do it…"

"How do I control the Grimm."

I stayed silent, even as the blade inches closer and closer to my throat. Once again, I had no way to respond to the questions given. I couldn't control these 'Grimm', and I certainly didn't lead anyone or anything here. In fact, there was quite a leap of logic in her train of thought.

So, with no way to escape the situation with actions, I simply used words.

"If I didn't know where this place was, how could I possibly send Grimm to smoke you out? Why wouldn't I just walk right in?" I asked her, calm and my voice steady, even with the blade at my neck.

The sword in her hand twitched, cutting slightly into my skin, drawing no blood, but still creating a small, barely visible wound. That was enough to tell me that I had shattered her argument, and giving me a chance to explain myself.

"I didn't send anything or anyone. I only want a map t-"

But, before I could even begin to explain…

Mac burst through the crowd, an angry glare within his eyes, and a bottle in his hands. "The map with all our raids!" He shouted out, not drunk from the alcohol, but enough to get him a buzz.

Everyone turned to look at Mac, even Raven and Vernal, as I could only stare at the man glaring at me. What in the name of Nayru was this man talking about?

"You were trying to weaken us with those Grimm, weren't ya you little shit stain!" Mac kept going, taking a drink from his bottle, before turning to all of his fellow bandits. "He was tryin' to weaken everyone here, including the boss and even the camp. That way, he could take whatever you want, including the map containing all of our planned raids! No doubt, that would've scored ya quite a hefty price from Lionheart!"

He could only stare in Mac's direction, as the man turned to him with absolute hate in his eyes. As if he had taken something away fr-

I recalled the conversation between him and the one called Ed, right as he flipped me off.

"We lost three guys last night, two of which owed me over 3,000 Lien from our next raid. Lien that would have gotten me a nice vacation to the beaches of Mistral!"

Was he… did he really think I was responsible for his lost trip to the beach?!

"I see…" Raven began to think out loud, as my head was still whirling about Mac's actions. "Take whatever you want… or, anyone. But…." She spoke up, as she glared at the side of my head, as I was still staring at Mac in disbelief. "Even shes not that confident. She would've sent others with you, and more than your run of the mill Ursa's and Beowulf's, even if they did number in the hundreds."

"Which brings me back to my question… How do I control the Grimm?!" She asked me again, this time putting the point of her blade directly on my carotid artery, making it so that the barest twitch would kill me.

Yet still, I stayed silent, keeping my head completely still to avoid the potentially fatal injury. There was no answer to give, and now, because of Mac, she believed her own story too much to change her mind.

With no answer, it seemed that this Raven has had enough of me.

"Fine then." She said, removing her sword from my neck, and making her way back to her tent, before standing in front of it. "If you won't simply tell me the information I want to know, we will do what we do best…"

"We'll take it from you."

She turns to her men and speaks in a loud voice so that all in the camp can hear her. "This is the man who caused the ambush on our camp last night, interrupting our sleep, and ending the lives of three of our men. My men! The one who had you all stay up the whole night, fighting off a Grimm attack, to take what we have rightfully taken!"

All of the men and women, who now seemed to understand what happened was supposedly his fault, glared. They turned to me with burning hatred, just as Mac did, with 80 eyes placed all on me.

"And I am willing," She began again, as she pointed a cruel smirk in his direction. "To let you all do whatever you want to him."

Suddenly, the anger in their eyes became cold glee, as I felt a shiver travel down my spine. Slowly and methodically, they removed their swords, letting the scrapping of metal filled my ears and travel down my spine. But still, none of them moved, as if they were waiting for some sort of signal.

Which they received without a moment's hesitation.

"Get me the information I want, and I'll give you anything from my personal treasury, and whatever he has on his person!" Raven shouted, sheathing her blade and taking a seat on the steps of her tent, content to watch. "Kill him, and you will suffer my wrath! Now…."

"Do whatever you want."

As if the bell had been rung, the bandits inched closer, waving their weapons around threatening. One of the women actually jumped over the group, trying to get ahead of the rest.

I dodged the strike, moving to the side, as the woman sailed past me. There was no time to relax though, as two men took her place, Scimitars in hand.

"Think of all the cash I could get!"

"You crazy!? I got that cash in the bag!"

"Give me his toes, I'll get the information out of him!"

All of these and more graced his ears, as I continued to dodge any and all attacks that came my way. From the knife of a rather woman to a Chain Sickle trying to wrap me up, they were all avoided.

But it was too much. There were too many men and women, all fighting to take my things.

I couldn't keep this up for long. Even with the Dark Potion, I could my injuries ache and scream for me to stop.

I reached for my blade, ready to fight back these bandits and escape this place. I could get a map anywhere so long as I found a Kingdom. But the greedy bastards never gave me a chance, as they attacked from all sides. They really were greedy…. Just like-

I felt my eyes light up, as I fought down a smirk. Why didn't I think of this before?

"Back off you piles of shit!" I heard Mac shout, pushing through all of the other bandits in an attempt to get to him."This guy owes me a vacation, and I'm gonna deck him until I feel it's worth the 3,000 I lost!"

It was amazing to watch, as I could only stare at Mac throwing people to the side like rag dolls. With no one able to hold Mac back, up to me a mighty fist…

As I pretended to get knocked down, prone and ready for a beating from all sides. And he would've continued to as well…

But, knowing that these guys weren't part Hyrule, and their currency seemed to be this 'Lien', I 'accidentally' dropped something on the ground.

If this Vernal woman couldn't recognize who I was by the signature tunic, and Raven couldn't see the fact that I was the Hero of Hyrule despite being a Sheikah, then they wouldn't recognize…

"Holy shit…"

"I-I-is that…"

"An Emerald!"

Everyone, even Raven and Vernal, could only stare at what could only be a fist-sized emerald on the ground. One that he was only able to fit in his pouch, due to the power of my Tycoon's Wallet.

