[LoZ RPG] Hyrule Legends:Friends Throughout Time

"T-Thing?" Slaif blinked in bewilderment. Was he really so strange looking? He looked at his attire and hands, remembering what Siratu said about how his people hadn't been seen in numerous ages. "I suppose I'm the first of my people you've ever seen, so its only natural I would be strange looking to you I guess...Think nothing of it."

The Twili smiles at Ahkina, his eyes soft. "My name is Slaif. You are Siratu's granddaughter? You are very fortunate to have such a kind woman as your grandmother! Siratu...if it weren't for her, I would have died out in the sands!" He bows his head, as if to greet her. "Its a pleasure to meet you."

He then looks back to Siratu, blinking a bit. "Um...if your family needs you here, perhaps it would be better if I tried to get to Hyrule on my own, perhaps with a map? I don't wish to burden you further, or put your family at risk, with the monsters that were hounding me..."

Malika let Voka moved her equipment around her person as he pleased, everything eventually becoming more comfortable to wear. She food and potions that her care giver had placed into her arms were moved to the pouch on her side, though she did eat one of the rice balls.

"Delicious, as always, Voka." She smiled. "Thank you; hopefully i wont have to use my ability too much in this battle. 

She looked down at her hands, watching soft blue particles of light dance among her fingertips. The glow brought her comfort, but it also brought her a level of stress. Her smile disappeared as she returned her gaze to Voka. 

"...Did I make the right decision? Was it smart of me to send then into this fray? To go along myself? I.... I'm, afraid, Voka. But I do not want to let them down! I can't let them know I'm scared!" She took a breath and puffed out her chest, placing a hand over her heart. "...This is right. Everything will Be fine, and we will all be victorious." She solidified her voice and gave a firm nod.

Karn chuckles and walks over to Mallory, starting to dance and spin with her. Overall, he was happy that he could enjoy this day with her. And festival patrons were always so kind to him! This place always made him happy.

Then, right at the height of the beat of the festival, clouds began roll in over the sun and darken the skies of Hyrule as the cloaked mans eyes gleamed hungrily. It was time to unleash darkness and ruin upon the land!

Karn looks up at the thunderous, booming clouds overhead and frowns. “Rain? But I thought the forecast for today was clear?”

The cloaked man grins and steps forward a little from where he was leaning. “Oh don’t worry....It’s only for a while....”

He turns and looks back at the man narrowing his eyes. “Who are you?”

The man chuckles, his grin only growing wider as an unnatural darkness quickly begins spreading through the forest. “Me? I am the dark wizard, Raithas. And I’m here to claim that dear girl you’ve clung so close to~”

Karn immediately spins Mallory around to be behind him as he reaches for his sword. Only to find that he had left it at home! He growls at his rotten luck, still standing defiantly in front of Mallory. “Like hell I’ll let you....”

Raithas only shrugs, still grinning. “It’s no matter to me. You’re only in the way. Now if you would be so kind....Move out of my way!” He swipes his hand across the air in front of him and misty darkness envelops the festival area. A mysterious black force hits Karn in the side, knocking him away and rolling onto the ground before he hits his back onto a tree, making him cough as the impact stuns him for a moment.

Raithas then turns into a black mist and rushes towards Mallory, the mist thickening and misty black hands grabbing at her body and limbs to keep her still. He reforms in front of her, a hand going up to her chin, holding it there. He holds up the pendant with the glowing gem to her. It then begins to glow red next to her body as he laughs. “Finally....I’ve found you my dear. Now if you would be so kind as to comply, I promise this won’t hurt anymore than it has to!” Black branch-like formations start to sprout up underneath Mallory’s feet, grabbing at her body as it slowly starts to crystallize. He was trying to trap her in crystal!

Karn struggles to get up from where he had hit the tree, a little blood dribbling from the side of his mouth. He had to get up! He had to help her!

