Zelda Art Legend of Zelda: The Shade's Mirror

[ケンジ]

Nice! VERY Nice! I've been reading for days and and well, I find your story intriguing. Hope you continue on. I want to know more.

 

[Hazel]

I really like your story, it's awesome. I really want to read more, keep it up! Your story is really captivating and we really enjoy it.

 

[ChargewithSword]

Chapter 6: In the Eye's beholder

Esira walked through the wastes of Ganon's land with little issue. He was elevated by the powers of wind that he possessed and so he managed to reach the castle with ease. Scaling the walls was no issue either as the wind bent to his will and lifted him up into the dark halls. Now he had to find a way to reach Ganon's chambers; only then would he reach his goal.

As Esira made leeway to the great hall, he could hear the sounds of conference in the far room. When he took a look he saw a moblin, a human, and a bublin. They were biting down on some meat and grumbling drearily. (In a place like this, it was understandable.) They spoke in broken dialect that was different than what most people would speak.

"Cor blimey, if we ain't getting no rope today." croaked the Bublin.
"Good places tuh smoke are nevuhr 'round fuhr yas without duh boss knowing." groaned the bearded human.

"Why nat shut yer traps ya lot?" roared the burly moblin. "I miss ma cigars as good as ya, but I dan' need yas whinin' ta make it worse."

The bublin growled and bit down on his meat savagly before saying, "Well wes not going any place now dat de castle is locked down. Stupid Tim let's pig-boy and magic 'an run and we's get howled at while Miniblin go scat free."

"That's cuhs 'e's gut duh big job." replied the snarling man. "'e has gut tuh juhb of tuhlking tuh Onox and Ver-uhn."

The moblin shuddered and said, "Yuck, thams both give me tha creeps. Thay be big shadows and like, hovaring ovar yas. Always watchin'."

"Brr," studdered the Bublin. "Just thinkin' 'bout' it 'akes me shiver. We best get 'ack to ow rounds."

They quickly made their way out of the room with a few belches trailing behind. I'm sorry that you had to see that; most of the guards in this castle were an uneducated lot who didn't even have a decent lesson in etiquette. Esira found himself giggling so much at their bad dialect that he didn't notice what they were talking about. Oh well. It wasn't like it concerned him though; he would be out of this castle before dawn.

With his wits about, Esira ran through the halls of Ganon's castle, making his way upwards as he progressed. However, as luck would have it, he had reached an outer bridge that was being guarded by six sentinels. Esira must've chosen the right path; Ganon's quarters would have to be this well guarded.

~Six guards eh?~ he thought to himself. ~This'll be a breeze.~

Without warning, Esira jumped out from his hiding spot and swung his finger at the goons. They were all swiftly swept away by a huge gust of wind. Some fell to their deaths and some managed to survive. Normally Esira would double check to make sure, but today was different. He would kill them later after he was done here.

He opened the door on the other side of the bridge and stepped inside the room beyond. Inside was a winding staircase that lead higher into the tower. Aside from that, there was nothing else in this room. One could consider it suspicious on any normal attack, but currently Esira was on a mission of dire importance. There was nothing for him to wait for. So he proceeded on his way up the stairs, closing in on his destination.

Behind Esira three figures came from the shadows and watched him walk away.

"What do you suppose the King plans to do with him?", spoke a femminine voice.

"Whatever he wants," explained a more masculine and tame voice. "It is not our place to question him."

"Still," growled a fierce voice. "I don't get why he has to take the fun. We haven't had man flesh in days."
---
Once up the stairs, Esira came up to a large door, heavily fortified. This was no match for the powers of wind he possessed, though. One simple gust broke through the cracks of the door and forced it to burst ajar. He didn't even have to make as much as a motion to struggle against the door. The thing wasn't even barred on the other side. It was almost as if he was expected. Thoughts of doubt soon began to form in Esira's mind; this was too easy.

Suddenly the door quickly shut behind Esira, leaving him in a dark room of desolate solitude. The cold light of a blue candle flame began to form rings around him, illuminating the room. Statues and the like became visible when they were once dark shadows, but the thing that drew Esira's attention was the dark man at the far edge of the room.

"Ah, the Demon King, Ganondorf," hissed Esira with a grin peeled on his face. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Is that a mole on your face or is it your nose?"

Ganon ignored the remark and simply said, "...I see that you're the intruder who's been wandering my kingdom for the past week. I am impressed that you managed to navigate your way without a map or compass."

Esira quickly made another remark, "It takes some good eyesight to see through your blanket of darkness, so I suggest you move that big nose out of the sun."

Ganon, unfazed by the insults, then asked, "What is your purpose here?"

"Purpose," repeated Esira in a queer tone with a sick smile. "I want the annihilation of everything on this stinking mud ball of a world we live on. However, to do that I'll need some more power. That is why I'm here. I want. You. DEAD!"