I had to fight down a grin, as many of the bandits were looking shell shocked at what couldn't even get me a decent meal back home. Despite that, I made a desperate attempt to grab at it, before Mac bent over and picked it up.

"It can't be!" Mac began, laughing at the large 'jewel' within his hands, unable to believe it. "I-i-it's gotta be fake! R-right?!"

No one spoke a word, playing right into his hands by believing it was a precious gem.

Before, when Raven made the command to torture the deal out of me, she said that everything on my person would be given away. Before, it was assumed that it was just small cash, but they all fought for whatever Raven had too.

Now though…

Now I had the opportunity to make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.

"Oi Pluto!" One of the Bandits called out, as many tried to locate the man. "Use your Semblance! It's why we hired you!"

I almost flinched at that, as someone new stepped out of the crowd. So they had someone who could see if it was real or fake, huh?

A darker-skinned man with black hair and golden eyes walked from out of the crowd towards Mac. Before Mac could make a move, this Pluto grabbed it out of his hand, before his eyes started to glow.

I raised an eyebrow, as I watched the man work what could only be magic. He studied it, looking across every side of the Rupee, trying to find if it was actually real.

When his eyes stopped glow, every man and woman waited with bated breath for the verdict. As I stood up, ready to escape when they realized that it was f-

"It's real…" Pluto spoke up, as I froze with my back turned to the mage. I turned my head, looking just as shocked as everyone else, even if they didn't care one bit. "It's not glass or any other false way to create such gems. It's a real Emerald…"

Pluto took a glance at me, no doubt wondering why I was carrying such a thing with me. Even I was wondering if I had somehow mixed it up. However, his eyes shifted to my back, as they began to glow…

When I swore his glowing eyes would've popped out of his skull, as I merely quirked an eyebrow.

He fell down on his rear, as everyone could only stare at Pluto as if he were crazy. No doubt because his mouth was opening and closing so much, he might as well have been a Deku Baba.

"Pluto, what's wr-"

But, before anyone could speak further, he pointed at my sheath, as if he had seen a ghost. "G-g-gg-ggg-go..."

The bandits all had a laugh, thinking he was playing a joke. "What's wrong Pluto?" One of them asked, still laughing at what he assumed was supposed to be a funny joke. "He got something else one him that's worth a fortune?"

They all laughed again, as I assumed that, no doubt, no one would have so many expensive things on them.

But all of that stopped, when Pluto said one word, still pointing at my sheath.

And that word was-

"Gold…"

No one said a word. No one even bothered to breathe, as I felt more than an eighty eyes stick to my sheath. And, If I wasn't the one holding said sheath, I would've stared at my sheath too.

I remember the sheath, which I had received immediately as soon as I had pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. A sheath that matched the purple of the Master Swords guard, with intricate gold colored patterns and the Triforce featured near the center of the sheath.

It's very existence seemed to be attached to my Sword, as it had appeared from thin air when I pulled it from its pedestal.

But still…

'We're my ancestors insane!?' I thought to myself, as what could only be described as pure greed formed in everyone's eyes. 'Who places so much gold on something as simple as a Sheath!?"

I had always thought it was gilded bronze, not actual gold! No wonder all of these thieves tried to take his sword! Wait… were my Golden Gauntlets made of gold too?!

I let those thoughts slide out of my mind, as I focused more on the current situation. It didn't matter what weapons he had were made of gold or not. Though he would have to make sure they were placed under higher protection when he got out of this...

In fact, this only made my plan much more likely to work.

And work it did.

"The Golds mine, jackass!"

"You wish, you whore!"

"If anyone is taking it, it's me!"

Like rabid dogs after the last scrap of meat, everyone began to turn on one another. No one was willing to think rationally, as the offer of a lifetime stood before them, beckoning them to a better tomorrow.

All without realizing they were being played by their own greed.

I could only watch this bloodbath, as every cheap trick in the book was used. Dust in the eye, grabbing hair, tripping, everything was used in an attempt to take the priceless sheath on my back.

All as both Vernal and Raven looked upon their group with disdain. It appeared that they had forgotten that they ran a bandit group, that only ran smoothly due to greed. It seems they haven't seen how far that greed could go.

As the bandits fought, I focused on their fighting styles, hoping to observe them. Not all of these bandits could be prodigies in the way of fighting, as that would be an absurd requirement to join. More than likely, since that Mary woman called this a Tribe, many may have been born into this life.

Meaning, their leader would have had to teach them how to fight. And the many quirks of their leaders fighting style would've been passed on when taught. When to strike, how they strike, the way they swing their swords, all could give him a blurry image of how their leader fought. Though it wasn't a perfect assumption, it was the only way I could prepare to face Raven.

But that all flew out the window when I saw a man take a sword to the neck with little more than a bruise.

What in Din's name was that?

I shifted my focus from their style of fighting, to where they were being hit. These bandits, could they possibly be…

I watched it happen again, as a woman used her fingernails to try and claw out another's eyes. Focusing closer, I watch as what could only be colored smoke solidify, and block the attack. It absorbed the force almost perfectly, as the man still screamed in pain at the attacks on his eyes.

This was…

'Nayru's Love?' I thought to myself, further focusing on the damage the bandits attempted to bring upon one another.

No… it was similar but too different from the spell Zelda used. Where she could create a perfect barrier to protect herself from any danger, these bandits were taking damage left and right. Where she could change its shape and size at will, they seemed to only be able to protect themselves.

Perhaps this was special magic, only used wherever I was? Maybe it was some sort of magic item they held?

But, it didn't feel like magic.

Though I never could use magic without the help of items, or special sword techniques, I knew magic when I saw it. Zelda had practiced and explored many spells in our travels together, including healing and the Three Sacred Magic's.