~Zora's Domain~

Voka shook his head, his comforting eyes admitting for him that he was afraid, too.  "You're doing what the Princess of the Zora would do - she would fight for her people's safety.  To be honest, what you're doing... I don't think I could do it.  It's the courage you've instilled within others that gives them a reason to keep going, Malika."

He gently goes to embrace his friend, smiling as he holds her tight.  "I'm really glad you like the food, though," he lightly chuckles, letting her go.  "You shouldn't need to use your magic, but if you have to, remember your training.  Pace yourself, don't go all in."

Voka explains more information about what a Hinox is and what it can do to the lady Zora, walking with her down the stairway and over to the domain's entrance bridge.  "Do not remain near its feet for too long, because it can and will squash you!" he reiterated, half joking, half not.  He knew she wasn't that forgetful of these monsters, but it had been quite some time since they'd been under any sort of attack.

It was then that Captain Nuwe came up to greet them both, his armor shined for battle.  "I see that you are nearly ready, Princess.  Is there anything else I can do for you before we go?  Prince Sidon is due any moment, as well."


~Siratu's Home~

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Siratu walked away from her grandchild with a deep sigh.  She moved back into the kitchen and began to pack a large beige sack with various items from her cupboards.  "Please forgive the reckless and ignorant young one, Slaif.  However foolish, she was indeed trained by our own royal guards!  Her skills can parallel some of the best warriors in this great desert, and so..."

Ahkina's shoulders sank as she righted herself.  "You are joking with me..."  There was no way they would be able to go shopping now...

"You will be escorting Slaif to Hyrule Castle, so that he may meet with Princess Ellize," Siratu finished, tying up the cloth sack with a long, dusty rope.  Passing it over the counter to Slaif, she allowed him to take it and mimed putting it over her back, showing him what to do with it.  "She knows the way.  You will not be lost.  This I can promise!"

"Ohhh!!  Grandmother!!" the youth whined loudly, stomping twice on the ground.  "Why can't we do this tomorrow?!"

"There is no time to waste.  I will attend the meeting with the Chief's daughter without you.  Besides, now I can properly inform them of our guest's situation and what we can expect from his realm," the older woman added firmly, ready to shoot down any more objections her relative might have had.

Knowing she was going to lose this fight and possibly be scolded for shouting too much, Ahkina huffed audibly and trudged back outside to her Sand Seal.

Coming around to talk to the Twili, the elder Gerudo smiled kindly upon him and held his bicep with a comforting grasp.  "Do not worry.  She is but a child and has so much more to learn in this world.  Maybe you can help her learn alongside of you?"


~Outskirts~

The rolling black mists and shrouds of darkness quickly poured in from ever facet of the forest, forcing few out of the woods and away from the grounds entirely.  Numerous people went down instantly, the smoke filling their lungs like toxic weights, knocking them out cold.  The screams of the innocent were lost to coughing fits and pained yelps, and in a panic, all the decorations were being torn down or blown away.

Mallory made a run for it, but Raithas easily caught her; her body was not strong enough to tear through the tangible shadows.  After being told that she was "found," the girl screamed as loud as she could.  She struggled, violently thrashing about in order to escape crystallization, but she could not break free!

With one look at Karn, tears streaming down her face, she reached out her arm to him as far as it would stretch.  "NO!!  KARNAGE!!  DON'T LET THE DARKNESS TAKE YOU!!"

In that fleeting moment, a blast of shining, red light fired out from Mallory's palm, shooting into the ground beside Karn.  The ground began to rumble, shake and crack open.  As if she were touching the ground like the rock from earlier, a long thin object on a makeshift pedestal came up from the ground.  The object shaped itself into a stone sword, completely impervious to the black mist rolling around its base.

Should Karn look up from where he struggled to stand, all the black mist - the entire forest, too - would fade to white light.  A sky filled with pink and golden clouds drifted gracefully around him and the stone sword.  It was then that a young, blonde man dressed in green had appeared before the freshly produced weapon.  The man turned to look at Karn, smiled and rested his gloved hand on the blade's hilt.

"It would help if you'd brought your sword, you know," the man sassed playfully.