Without delay, Esira let loose a sharp volley of wind towards Ganondorf, every spear filled with his hatred towards life. But to Esira's surprise, Ganon was unscathed. The damage the wind spears made could be seen on the walls but not a scratch could be seen on Ganon.

Unwilling to let Ganon get another chance to strike back, Esira charged and fired a Wind Slash. It was one of his most powerful attacks. He would manipulate the air in the area (including your breath) and form a large sphere of wind that would slice and dice its target until they were nothing more than dinner. But lo and behold, the magical ball had disintegrated right before Esira's eyes. The demon king hadn't even moved from his position in the slightest. Esira didn't want to give up though, he was very close to his goal and he didn't want to squander this opportunity.

Suddenly, a mysterious force had gotten a hold of Esira, forcing him to the ground.
"You don't know how many have said that," growled Ganon. "And you should know that they all fell before me."

"Bite me... birdman." growled Esira.

But Ganon continued, "However, I can see a different spark in you. You are special..."

"Thanks, I try to keep my girlish figure," grunted Esira.

"So I have a proposition for you." spoke Ganon.

But Esira continued his snide remarks, "Sorry I don't accept offers from men with gross nose implants."

Ganondorf then gave out a hoarse laugh that sent a little bit of a chill down Esira's spine. He had fought tough folk before, but they never laughed at his humor. He never liked it when they laughed back, because that usually meant that they had something up their sleeves. This man was no exception, and in Esira's position, he wouldn't be getting away. Oh well, it wasn't like he cared much about his life. A life was a toy to be thrown around until the maker was done with it.

Suddenly Ganon began to speak again, interrupting Esira's train of thought, "Oh? But what if I told you that I could "help" you?"

"Hoo boy," commented Esira. "Help me he says. Go on, big beak, I'm listening."

Ganon let out a hoarse laughter and raised his hand. A miniature portal seemed to form from the black. It was then that a great white trident formed into his hands.

"Do you feel the power pulsating in this trident? It lives and feeds off the powers that drive men to weakness. It is their tool of destruction. But even this thing is a morsel when compared to the power of the Shade's Mirror, though they both fall to my Triforce. Imagine the power that the mirror could offer, and that power could be yours if you listen to my proposition."

Esira stared in awe at the Great Trident. The power within it was teeming with hatred for all. Its devilish aura brought chills down his spine that he only felt once before, on that fateful day he became who he was.

A slight croak emanated from Esira's throat until bursting into full laughter.

"Alright," cried Esira. "I'll bite. Explain to me your terms..."

Chapter Continues*

I'm adopting this method now since I find working like this less straining. Expect the next part next week.

 

[Hazel]

Great work, I think that Esira man is turning out very interesting...

I saw some mistakes

Without warning, Esira jumped out from his hiding spot and swung his finger at the goons. They were all swiftly swept away by a huge gust of wind. Some fell to their deaths and some managed to survive. Normally Esira would double check to make sure, but today was diffirent. He would kill them later after he was done here.


"What do you supppose the King plans to do with him?", spoke a femminine voice.

Esira stared in awe at the Great Trident. The power within it was teeming with hatred for all. It's devilish aura brought chills down hiss spine that he only felt once before, on that fateful day he became who he was.

 

[ChargewithSword]

Great work, I think that Esira man is turning out very interesting...

I saw some mistakes

Without warning, Esira jumped out from his hiding spot and swung his finger at the goons. They were all swiftly swept away by a huge gust of wind. Some fell to their deaths and some managed to survive. Normally Esira would double check to make sure, but today was diffirent. He would kill them later after he was done here.


"What do you supppose the King plans to do with him?", spoke a femminine voice.

Esira stared in awe at the Great Trident. The power within it was teeming with hatred for all. It's devilish aura brought chills down hiss spine that he only felt once before, on that fateful day he became who he was.

Thanks Hazel. You're always a good source for finding mistakes in my writing.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

Pretty good part as usual, Charge. I liked the style you adopted, and I think it's a pretty cool one. Esira's meeting with Ganondorf was very interesting. It seems Esira has quite a lack in judgement to take on Ganondorf without an evil destroying weapon.

I can't wait for the next part.

 

[Myriadviper42]

Yay! I wonder how many people would have guessed that Esira was my character. Nice job.

 

[ChargewithSword]

For days and nights the group had been marching through the dense thickets of the woods. By now they had reached the Faron Territory and were marching through swamp-like terrain. Though Dekki had grown up near these woods, he had no clear memory of this place. It was easy to understand his reasoning as the Faron area had changed for the worst. An evil bile lurked its way into the once lush forest, twisting and writhing it until it was but a shade of it's former self. It was unknown what parasite would be able to create such a massive outbreak, but it was obvious that this was Ganon's work.