When I watched Zelda use magic, it was like watching her work together with the very Goddesses themselves. Using the laws that Nayru had created for the world, as well as energy I could not hope to describe together to give her abilities beyond the physical. It was how she produced fire from her fingertips with a thought, or had the wind guide her to a new location, or even form barriers that could defend against incredible attacks.

But these bandits had none of that.

Instead, they seemed to ignore the balance of the world, the Gods, and even this unseen energy needed to use magic. He couldn't explain it, but they were using something… else. Something weaker, simpler, and…unstable compared to the energy Zelda used.

To put it simply, the energy Zelda used was like Hyrule Castle. It was powerful, sturdy, and could stand for thousands of years with barely a scratch.

The energy these bandits used was like a small shack. Given enough time, it could turn into something usable, but it could be destroyed and would need to be built all over again.

My thoughts were interrupted by a strike of lightning hitting the ground before and a roar.

"ENOUGH!" Vernal shouted out, with a hand gesture in the direction of the lightning bolt.

It was like the entire bandit camp was frozen in ice. Everyone wouldn't dare to move a toe out of line or even take a breath knowing that their second in command was furious with them.

I was the only exception, as I simply sighed in relief, despite the pain in my ribs. Though, not for the reason all of these bandits might think I was relieved.

"Are you fools are too blind to even realize you're being played!?" Vernal. "The prize of a lifetime for our Tribe and all you can do is tear at each other's throats! None of you deserve such a prize!"

The bandits hung their heads and looked away, having the decency to look ashamed of themselves.

With that completed, he watched as Vernal walked up to him, a furious rage in her eyes. I met such sharp eyes head-on as if to challenge the woman before me.

This challenge was met with a glare, as she grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me to my feet. It would've hurt like hell without the aid of the Dark Potion, but it still felt like someone was trying to pull off my scalp.

When I was on my feet, she stared at me straight in the eye and asked me the same question.

"How did you bring the Grimm here?!" She asked simply, raising me a little higher with my hair still in her hands.

In a simple retaliation, I used my right leg and toes to hook onto the crook of her knee. When it was attached, I turned my hips and bent my own leg. With all of the force I had gathered, it was a simple task to bring her to a knee.

She grunted as soon as she fell, not out of pain but rather surprise.

With the pain across my scalp gone and Vernal kneeling, I took my left hand, twisted her wrist, and pressed two fingers into said wrist. Her hold loosened drastically, as I escaped her grasp and jumped back a good few feet.

I looked around in a forced panicked gaze, trying to find some way to escape this camp. But, on every side I could see, was a circle of Bandits watching this 'torture session'. They made a sort of ring around us, so that I wouldn't escape, and would have to face the second in command.

Vernal stands, laughing. "That's it? Not gonna attack? Or were you just trying to run away?"

She and the rest of the bandits laughed, as they continued to watch and enjoy the show.

With no avenue to escape from, I turned to face her, placing myself into a stance and preparing for any attack she could throw at me.

"What?" She taunted, standing relaxed right in front of him as if taunting me to attack her. "Not going to draw that fancy sword there?"

If it were any other situation, I would've done exactly that. But….

"He can't!" I heard Mary shout from over the crowd, her face still plastered with that sadistic smile. "Must've bent the sheath and trapped the sword inside!"

"I see…" She began, turning to me with a grin as if she thought of a fun idea. Which, was actually good for me...

So long as they didn't think I could fight against them, they would just play around with me. Giving me more time to surprise attack her with a surprise attack.

"Well than…" Vernal began, pulling something out from behind her back, which shouldn't have been there. Then, before his very eyes, it seemed to transform, changing shape into a ring. A weapon that, if he recalled currently, was called a Chakram, though this one seems modified with a gun. And, of course, sharp blades and hooks, meant to tear through and stick into flesh.

Then, with those two chakrams, she threw them to the side of the makeshift ring, where they sunk into the dirt with ease.

"Let's see what this pretty boy can do in a fight."

Before I could even say anything, Vernal rushed me with an obvious haymaker, in a speed that shocked me considering she seemed not as muscular as many of the other bandits. Luckily, it was nothing that I couldn't handle, as I simple dodged to the side.

She didn't stop the punch though, as her fist struck the ground, crushing the dirt and grass beneath it into a small crater. My eyes widened, seeing the strength she held with only her hands. Though, it seemed that this barrier surrounding her was part of the reason why her body was so strong, to begin with.

I stayed back, letting her just tire herself out, as she kept trying to attack me. Staying far enough would force her to chase after me to even require a chance to attack me.

So, when she rushed me, form wide open for a punch to my gut, I simply rolled under her. I didn't need any more injuries, and her barrier would absorb any attack that I could throw at her.

What I didn't expect was the line of bandits around me, pushing me back to the center of the arena.

With the sudden push, I was incredibly off-balance, as I was mere seconds from falling over. Though Vernal was quick to grab me with one arm around the neck, choking me till I couldn't breathe. Before I could even try to break her grip, I felt her other fist drive right into my back.

I groaned at the strike, as I felt my kidneys begin to bruise heavily. Though, for some reason, many of the bandits around me could only look on in confusion. Still, it was incredibly painful, as I moved my good hand into the crook of her elbow.

Before she had any idea what was going on, I crushed my fingernail into the tendon in her elbow. Though the barrier around here absorbed the force of any strike, the pain was still in place. It wasn't a perfect shield against every attack.

It was why she let go of my neck, giving me air and a chance to counter-attack.

Still in pain from my painful attack, I did a simple sweep kick, knocking her off balance, giving her no chance to dodge. Rising from the sweep kick and with all of my momentum, I kicked her hard enough on the head to give a normal Hylian a broken skull and a shattered neck.

If it weren't for this countries magic, that might've been how it played out.

I felt the impressive density of this barrier around her, as the bridge of my foot already began to bruise heavily, even through my thick leather boots.