Should Karn withdraw the sword, he will be brought back into reality.

The princess took everything her caretaker said to heart; a single misstep could spell disaster! With a smile, she hugged Voka tightly when the reached the bridge. "Thank you for your help. Ill be sure to return safe!" 

With that, she turned to greet the Captain. "I believe I'm all set, thank you." Malika looked around, hoping to catch sight of the large red shark, but she made it look lile she was surveying the area. "Right. We can create a battle plan when Sidon arrives. Until then... Are you prepared, Captain? Anything you need, or are preparations complete?" The Fancy Guppy Zora wanted to make sure that the stage was set, and the winds would be in their favor.

~Siratu's Home~

Slaif watched Siratu mime putting the bag over his shoulder and follows suit. It wasn't terribly heavy for him, and he was still so grateful beyond words that he couldn't find a proper way to voice it. When Siratu takes his arm, all he can do is try to smile. He was definitely nervous, but the fact that Siratu and, although unwillingly, Ahkina were ready to help him, really helped him feel better about his situation. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get the help his people needed.

"Thank you for everything, Siratu. I'm sorry to have been a burden on you and Ahkina." As he looks at the old Gerudo woman, he is overcome with emotion. She reminded him so much of his grandmother...

Slaif's Memory:

As Slaif remembers his old grandmother, he can't help but pull Siratu into a hug. "I promise...one day, I will repay your kindness, Siratu."


~Gerudo Desert, near the spot Slaif collapsed in~

A black and orange claw stamps into the sands as multiple creatures from earlier seem to comb the desert surface, sniffing for any trace of Slaif. Standing among them was Zazo, who was looking out around the horizon. He had been told that, as long as he was in this world, he would need to consume matter called 'Food' and 'Drink' to stay alive, and so was given a skin of water by his Benefactor, the being who gave him control of his new god, Raithas' minions, the Neiri. On his hand, a black mark writhed about, a symbol of his loyalty to Raithas. As he scans the dunes, he sees a small strip of cloth sticking out from the sands.

He walks over to it, retrieving it and examining it thoroughly. It was definitely the same material as what the Twili Sorcerers wore, probably left from Slaif's torn sleeve. "Well well well...." He looks off in the distance, the Neiri slowly gathering around him as he narrows his eyes at the small, dotting structures of the Gerudo Village in the distance. "What have we here?..."

Karn looks up at the man clad in green, his surroundings causing him some confusion. But the young man’s words also made him chuckle a little. A stone sword? Where was he? Did he die? Regardless, he had to get up. As he struggled to his feet once more, he could feel the pain from being blasted moments ago. He definitely wasn’t dead that was for sure!

He looks to the young man clad in green with blonde hair and blinks. He knew this person. “You....You’re....” He looks down at the stone sword in front of him and sighs, his eyes returning to their serious gaze. “How about I worry about what’s going on later and I take this and defend Mallory from that guy?” He reaches out his hand to the hilt of the sword and draws it from its pedestal, the world around him returning to normal.

He could see Mallory slowly still being turned to crystal, making him raise his sword in front of him and pointing it at the cloaked man. “Let....her....go.”

The cloaked man turns and spots the stone sword, soon beginning to chuckle darkly. “A stone sword? What do you think that will accomplish?” He sighs, smiling. “Sad. Just....sad. Oh well. I guess you’ll just die here~”

~Zora’s Domain~

Captain Nuwe quickly ushered the Princess to his small militia of 5 other Zora, nodding to her suggestion.  Each of them were armored with chest plates, helmets, arm and shoulder guards, leg guards and fin protectors wrapped around their hips.  3 of the men held Zora Spears, while the 2 women had Zora Swords and Zora Shields.  He held out his arm to each of them as he introduced them and their skills.  His other arm was wrapped around Malika’s back, holding her close to his side.