The oozing bile on the floor hindered the group's progress considerably. They dared not ford across it in fear of some hidden evil lurking inside. There was something hiding in the muck that didn't want to be disturbed, and the group complied to its wishes. In their attempts to bypass the graveled and murky sludge, the party had lost two days worth of travel. No progress had been made at all during that time.

Today they had thought they had reached the last turn onto the right track. They then found that the path was barred by even more of the toxic ooze that they had been trying to avoid. Night was slowly crawling over their heads, and it was decided best to avoid wandering at night. So the group set up camp to contemplate their next move.

"Why not just fly over?" exclaimed Link, sitting on a log and tending the fire that they had put up.

"Do you jest?!" exclaimed Match pointing to Lan. "This punk is afraid of both flying and this slop. He won't budge an inch!"

"Well we can't just stay here," exclaimed Link. "Winter's just around the corner. If we don't find a town and restock on supplies soon, we'll be caught in freezing weather!"

The argument went on with poor Lan stuck in the middle of it. Though he had attempted to talk his way out of it he always ended up landing himself in an even more dire predicament. He then tried motioning some of the others to come and help him. Unfortunately they didn't even pay him a side glance.

They were all focusing on Galapos on a stump. To pass the time he felt it was appropriate to play a soothing melody. Dekki, Zelda, and Compi were all entranced in his song. It had seemed to give a glow to the gloom that they were surrounded by a warmer feel.

Beneath the foul stain that rotted the trees, you could sense the cringe of life. Underneath the black, slick sludge you could hear the sound of water. Where flower once stood, you could see saplings fight the poison. The forest still clung to the very life that it was being robbed off despite what you saw in it's exterior. It was pitiful and almost regretful that there was no immediate solution to the conflict.

However, if you were in the party's situation you would've been more concerned with just the forest. There was something... something lurking in the murky liquid. It was blind to all but held its grip on the forest. It was deaf to all but heard the distant conversations of the group. It spoke nothing but the yuletidings of evil and discord. This lurker in the dark was the malformation of your nightmares. It was the wretched thoughts of hatred and greed combined to create your greatest fear. And the worst thing about it... it was there.

A hissing, ill wind began to blow through the trees boding ill tides. The earth trembled beneath the party's feet causing them to stand on ends. Then, with little a warning, a thick and greasy tentacle stretched out from the dank swamp and seized Zelda's ankle, dragging her into the deep.

"Princess!" cried Compi rushing towards her.

The rest of the party ran to her aid, sparing little a moment. The only one who didn't go to her was Dekki. He found himself frozen in fear at the tremendous shape forming in front of him, with oozing darkness dropping down on the ground near him. Suddenly, a second tentacle coiled around Dekki's waist and seized him.

Link ran towards Zelda first, removed his sword (which was still nameless) from its sheath and made a great slash. Though he had little control over the blade's trajectory he had managed to make contact. With relative ease, the blade cut the wet rope's tip, freeing Zelda from the creature's grip. It let out a hideous yelp and drew back the remaining side.

Once back on the ground Link ran up to Zelda and inspected her for injuries. Traces of the horrendous muck were found on her mouth, but aside from that she appeared unscathed. Though she didn't move Link could hear her faint breaths. She had breathed too much of the liquid's air and had lost consciousness.

"Compi!" Link cried. "Take care of Zelda. I have to help the others."

She nodded to him and flew to Zelda to tend to her. Link then removed his gaze from them and focused on the battle. When Zelda was saved most of the conflict had shifted to rescuing Dekki. He was still trapped in between the clutching tentacles and slowly suffocating in them. Lan had sprouted his wings from his back and was doing his best to free Dekki but found himself backing away whenever the tentacle veered too close to him.

"Lan, you spineless worm!" cried Match fiercely. "If you're not going to do anything then get out of my way and let me handle this!"

Match bent down for a bit and grunted. Suddenly, two lumps began to mold from his back. The lumps then gained shape and texture. They had become wings! Two great black, bat wings that stretched out far.

"Match!" cried Link. "You can fly?! Why didn't you tell us?!"

Match gazed at Link for a second, then he said, "You never asked." He then took off to fight the monster.

Link was somewhat annoyed at this new revelation but felt that his anger was needed for another time. Right now he had to save his comrades from peril and his head would have to be in the game. So Link charged up to the tentacle holding Dekki and made a cutting blow with his sword. However, the creature was ready this time and brought his arm backwards to safety.

Since Link's attack had been so wild and reckless, he lost what little balance he had and began to fall into the muck below. He was then quickly swooped away by Lan who caught notice of his peril. He then placed him back on the firm ground and rejoined the fray. The fight was going progressively well. Match kept the monster busy with his fire, though it didn't seem it much.