I watched as with no control over her body, Vernal flipped three times through the air, no doubt from the force of my kick. Many of the bandits tried to catch her, just like they did me, but they fell with ease.

I landed on my feet, cringing as I felt the sore pain in my left foot. It was like I had just tried kicking a thick stone wall at full force, with my barefoot.

Vernal though, she simply stood up without any problems, not even dizzy from the attack. If I looked hard enough, I might be able to see the bruise through her hair.

"Well…" Vernal began, brushing herself off, showing off just how ineffective my attack was. "Run out of Aura trying to wrangle those Grimm here, boy? Or did that punch just shatter it all together?"

I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. Aura? Was this what was defending them from attacks, and had practically shattered my foot? Wasn't Aura just a term to describe the energy one's soul gave off?

"Either way," She began with a grin, in a fairly relaxed stance, as if she knew she was going to win. "This is going to be fun."

As she said that, she began to circle me like a predatory bird, not unlike the tattoo on her left arm. She found pleasure in my weakness, no doubt hinting at her sadistic tendencies. Though, it seemed she wasn't someone who often went hand to hand, as the punch's she threw was practiced but not experienced. Not to mention the Chakram she wielded, hinting at her preferred style of fighting, which used ranged attacks with her staying away from hand to hand combat.

If it were any other person, even without my sword, I could've wiped the floor with her.

Though nowhere as talented as I was with a sword, I often practiced kickboxing on the side. I knew how to dodge and punch with simple ease, getting some powerful blows In case some ever disarm me.

However, such a style wouldn't work here, as striking her with this Aura around her would only mean trading damage. My arms and legs would be bruised to the point that they would be of no use before I could do any damage against her.

And, if I revealed that I could draw my sword, I would be at a further disadvantage due to her ranged style of fighting, even with my increased damage. Without any of my other weapons, I could only hit her if I ever got lucky.

So, I had to find a way to hit her through the barrier, without the use of my sword. And there was such a way, though the chances of it happening were slim, to say the least. But…

It would give me a chance to end this and get exactly what I want.

So when she came at me for another punch my gut…

I didn't bother to move until the absolute last second.

Before the punch could connect, I flexed my stomach to help absorb any damage I might have gotten. Then, as the punch attempted to connect, I folded myself over, as if I really was struck by her fist.

The fist, which would've stuck with the force of a Goron, softened to the point of getting hit by a small stone.

The bandits around the both of us cheered and jeered, as Vernal could only smile at the blood I had spit-up. Though, said blood was only what I could suck out of the small cut inside my cheek, and a collection of saliva. The illusion made better by the still present color of the Dark Potion staining my cheek.

And so, the plan went into motion.

From my curled up position, still standing and acting as if I had been struck hard, Vernal grabbed the front of my Tunic with her left hand. Pulling me up, and looking to simply punch me in the face as much as she could.

The first punch went directly to the right side of my head, as I simply let her knuckles digging into my cheek, before turning my head. Giving her the impression that I was being struck, while minimizing my own injuries.

As she kept striking, and I kept acting, I thanked whatever luck shined down on me that Vernal wasn't a brawler. If she was, then she could instantly tell that these strikes weren't doing anything, just by the feel of the punch.

Though, even she would get suspicious if I simply kept taking the punches.

So, as she began to strike me again, I grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully. She let go, her hand unable to bend in the direction I was twisting, and I was free once again.

With no chance of any strike doing any lasting damage with that Aura in the way, I couldn't attack with all my might. So, I used her own strength against her.

I let go of her wrist, as she went for another strike, putting as much power as she could into that fist. As it went for my nose, I grabbed her arm and fell backward, placing my foot on her stomach and the tip of my shoe directly into her diaphragm.

With that, Vernal was launched into the ground by her own strength, but she tried to get up as fast as possible. Moving quickly, I flipped in the air, using the force of my motion and my weight deal a heavy strike to the head, exactly where I had hit her just before, as she tried to stand.

It worked well, but now the back of my foot was bruised, making my whole right foot ache in pain. I cringed at the feeling, as Vernal used that chance to strike.

Barely even breathing heavy from the strike on her diaphragm, she quickly stood with a sinister smirk. Before I could stand and defend myself, she kicked me right in the back of the head.

Seeing this, I went back to the act and rolled forward with the kick. I rolled once, feeling the bruise forming on my head, and quickly half rolling before falling on my face.

I heard all of the bandits laugh, as they watch the supposed one-sided battle. As they did, I attempted to stand, but still acting like had gotten struck hard in the head, I purposefully fell again. This brought an even bigger fit of laughter from everyone as if they were watching a baby deer trying to stand.

I took a glimpse back at Vernal, seeing her take pleasure in my humiliation. Not that I cared, as this only helped me in the long run. Even Raven could only enjoy the show, as she sat on the stairs to her own tent

Though that was good, this needed to be finished quickly, before anyone noticed the lack of bruises from what should've been heavy strikes.

Acting as if the humiliation was getting to me, I stood up tall, turning to face the woman who was my opponent. Only to fall to one knee, breathing heavily, and gasping for breath, grabbing at my chest as I did so.

That is what I wanted them to see, rather than my legs tense and ready to rise as fast as possible.

Seeing my weakness, Vernal acted exactly as I had expected her too. With a smug smile, and a sinister glint in her eye.

"That's it?" She spoke, her voice directed to everyone within the camp, as she slowly walked up towards me. "This is all you have? Three strikes on me, and a lot more on you, and you're already down for the count? You challenged me to this fight, and you can't even bruise me?"

I stayed still, pretending to gasp for breath, waiting for the right words to strike back at her with, and the right moment. All of my muscles prepared to give a strike much more powerful than any of my other strikes.

I could practically feel her disappointment as I didn't move so much an inch. Even more at the fact that I didn't seem to respond to her insults at all. She thought the fight was over, she had relaxed, thinking she had won. She had moved closer, wanting me to hear the next words she had to say.

That was why she lost.

"You're path-"

When she spoke those words, I rose faster than any shooting star in the sky, never giving her a chance to defend against my uppercut. When I struck, I felt the Aura around her absorb most of the damage. In fact, the strike was so powerful, I could feel the skin around my knuckles peel and bleed against this Aura.

But, with that one strike…

"AUGHHHHHHHH!"

I had won.

I watched as she flew backwards from the hit, large amounts of blood seeping through her lips. When she landed, her muscles were still taunt in unimaginable pain, as she brought both of her hands to her mouth. But, even with her mouth covered, I could hear the screams of pure agony and watched as tears escaped her eyes.

To the side, I heard something land on the grass, as all of the bandits, including Raven, could only stare. Despite knowing what it was, I looked down at the object…

And saw a centimeter of Vernal's still wet tongue next to me, limp and cut straight off.

"H-h-How…."

No one could say anything, no one even knew what to call what had just happened. 'How could her tongue have been cut off?' 'She was protected, she shouldn't even be able to get hurt!' These were no doubt the thoughts that ran through these bandits minds.

But, it seems they had forgotten one thing…

This 'Aura', was a barrier around the body, not inside of it, and was the only relation to Nayru's Love. Even if it did absorb the damage she would've taken from the uppercut, it didn't absorb the force of the strike. Rather, her jaw did. And with the amount of force I hit her with, her jaw clamped straight down on her tongue, cutting it clean off.

There were many reasons why, in many combat schools, speaking during spars was a forbidden action. One of those reasons was your tongue.

Biting off your tongue could have you dead from shock, drowning in your own blood, and even suffocating on your own tongue. Even with a healer on the scene, it was considered one of the worst fatal mistakes in combat. Even after you were healed, you were never able to speak or taste correctly ever again.

It was an injury that could affect your entire life.

That's why so many of the bandits reacted in panic when I stood over Vernal's body and kicked her in the nose.

The horrible snap was heard by the entire camp, even if the scream that followed it was barely understandable. Despite the shout, I watched as Vernal's eyes rolled into the back of her head. She was out like a light, with barely any way to keep herself breathing for the next few minutes.

If she wasn't treated immediately, she could die of blood loss, or retain permanent mental damage due to both airways being blocked. And I was standing over her, still in a fighting position.

It didn't take a genius to recognize my demands.

Either I was healed, or Vernal was dead. Simple, and without any room for bargaining due to the time limit she had.

The rest of the bandits were frozen stiff, as one of them rushed to the girl's side. Most likely the one who could save her life and heal me.

But, I had other problems to worry about, as the bandits weren't simply frozen at the prospect of losing their second command. Rather…

It was their leader that had struck fear into their hearts.

Feeling the hairs on my neck stand on end, I backflipped over Raven's blade, dodging a blow that would've bisected me. Even still, I could feel the incredible rage forming behind the leader's eyes. So much rage, that she overshot her target, almost cutting one of her subordinates head clean off.

As soon as I landed, I stared into the red eyes that promised me death, as the healer seemed to go to work on Vernal. It seemed that whatever information she had wanted from me was deemed unimportant compared to an attempt on Vernal's life.

A feeling that I could empathize with.

She said nothing, as she simply rushed me with a vertical strike, creating a crater upon the ground beneath her when she did. I could feel the intent coming off of her blade as if it was ready and willing to end my life.

Exactly how I had planned it.

Grabbing my sword, I spun left, dodging the very telegraphed attack with a practiced ease. I watched as Raven's eyes widened, shocked to see me dodge an attack she had no doubt put all of her speed and strength into. Her sword had yet to strike anything, as in my eyes, it seemed to be falling slowly to the ground.

Before she could blink, I drew my sword, using both my force and the speed and strength of her own attack against her. With the blade drawn, I swung it down diagonally, in between the base of her neck and shoulder, as the angle would have slashed her all the way down to her thigh.

I felt the impact of my blade against her Aura, as the resistance was quite powerful, and made my hands shake. In fact, if I knew it was just my imagination, I had thought I saw sparks fly from where I struck.

Raven seemed to smirk, confident that she would just brush off this attack, and ready to chop off my head with ease. She twisted her blade, ready to aim for my neck...

Only for her Aura to shatter not a second later, as my blade cleaved through everything.

Her armor split before my strike, her clothes offered no protection, and her skin was not far behind. But, my blade didn't stop, as her collarbone shattered into a million pieces, and two of her ribs were cut in half. Finally, the blade got caught within her sternum, as I felt the tip of the blade scrape against her heart.

Everything was still, as I pulled the tip of my blade from within her body. It would've taken a while if I hadn't shattered her sternum, along with cutting a huge chunk of it almost clean off.

It was only when I removed the blade, did Raven seem to react to what had just occurred. Exactly how I expected her too, honestly.

She screamed in pain, as blood quickly oozed out of the large open wound. With almost all of her strength gone and every breath she took well beyond painful, she fell to a knee. She brought her left hand to her fresh wound, as if in an attempt to close it or keep her body together.

And, in a way, she was lucky. At least, luckier than most who've met their end against that technique. After all…

There was no defense for this technique. For the Mortal Draw deals death.

It was only because of the combined factors of me being only able to use one hand, and this Aura taking quite a bit of the damage. It was the only reason why she was alive at the moment. Especially since what I had used against her was nothing more than a bastardized version of the Mortal Draw.

If I was able to use my body fully, then she would be nothing but a corpse on the ground, her entrails staining the grass.

Yet, I only used this technique because I was sure it wouldn't kill her.

Despite being the Hero of Hyrule, defender of the Kingdom, and sworn protector to the country, I never liked killing people. I knew it was a foolish thing to think, even when faced with people who would gladly kill me with a knife in my back.