"Curse and slash me," growled Match in a haughty fashion. "My fire doesn't drive fear into it as long as it is veiled by that black liquid!"

Link understood that the situation began to grow more dire as time passed and that Dekki would soon be out of this world if left alone for too long. So he rushed with all his might towards the battlefield once more. His sword began to glow a queer light that filled his veins with a voracious hunger. He would have his praises sung to him once he saved Dekki. No one could take that glory except for him. He alone was the sole inheritor of glory.

Link once more jumped into the fray, this time he felt lighter than air. This time he successfully freed Dekki with a sudden slice. They both fell to the ground with Dekki unconscious and Link puffed up with pride. He raised up his hand hoping for the sounds of applause but he was replied with a shout instead.

"Link!" warned Lan. "There's more behind you!"

Link turned as fast as he could only to be swatted away by another tentacle. As he was sprawled over the blackened grass, he saw the great hulking mass hovering over him. When he thought himself done for, a spectacle of black flame forced the tentacle to retreat. He directed his attention to the origin of the flame and saw Match standing near him and giving him a hard pressed face.

"Don't get cocky, we have more company on the way." He said, pulling Link up with his other hand pointing towards the swamp.

Link followed Match's finger and saw that the battle was far from over. Twenty more tentacles were arriving from the murk. There was also something even greater making its grand appearance. A large figure revealed itself to the party, resembling that of a rotten rose with the scaled exterior of an insect and the flexibility of an serpent.

Three of its tentacles launched themselves towards Match and Link, who swiftly dodged. Link had come to his senses this time around and took to a more defensive position. Match went on the defensive as well, finding himself pinned down and too big a target. As for Lan, he was caught by the tentacles quickly, as he was still on the swamp terrain.

Though Link and Match held their ground for a good few minutes they found themselves completely overwhelmed. Soon, they themselves were ensnared by the ropes and drawn in closer to the creature. The others were suddenly seized as well. It seemed that the journey was already going to end just before it could even begin.

As Link felt the life being squeezed out of him, he looked upon his dying comrades and wondered.

~Where's Galapos?~

Then, when all but the monster's growling had been silenced, the melodic strumming of a guitar filled the air. Link looked to see that it was Galapos standing by the swamp with his concentration focused on his guitar.

The song being played was "The Ballad of the Wind Fish." It was a popular song for denizens of the sea but has lost its meaning over the years. Only a select few knew the original tune taught by the Wind Fish himself. The tune most commonly known in today's world is a full orchestra of an ocarina, a guitar, Deku Pipes, and Drums. Interestingly many bards have conducted pilgrimages to find the Wind Fish and learn the original tune due to rumors explaining that it possessed magical qualities, but that is a story for another time.

Galapos was passed down the original tune by his father who in turn inherited it from his father. The problem was that he hadn't played the original in such a long time. The only one he remembered from the top of his head was the commercialized song. The problem with the commercialized one was that it was very difficult to play with only one instrument. So Galapos quickly ducked from the battlefield to refresh his memory. With a stroke of luck, he remembered it just before the odds of victory had all but disappeared.

As the song continued Link could feel the tentacle's grip lessen on him. He just needed a little more arm room to reach his sword. Just a few more centimeters and he would be free.

Suddenly a voice rang out from the forest's bowels, "DIE SHMUTZOABA!"

A shadowed figure jumped out of the trees and made its way to the creature. In its hands was an incredible large object resembling an axe. Then, with gusto, the shadowed figure slashed at the monster causing it to wail in pain.

The group had been freed from the creature's tentacles, but because they had been caught off guard the group fell into the black swamp. Link was the first one there with his sword following after.

The chilling muck suffocated Link, reaching into his very lungs. He still held onto his sword though, unwilling to part from it and its powers. The world slowly began to go dark. Vision slowly dissipated until everything became dark and Link knew no more...



-----

Badum! Who is this newcomer who has just saved the group from their desperate situation? Find out next thursday for the answer.

 

[Hazel]

Cool update, Charge. It's awesome! I really like it!

 

[ChargewithSword]

Link awoke from the blackness and into the middle of camp. As he got up he could see his friends lying beside him and unconscious. He didn't know how he managed to get back here. He was sure that the creature would drag him and the others to their deaths. But then, something happened; the creature was attacked by something, or someone. Link couldn't think of anything else though; he had blacked out by then.

Suddenly a feminine voice spoke out, "Ah, you're awake."

Link traced his eyes to where the sound of the voice originated from. Then his eyes became focused on a figure standing in the shadows. From what he could tell from the shadow's outline was that she was well fit woman. She seemed an albeit taller than most of the group, but shorter than Match and Lan. He could make out a few distinct features in her, like a strange hat on her head that resembled horns, and exotic eyes that resembled the stars of a moonless night.