Sure, I knew some people needed to die, Ganondorf being a prime example of this. Despite that, I would usually just knock people out and force them to face justice in the old fashion way.

I knew that doing such a thing didn't always work and that it could sometimes lead to more problems than solutions, but I stuck with it. I was against murder, plain and simple, but I knew when it was necessary to compromise such beliefs.

Besides, in this new country, I was not the 'Hero'. I was just Link.

So, even if I had gone and killed Raven, I would simply be arrested for murder. Though, I guess that depended on how wanted this Branwen Tribe was.

I shook my head, clearing it of all of these unnecessary thoughts. I was speaking as if Raven was beaten, and that was a dangerous thought. Even with her wounds, I had to prepare for anything she could throw at me.

I placed my sword upon Raven's neck, standing behind her so she couldn't make a move that I couldn't react to. Then, being careful not to let her out of my sight, I looked towards the bandit camps healer.

He was hovering over Vernal, with a look that could only be described as pure shock. I took a quick glance at the now mute girl, seeing that she was pale, but healed if the lack of blood coming out of her open mouth was any indication. Though, it seemed that this healer specialized in open wounds, as the girl's nose was still broken.

I sighed, realizing that their healer wouldn't be able to heal most of my injuries, as I only had one wound that wasn't a broken bone. Though, if I got a map and some sort of landmark, I would be one step closer to finding Hyrule.

So, before Raven got any ideas, I was about to demand a simple trade, a map for their leader.

That is before I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise, and the feel of static in the air.

Before I even knew what was happening, I trusted my instincts and rolled to the side, dodging a lightning bolt that came from Raven's back. It was close, as I could feel arcs of electricity contact the tip of my sword and ran up my arm. Yet, I managed to dodge with no injuries, before quickly standing and facing my opponent

Just as I did, I felt a sudden chill wind, as the wound on Raven's shoulder was encased in ice, forcing a shudder through the woman's body. With her large wound closed in a trail of bloody ice, she turned to me with a powerful glare.

Though I was focused more on the red flames that had sprouted out of her eyes, and the feeling of magic overflowing from her body.

"You're dead."

My eyes widened, as Raven charged me with the intent to kill, sword slicing through the air. Though only her left hand was on the handle, due to the right being unusable, so it was slower than it usually was. Still, that was enough, as I could see the arcs of electricity flowing across the blade.

With no time to do otherwise, I simply blocked her blade with the flat of mine, feeling the electricity trying to move through my nerves. With no arm to move and my legs to busy absorbing the force of the blow, I had no other choice. As quickly as I could, I head-butted the woman, feeling my forehead smash into her nose.

She cursed, as involuntary tears welled in her eyes, making her vision blurry. She even let up, the force behind the blade weakening, along with the electricity. Using that to my advantage, even with the horrible headache from slamming my head directly into her Aura, I let her blade slide off of my sword, letting her pass as I attempted a swipe at her back.

Such a strike was blocked though, even though her blurry vision, as she jumped back, getting some air. Using that air, she focused on my location, as an incredible chill seeped into the air.

I ran forward, charging her as fast as I could, as I heard the sudden and familiar sound of ice springing up behind me. I developed a sudden chill, remembering the many ice enemies I had fought on my path.

Despite that I charged forward, using my blade attempt and cut into the already damaged parts of her body. She saw this coming though, parrying and striking back against that attack.

What came next could only be described as a flurry of blows, no one opponent getting the better of another. When she attacked, I let her attacks slide of my blade, and used that as an avenue for attack. She would block that attack, however, and go straight for a killing blow, trying to end this fight quickly.

Still, it seems she really was looking down on me. Instead of using her obvious incredible magic power, she instead tried to finish me off one on one. Though, I held the upper hand, as my injuries were far less extensive than the ones I had given her.

No doubt she was running completely on adrenaline to keep herself fighting.

It wasn't too long into the battle before she charged at me though, giving quick strikes filled with rage. Each of them aimed at my thigh and neck, ready to sever an artery.

I quickly defended against the first two strikes, as I didn't have enough time to dodge backward with my damaged leg and foot. I came to regret not trying though, as I felt the electricity force it's way through my system. The muscles in my left arm tensed unnaturally, almost curling up against my chest, no matter how much I resisted.

Seeing this, and realizing I couldn't block or dodge the attack, Raven went for an obvious stab to my heart. No doubt aiming for the hole in my chain mail and tunic, the path of least resistance.

With no way to block the final blow and no way to dodge, I had to break the flow of combat. So, before the blade could reach my chest, I bent my legs and rushed forward.

The top of the blade brushed against my left cheek, as the tip of the blade sailed just under my ear. A perfect way for the thin blade to slip in between my ribs strike any of my organs, if I had given it the chance.

Before Raven attempt to pull the blade back or dodge, I wrapped my arms around her midsection. Though my right arm screamed in pain, even though the effects of the Dark Potion, I held on, lifting her up as much as I could. With no way to resist, I pushed her to the ground, slamming her back into the dirt.

All of the air in her lungs forcefully escaped, as I could practically hear the cracking of the rest of her sternum. The pain caused her eyes to glaze over, as I too almost gasped in pain from my right arm being crushed under both our weight. Though I held strong, gritting my teeth and making it to my knees. It didn't take much to pull my sword out from under her, as she weighed as much as I did without the extra layers and chainmail.

With no room to use the blade on her, I simply used the pommel of my sword to strike her in the ice-covered shoulder. A loud crack accompanied my strike, as the ice shattered into sharper, smaller splinters. Striking it again, Raven seemed to escape her daze enough to scream in pain, as those splinters of ice embedded themselves into her skin.

With only one arm that she could use, Raven did the only thing she could do. She put her feet on my stomach from under me, creating spikes on the soles of her feet, and kicked as hard as she could.