She paced around the campsite, without getting closer to the light, and said, "You're very lucky that I was there to help, most people are devoured by Shmutzoaba before they even know what's happening. Still, I'm surprised you managed to hold out for such a long time; I was even considering NOT to help you since you were doing so well. Now, I hope you don't find this rude, but I have been following you for the past day and a half."

"W-wait," weakly grunted Link (he had not fully recovered from the attack). "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" exclaimed the woman. "My name is Hunter, and these are the Faron Woods, or at least it used to be. Lately a terrible evil has been flowing through this woods, in the form of that wretched Shmutzoaba. I have been tracking him for days now and this was the closest I had to killing it, but the filth escaped me at the last minute."

Link struggled to stand up on his two feet. The world seemed to spin as he made every effort to bring life back into his legs. Shmutzoaba's black slime had managed to raze his lungs like they were trees caught in the middle of a forest fire. It was obvious that the creature was not of this world, but a monster forged from black magic. (Who's magic was an obvious guess.)

Link then looked up to Hunter and asked, "Could you come closer to the light?"

She seemed to hesitate at first but slowly took a step towards Link. The first thing he was was a scalely, blue foot extending from the shadow, followed by a tunic fined from cloth. Firm scale hands extended their way from the shadows. Her back sported two great, white wings that dragged on the ground. Also strapped to her back was a great axe, forged from a plain metal, but suffice for a life in the forest. Her face was one that resembled that of a dragon and a man, though it was plain, from her body and voice, that she was female. She had two horns sprouting out from her head while long brunette hair protrude from behind.

Link, taken aback by her appearance, screamed, "HOLY MOTHER OF THE GODDESSES!"

This scream had woken up the party with surprising results. Some were startled by the sudden appearance of a dragon-like caricature. Some were unmoved since they were still drowned in the toxic sludge of Shmutzoaba.

"Lan!" cried Match, awakened from his sleep. "Dragon alert! Assume kill formation."

Lan, still too drowsy to unleashed exertive force, took a gander at Hunter and said, "Looks like a human dragon to me bro, and aside from the axe she doesn't look like she poses a threat."

"Yea guys," exclaimed Link. "I was just startled for a minute. No need for alarm."

"Don't worry," explained Hunter. "I get and expect that reaction all the time."

"Well..." muttered Link. "Thank you for saving us from that monster."

"She's the one who saved us?" Exclaimed everyone, startled.

"No, you should not be thanking me. You should be thanking your Zora fried over there. My attack harmed Shmutzoaba, but it wouldn't have done much else than anger it further had it not been for your friend's calming music causing Shmutzoaba to loosen its grip on you."

Everyone in the group gave Galapos a short gaze before walking up to him and congratulating him.

"Well Galapos, old buddy. You're not that useless after all." cried Match.

"Your less of a punk poet than a I thought you were before." Joyously stated Compi.

"Thanks... I think." mumbled Galapos while blushing.

"Do not be so soon to celebrate," explained Hunter. "He shall return, and he had destroyed all paths to your desired exit. Shmutzoaba dislikes losing his prey so expect him to show greater intensity."

"We had best get on the move then," stated Zelda. "Perchance there is a route that has not yet been sealed off."

Everyone nodded towards Zelda. At this point, the group had no choice but to move on. The journey was already taking its toll on them. The cold nip of winter was right around the corner chewing down on their stamina and lowering their spirits. The autumn mists were a sign of how winter was slowly chilling the earth, and sealing it up for a new spring to come. They could not bear to turn around and find another route that way. Their resources were also being exhausted quicker than they had expected. With things as they were, turning back was not an option.

"Here now!" exclaimed Hunter. "You need not take such dangerous measures to cross the filth. As a resident of this area of the forest, I should know it better than a good lot of you. Come to my home and there you shall find safety and shelter."

Everyone gave Hunter a queer look. They had been running into many troubles in this forest already. There was nothing to say that she wasn't one of the threats they were dealing with. Dark tales had been spread about those who were said to be half-dragon and half-human. Rumors spread that they were an evil race that nearly wiped out a good number of folk in a mass genocide. She could have been a spy for Ganon for all any of them knew.

And just as soon as they were about to respond, Dekki walked up to Hunter and said, in a cheerful tone. "Dekki says yes!"

"I agree," stated Lan to the dumbfounded group. "Though she is frightening, the air around her is fair."

Hunter then burst out into a roaring laughter. It echoed beyond the branches of the trees, shaving off leaves in the process. She was almost like a drum with the faint sounds of a beast behind it. The rest of the group trembled at the sound of her powerful voice while Dekki and Lan simply chuckled with her (though in a much lower tone than her.)