Feeling the ice trying to pierce my skin and chainmail, I leaned back, using the force of her kick to launch myself backward and above her. Though I couldn't escape without any injuries, as the sharp ice was thin enough to make it through a bit of my chain mail. I felt the holes form in my stomach before it went to deep, and the ice stuck into my chainmail. Despite that, using my own control over my body, I righted myself in mid-air, before pointing my sword straight down.

However, before I could pull off the Ending Blow, she rolled out of the way, grunting as she had to roll over her injured arm. Thus, I missed and felt the blade sink into the solid earth with ease.

Quickly trying to release my sword from the earth, I turn my head to see what Raven was planning. I wasn't shocked to find her on one knee, facing me with her blade covered in electricity in hand. Before she even stood properly, she rushed me, intent on bisecting me with her sharp blade.

I would have none of that though, as I finally released my blade from the earth, before turning and blocking the attack. However, my feet met resistance, as I felt a chill creep up my legs.

I didn't need to look down to realize that I was frozen to the ground. I attempted to break the ice with my strength, but there wasn't enough time to do that and block the attack.

So I did neither.

With my knees still exposed, I bent them down and put as much power as I could into my legs. I was lucky that the ice and Dark Potion completely numbed my feet, and leg, as I felt close to no pain. Then, just before she could connect her attack, I jumped and did a backflip, getting out of reach for an attack.

With the force of the jumping not enough to crack the ice, I should've stayed there and taken the attack. But, in the woman's rush to kill me, she didn't freeze the ground around my feet.

So when I jumped, I simply pulled both the ice around my boots and the dirt that was under them.

Unable to stop both her rush and the widening of her eyes, she practically flew past me. As soon as I had landed, the ice shattered over the grass, releasing the dirt that stuck to the soles of my boots.

Raven turned to me, her glare still holding all of her rage and the glowing red flames within her eyes. Even from the distance between us, I could feel that she had had enough of our little battle.

Without warning, the flame around her eyes seemed to glean ever so slightly, as the hairs on my neck stood on end. I felt an incredible energy flow through the woman, listening and shaping to her very will. Before I could even blink, the energy became visible as pure black clouds, filled to the brim with blue lightning.

And from what my instincts were telling me, it was enough to turn any man into nothing but bones.

She charged the energy even further, no doubt using everything she had to end my life right then and there. Like an insect on the dirt. I had no time to run, as every wall within this camp blocked my way, leaving me trapped with this impossibly large energy.

I was trapped.

She smirked slightly, thinking that this battle was over, as all of that energy finally finished pooling into the clouds.

Without a word, she released the lightning, as the incredible energy seemed to scorch the air around me. Every hair on my body stood on end, and the air I breathed in seemed to burn like a thousand suns. The arcs of lightning were so powerful that they even upheaved the earth around me, forcing dust to fly in the air.

And, with one last attempt to stop such an attack…

I raised my sword,

I felt the lightning strike, as the unbelievable current of energy moved through the steel with ease. I was shocked to find though, that there was little force behind the magic attack, but rather just pure energy, attempting to kill me.

I saw my life flash before my eyes, as the flash of the lightning nearly blinded me, and the horrendous thunderclap deafened me. The smell of ozone was all I smelled, so much so that it was a physical taste on my tongue. I even felt some of my hair singe at the temperature of the lightning.

Even my body felt the current of electricity, as white-hot agony spread through every pore of my body. I felt parts of my skin burn off, as the dirt around me simply exploded do to the pure amount of energy flowing through it.

But it was the feeling of touch that told me I was alive, as I felt something resist the incredible energy of all that magic.

Despite my nervous system no doubt being a wreck due to all the electricity, I could feel all of that heat disappear. I felt the incredible thrum within my hand, as I felt all of that energy flow into my blade, containing it with ease.

I could feel all of the energy, the energy that could kill me a hundred times over in my hands. It was like holding the sun within the palm of my hands and using it however I pleased.

It was incredible, intoxicating…

And completely nauseating.

I fell to one knee, as I stabbed my sword, and the incredible energy it held, into the ground. The entire world seemed to spin, as my mind tried to recognize that I was indeed still alive.

I looked down at my sword, peering through the small multicolored lights in my eye, and the incredible amount of dust.

It looked like it always had, peerless, with no sign of the incredible energy anywhere to be seen.

As soon as I could feel my legs again, I forced myself to stand up. The blade followed without any effort, feeling as light as a feather when the rest of my body felt like a ton of bricks.

It was only when I stood up that I realized how exhausted I felt. My breath came out in gasps, with my body almost incapable of handling the energy that I held in my hands.

I looked up, as the dust within the camp finally settled, and I could see every member of the camp. Including the still passed out Vernal, and Raven, who seemed to be just as exhausted as I was.

'Perhaps it took just as much energy to absorb the magic as it did to fire it.' I thought to myself sarcastically, as I felt another wave of nausea strikes me, as I was reminded just how much energy was currently in my sword.

"That Sword…." I heard Raven gasp, as she did all but collapse to the ground, using her own blade to keep her standing.

Once again, the wave of nausea struck, as I felt the energy trying to force itself out. I brought my broken hand to my head, trying to hold back this unending wave of pure discomfort …

"Get 'im!"

Only for some of the stupider bandits to rush me, their eyes filled to the brim with greed. They drew their weapons, ready to kill me in hopes that they could take everything I had.

I glared at them, as I held my sword up. Ready to defend myself from their greedy, money-grubbing hands.

So, as the first one came to me, with another one of those double barrels in hand…

I swung my sword at him.

Everything blew into chaos not even a second later.

Every single one of those dumb bandits were vaporized, as all of the energy with the Master Sword focused into an extremely powerful sword beam. Nothing stood in its wake, as the tents, the wall surrounding the bandit camp, and even the trees turned into nothing but ash. Even the air surrounding the blast seemed to be vaporized, as a powerful gust of air moved in to replace what was destroyed.