"So I look foul but seem fair?" She cackled to them. "That's an answer I never had expected from anyone. Your friends think wisely. Even dark can mask itself as light but can never be rid of its black intentions. You are free to come with me if you trust me, but if you enter my realm with the smallest distrust you shall find yourself uncomfortable."

Hunter then began to trod away, with Dekki and Lan close behind. The others found themselves on a flagon of unease. On one hand, they could follow Hunter to whatever abode she resided in. The problem with this idea thought was that the group would be risking losing days to the winter weather and they didn't outright trust Hunter. On the other one, the group could try finding a new route by themselves and make it out of the forest with enough time for them to reach a town. However there was a mite chance that they would run into Shmutzoaba again, and in their weakened states the group wouldn't last long in another skirmish. Seeing as how they had little choice, the party packed up their bags, extinguished the fire, and made off after Hunter and the others.

--

Say Hello to Hazel's character guys! She's the second one to appear in this fic, who will come next?

Chapter Continues... next thursday!

 

[Hazel]

Yay! Great chapter, Charge.
I only spotted one typo:
You should be thanking your Zora fried over there.

 

[ChargewithSword]

Many an hour passed since the group had left the domain of their campsite. Each step they would take only increased their ever present misery. Keeping up with Hunter was tiring and tried the group's patience as she refused to stop for anything. The only ones who managed to get far were Link, Lan, and Compi (whom had wings and did not need to avoid any overgrown roots). The obstruction of certain parts of the forest (most likely due to Shmutzoaba's rampage) would hold down certain members of the group.

Dekki's miniscule body limited him when it came to scaling over roots so he had to be carried by Lan in order to stay ahead. Zelda's dress would often get caught on many twigs and bushes, but, try as they might, the others couldn't convince her to tear off the bottom; she stated that it was a family heirloom and it would be shameful to tarnish it (though why she kept it on and ruined it further, we'll never know.) Galapos was feeling dehydrated and he found it difficult to keep up (as Zoras couldn't be too long without a good bit of water to keep them energized.)

As the group trailed Hunter, they noticed their environment became less foul as time passed. The trees straightened themselves out and had become a rich brown color, bathed by the light of an overheard sun that had been obscured before. The grass shone a bright emerald green that reflected the sunlight in full glory. Little woodland creatures were wandering about; not paying heed to our heroes and going about on their business.

That was when the party came to a full halt, noticing something ahead. It was a house, crafted with oak wood that had been hardened by many years of exposure to the elements. From the outside you could see that the main hall was heightened with a second floor. There was a West wing extending from the side, but no matching East wing. The house had only five noticeable windows; one of them obstructed by a large telescope. The most striking feature of the house had to be the tower turret poking out of the aforementioned second floor. It was a queer and homely home for a very queer individual.

"Here it is," spoke Hunter. "This is my little hovel in the middle of the woods (though I fear it may not be here any longer). It has been a while since I last came back here. To think a few days of hunting could feel like a life time. Well, if you are done gawking at it, I shall be inside."

Hunter spoke no more and stomped towards the house. She seemed to become a different person entirely when nearing the house. Her harden posture slumped forward, as if she had been carrying a Dodongo on her back for seven days without rest. Her eyes grew weary with the signs of fatigue. Every step she made, slammed the ground with a tremendous shudder. Hunting Shmutzoaba had stolen away her energy, but she had kept herself up to avoid showing weakness. Monsters always strike when you reveal a weakness, but keeping up this facade of power can rob you of all your stamina.

Without delay, Hunter disappear into the house and left the door open as a sign of welcome. The group watched as she ducked into inner hall and slowly followed after her. Link was the one who led the way inside, while fingering his sword cautiously. As he stepped inside he managed to get a good look at the main hall.

The main hall was an expansive room, decorated with many weapons of different lands. Each one had a name written down below them as a sign of their baptism. They all hung on the wall that gave watch to a large stove in the middle of the room, ignited by a strange white fire that licked the floor with its lashing flames. The most noticeable aspect present in that room though, were two large poles in the far end of the hall and a name inscribed, "Biggong".

~That,~ thought Link. ~Must be where she keeps her axe when she isn't using it.~

"Make yourselves at home," cried a hidden voice. "You are welcome to explore anywhere here except for upstairs. I also suggest to clean your clothes outside and quickly; you may bring the poison to this last of sanctuaries in this dying wood. You will find baths in the area where the East wing would be."

Without question, the group complied with the voice and went back outside to wash their garments. Thankfully they had managed to find a small brook that wasn't tainted by the mass poison (and thankfully didn't catch it from the clothes). They then walked over to the Eastern portion of the house (while their clothes dried) and found a large pool without boundaries or any bathing soap. Now the group did bathe together, but have no fear; the men had been forced to wear blindfolds over their eyes (that nearly cut off circulation to their brains) and they managed to have a relaxing bath session.

When they had finished their bath, the group took their cloths down after they had hung to dry. They then went back inside the house and noticed that Hunter was sitting by the stove and her axe had been put back into its place overlooking the hall. One the stove was a fresh deer roasting over it.

"Come friends, sit and enjoy," grinned Hunter. "Let all enjoy a hearty meal."

She quickly ripped a slab of the meat and began to bite down. The sight of the meat was a fine relief after many days of wandering through woods with nothing to eat but greenery. Galapos, Match, and Lan quickly sat down at the table, bowed their heads in thanks and quickly dug in to the meat. The only ones who didn't jump the arrow were Link, Dekki, Zelda, and Compi. Dekki, being a Deku scrub, was unable to chew on meat or any hard food as his snout was only meant to take on softer foods. The others were still suspicious of Hunter and her intentions. They took a few steps towards the stove and slowly sat down (while Dekki walked up to Hunter and explained his situation with sad eyes).

"Don't worry little one," explained Hunter. "I'll catch you some fine dessert later."

Dekki smiled and sat down in a chair with the others. The late group members stretched out their hands, cautiously to the deer carcass but were quickly pushed back by the fire. Believing the first time to be a fluke they stretched out once more but were repelled once again. Confused by this, they asked Hunter why this was happening.

"It is only mimicking what you believe..." She explained before returning to her meal and saying no more.

Dinner had gone quickly and only half of the group had eaten anything. The flames refused to let them touch the deer. When they asked the others to share, the deer piece had been too hot to touch. It was almost as if the fire had cursed the meat. Only Dekki had managed to eat out of the four as he was given a special cake from Hunter.

Later on that night, Hunter called everyone together to the main hall.

"Everyone, before you all go to bed I must tell you something," explained Hunter. "You are free to be guests in my house for three days. When three days have gone by, I shall return to my hunt and will not be here to attend. In that time you may sleep in the West wing. Now if you excuse me, I bid you good night."

Hunter quickly ducked into the darkness and disappeared to the second floor. Left in the dark, the party moved on to the West wing. It was a quaint hall that had two bedrooms to the side and another door at the end that most likely led to the storage room.

The bedrooms each had two beds in it, though neither one was comfortable to sleep in as they were made of wood and grass.

"The floor would be more comfortable..." grumbled Link.

Seeing no other options, the group bode each other good night and separated into their rooms.
---

Not much gets done in this part but that's what happens when you split up a chapter.

 

[Hazel]

Another great update from Chargewithsword!

The late group members stretched out their hands, cautiously to the deer carcass but were quickly pushed back by the fire.

That comma is awkwardly placed.

 

[ChargewithSword]

The night slowly passed by and it went without a stir. The trees moaned and whistled in the chill of a late Autumn breeze. The harmony of insects was short as the frigid air forced them to retreat to the burrows they held under the earth. The stars shone bright and pale in the deepened darkness, watching over Hyrule as the Godessess sentries. And inside Hunter's halls, the party slept in a calming peace that went by with dreams of goals fulfilled and new challenges met. One would almost forget the lingering darkness hiding in the distance, hungering for a taste of life and ready to snuff it out without a care.

Suddenly, Galapos had been awakened from his slumber by the sounds of a sudden requiem of a voice. He did not know why it woke him up, only that it was beautiful. He picked up his guitar and silently left the bedroom that his comrades resided in. None of them had moved in the entirety of his consciousness.

So Galapos wandered the halls only half awake, following the soft melody. He then found himself coming up to a flight of stairs. Without thinking he walked up and followed the music. When he reached the second floor he saw a beautiful garden of flowers scattered along the floor. Each one was a distant relative of the other, and each a native of the forest. Hunter must have collected the seeds of these plants many ages ago as most of these flora were now extinct.

Galapos noticed that the music had died away as he went up there. Then, without warning Hunter appeared in front of him and scared him out of his wits. He quickly got off balance and nearly fell down the stairs until she raised him up.

"I see you came here despite my warning," She remarked grimly. Galapos wanted to say something but she interrupted him. "It's alright. I don't mind when another person up here. It's when a lot of people come up here that I fear for the plants."

As Galapos got back on his legs he said, "Yea, sorry for the intrusion dudette. I was just wondering where that music was coming from."

Hunter gave a chuckle before saying, "Yes, that was my singing, or humming in this case. In a forest as peaceful as this you find yourself often singing the songs of the trees. No, I worded that wrong. When the forest "was" that peaceful one could hum the songs of the trees. Now their choir is poisoned and fractured."

"You mean that plant monster we fought earlier?" Pointed out Galapos
.
Hunter nodded and responded, "Yes. Shmutzoaba is the cause of this. It appeared, one day, in the forest and began to spread a horrid blight. I tried to stop it, but it would always elude me. Now Faron Woods is just a shade of what it used to be and that thing is running rampant. Look out there."