I couldn't even comprehend how much damage I did, as no doubt thousands of trees disappeared in the blink of an eye. Animals, demons, even the clouds that Raven seemed to have summoned out of nowhere. All of them, simply gone.

All of the bandits that weren't simply killed, including Raven, could only be shell shocked. Even I couldn't comprehend what had just happened…

But that was quickly ignored, as what met my eyes made my heart stop, and mind goes blank.

For when the clouds parted in the sky…

The moons hanging prominently within the stars, its surface shattered and chunks of it hanging within the cold emptiness of space.

It was mind-numbing. Impossible! The moon, it couldn't be shattered! I saw it the night before the battle with Ganondorf, as a whole and perfectly round as it had always been!

I felt myself begin to hyperventilate, as everything but the moon was all but blind to me. I tried to rationalize this, tried to play it off saying it was just the many Sheikah Stones that Zelda launched into space.

But no matter how hard I tried, the moon seemed to mock me further, as I noticed the large hole in the side of the moon.

Why was it shattered!? What happened!? Was this Ganondorf's doing, o-

On this day, the beginning of my eternal rule, I promise the Hero of Hyrule, and The Princess of Destiny this!

No….

This world, filled with the weak and foolish, shall no longer be tolerated!

No… no no no no no…

I shall bring us to a new age…

Thi-this can't be…

A New World!

I… I can't…

I searched the stars, trying to find any of the familiar constellations in the sky. Even if Ganondorf destroyed the moon, he couldn't destroy the stars. They were too far and filled to the brim with magic too powerful to even get close to.

But, no matter where I looked, the stars that I tried to find didn't seem to exist. He couldn't find the placement of the Stars of the Goddesses, no Darunia's Belt, not even The Tear of Hylia.

It was a completely different sky…

A completely different world…

And I almost passed out at the very prospect.

Hyrule… the country I had fought for over two years. The country that I had broken nearly every bone in my body for, the home that I had defended with my life.

Gone. Gone, with the Triforce of Courage, and the Master Sword in another world. The only way to defend against the next Ganondorf…

Impossible to reach…. All because I failed to defeat Ganondorf sooner… and because of that…

I had just doomed Hyrule for all eternity.

With that realization, something within my mind and soul shattered.

I dropped my sword to the ground, as it sunk into the earth with ease. All feeling in my body was gone, as I simply stood there, simply staring at the moon.

Three deafening bangs filled the air, as I felt something pierce my chest. But there was no pain, only the sheer numbness of everything crashing down on me. From my exhaustion to my injuries, and the realization that I had fai-

I blocked that thought out, forcing myself to look down at what had pierced me to distract from such thoughts. Though, there was a blade or arrow that had pierced me. Despite that, blood was freely flowing from a hole just under my left ribs, with another on my injured leg.

The numbness in my body finally took over everything, as I fell to the dirt. With what little energy I had left, I turned my head the left, hoping to avoid an even worse broken nose.

I felt the impact against the ground, but none of the pain that should have accompanied it. I couldn't feel anything other than numb. All that I could see was the shine of my blade, a few feet away from me, stabbed into the dirt.

After a while of feeling this way, I saw the familiar black boots with bare legs enter my sight. They took slow steps, as I heard the ragged breathing from the woman. The struggle to breathe no doubt coming from the fact that her sternum was shattered.

Yet, despite the battle they had just had, where she was aiming to end his life as quickly as possible, she completely ignored me. Instead, she moved towards my sword, dropping her own, as it fell to the floor with a soft impact.

I tried to raise my head to figure out what she was doing, but that question was answered not even a second later.

A groan of pain came from Raven, as a white light seemed to bleed from the Master Sword, pushing the woman back. That didn't stop her from trying though, as she pushed against the light, a hand outstretched.

She was trying to take my sword.

But, like many other attempts to take it before her, it ended in a spectacular failure.

Though she was strong enough to fight against the powerful white light if only for a while, she was too injured to keep going. She kept trying though, as she was the barest millimeter away from the handle of the sword.

But, the second she touched a piece of the handle…

The Sword blasted an incredible energy, blowing Raven away with a strong enough force to ram her into what I assumed to be the part of the wall that was still standing. I heard ice shatter, making me assume that the ice over her shoulder had broken off.

There were many out cries of 'Boss', as over seventy feet ran together, no doubt running to her aid. I heard another thump, as I believed she fell straight to the ground.

As many of her men gather around her, everything was silent. Then, in a panic-filled, quivering voice, someone spoke.

"T-his isn't good…" one of them said, as I heard Raven hiss in agony. "If she doesn't get immediate surgery, she'll die before her Aura can recover. We need to get her to a bed! Get me the medical supplies in my tent!"

"W-which on-"

"All of them! Now!" The man who must be the healer of the camp screamed, as many feet scrambled to get everything he needed.

As this was happening, my own vision started to blur, as colors started to blend together within the thick of the night. I could feel the edge of unconsciousness growing larger by the second, as my blood poured into the grass below me. Still, there was no pain, only sickening numbness, as everything started to fade into black.

But, as I began to fall into the dark realm of sleep, I heard Raven speak.

"H-he has the Sword…" She spoke in a weak voice, as it became harder and harder to keep conscious. "K-keep him alive…"

"B-but Ra-"

"He knows how to wield it…" She interrupted the healer, before coughing in what sounded like an incredible amount of pain. "We need him… or we'll never b- be able to understand how t-to use it… before she finds us…"

"K-keep him alive…"

That was all I heard before I fell into the realm of the unconscious. Blissfully unaware of how I had so utterly failed.

---

The greatest enemy is never your opponent, but always yourself. Work to never give yourself the chance to fail, and you can face any opponent.

-Me, At this very moment.

_

Next Time on "A Hero's Dream"!

"A Journey to the East"