Hunter pointed to a telescope by the window. Galapos walked over to it, making sure not to step on the flora. He peeked through the telescope and saw the forest from a far off view. He saw a black mist and swamp in the distance. When compared with this part of the wood, he could easily see how horrible conditions were.

"Yeesh," groaned Galapos. "That's even worse than the reception I got at that honky tonky."

Suddenly a roar peeled out from the distance. It was filled with anger, disgust, and fear.

Before Galapos could say anything Hunter said, "It's him... he's searching for me as we speak. Whenever I am not chasing him, he searches for me since he knows I am fatigued. When three days have passed I shall return as the hunter."

"Sheesh dudette," spoke Galapos. "That swamp really seems to be swallowing the forest whole. At this rate I'd say this place is lost in about a week. Why don't you escape dudette?"

Hunter shook her head and said, "Where would I go? I've lived in this forest for the majority of my life."

Galapos then said, "But don't your kind-"

Hunter the interrupted him, "Live in a kingdom? Mountains? The Sky? Yes, I've heard that much about them. However, I am different. I was taken in my youth by a travelling circus troupe. I was their main attraction there; their own "freak show" so to speak. They told me I was a freak of nature, a beast. That's another reason I don't usually show myself to travelers; I am a monster in their eyes. A horror of the supernatural."

"Nah," rebutted Galapos. "You're no monster dudette. I'm sure if people gave you a chance-"

"But that's the problem," Hastily retorted Hunter. "People out there don't give you chances. The first time they see you, it's already done. Ironic that, that attitude freed me from my prison."

"What do you mean?" questioned Galapos.

Hunter then replied, "Some time back Hyrule was going through some sort of conflict. A demon had appeared wreaking havoc in Hyrule, evidently reaching my circus. It had killed everyone else, but left me behind. I was adorned in a black coating and given wretched ornaments to hold, giving me the appearance of a demon. Did it take pity on me, or did it see me as one of it's own? I'm not sure and I didn't care back then, all I did was run as fast as my legs would carry me. Everywhere I turned I was shunned and hissed at until I came here to this forest and found peace and tranquility.

Besides... why would I leave this place? This is my paradise as far I am concerned. It is here that I have found inner peace that most people would beg for."

"But surely you must want more." exclaimed Galapos.

Hunter simply shook her head and said, "If only you understood. This simple life is all a person needs. Free from strife, free from the hatred of others. And this, this small garden is all my need and due..."

Hunter slowly walked away from Galapos to look out the window. As she wandered, a faint humming sound emanated from her throat. Galapos, absorbed in the humming, then began to strum his guitar. It was then, that Hunter began to sing...

Less can be more,
Small can be beautiful.
Cause life isn't all,
Just big and wonderful.

What do I need, when you get right down to it?
All my cares come from greed and it's time that I knew it.
Things I can't do without,
Are the small things that life is all about.

Less can be more,
Small can be beautiful,
I don't want it all,
Just part of wondeful.

What do I need when you get right down to it?
Just a garden and seed,
and the love to pursue it.
Things I can't do without are the small things that life is all about...*

When the song had died away, Galapos noted that tears were flowing from Hunter's eyes.

"Dudette," stated Galapos. "What's the matter?"

Hunter looked towards Galapos and wearingly said, "I don't know. Thinking about this always makes me teary eyed. I've been in this forest so long that the thought of it being destroyed crushes me. If only I knew where Shmutzoaba came from; I'd tear the place down and kill the one responsible."

"Chances of that are slim dudette," replied Galapos. "The one whom, most likely, created that monster is a man named Ganondorf. His power is out of this world and he is a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't challenge him even if I had the Hylian army behind me."

"Well, if I ever met him, I would make sure with all my power that I'd end his life." she said with fury.

"For what?" questioned Galapos. "For a patch of green? You could just move your home-"
"This is my home!" growled Hunter.

"As long as you have yourself, home is anywhere!" exclaimed Galapos.

"So what?! I should just abandon this place, which offered me refuge where no one else has?"

Galapos paused then said, "If the time presents itself, then yes."

"Bah," scoffed Hunter. "You will never understand."

She then turned around towards the window, pretending to ignore him.

Galapos scowled then said, "Perhaps I don't, so go ahead and die for this stupid green!"

And with that, Galapos stormed out of that room and back to the guest rooms.

*This is the only time I'll use a copyright song. I plan to remake this song eventually, but I only used it this once because it conveyed my feelings perfectly.

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

Nice parts, Charge. Very well done and I'm sorry I missed out on the other parts.

I must say, the song that Hunter sang was absolutely beautiful.