“These our our finest.  Aven, Najir, Mitas, our spearmen, are all very skilled with dealing quick damage and dashing away from danger.  The swordswomen, Olola and Larane, are mighty and can deliver powerful blows to any foe, and hold their ground while doing so.  These warriors are my top militia Zora.  Surely they will be of use to you, Princess,” he stated, finally letting her go from his side.

“If I may suggest,” Najir spoke up among them, stepping forward.  “The locale of the monster makes it easy for it to knock us off and severely injure us, if not kill us.  Should we attempt to lure it down the mountain and closer to the water?”

Olola chimed in, holding up her hand.  “Wait, shouldn’t that make our plan easier?  If we can push the thing off the cliffside and into the waters below, our very environment will do most of the damage and we do not have to exert ourselves.”

“You forget,” Aven rolled his eyes, almost growling at her response.  “We are not the size nor weight of the Hinox!  And I dare not endanger our King with such a task, as he is the only one to wrestle such a beast on equal footing…”

Nuwe remained silent while his crew bickered, thinking about the plethora of choices he could make!  Maybe his Princess had an idea?

---

~Gerudo Desert, Siratu’s Home~

Surprised by his display of affection, Siratu old, withered lips curled into a smile as he held her in his arms for a moment.  Even though the two had a very short interaction, it felt very meaningful.  Patting his back to get him to release her, she ushered him to the doorway.

“There is a quick way out of this desert, dead east from here.  You know you are going the right way when you enter a deep, red canyon and see a Horse Stable at the entrance,” the elder explained to Slaif.  She then turned to Ahkina and yelled, “AHKINA!  You will use my mare, Kumo for the rest of your journey!”

The youth had just finished tying a second rope to her yawning seal, reluctantly accepting her demands with a grunt.  “…If that old beast can even find her way out of the stable…” she muttered.  Thankfully, she knew how quiet to mumble in order to avoid the wrath of her relative.

Tossing an old shield onto the sand, Ahkina looked at Slaif with a smug expression and handed him his rope reigns.  “Get on the shield, keep your balance and let me do the driving,” she bluntly told him.  “If you see something or wanna stop, just pull back on the reigns.  If you gotta go do something before we leave, do it now.”

To continue, step on the shield.

---

~Outskirts~

With the stone sword now in his possession, Carnage could feel a strange power surging through the tip of the blade to the hilt.  It felt warm and bright, making handling the weapon much easier for him, despite his injuries.  This power sent shockwaves through his body, lifting some of the pain he felt and granting him new found energy!

Mallory, no longer being able to move, her legs bound by the crystal forming on her body, shouted, “Yes!  I knew you wouldn’t give up!”  Her voice was weak from all the thick black smoke, and she appeared exhausted, using so much power like that.  She was trying not to give up, too!

A sudden whisper shot through the soldier’s ears.  It was the voice of the man in green!  “Don’t let this energy go to waste, now.  Take your sword and hold it out as far as you can stretch your arm.  Bend your knees and lower your stance so you can move quickly.  Now, concentrate on that power you feel.  Build it up in your arm, in your sword… The second you feel it ready to burst, spin your body and your blade as fast as you can towards that monster!  Ready yourself for the Spin Attack!”

Even if he was unable to actually hit the being under the cloak, the power surge alone would easily blow away all this horrendous smoke and toxic air!

While Malika listened to everyone's roles and ideas, she racked her brain for the lecture on Hinnox that Kapis had given her a long time ago. While they were slow, they were horribly strong, and could easily kill a careless adventurer. However, they had a weakness like everything did.

"If I may..." she started slowly, the plan forming at the same time the words left her mouth. "But I believe you've just created the plan right then." Receiving some looks, she rubbed under her fan-tailed head fin in embarrassment as she spoke. "Hinnox are powerful, yes, but they are slow. If we can deliver quick blows, and get out of the way before it attacks, we can lure it to the cliff's edge. I'll use my range to aim for it's weak point;" she points to her own red eyes. "It's eye. I'll do my best to knock it off the cliff, where if the fall doesn't kill it... the Prince will. Though it would be best to have at least two people down there alongside him to minimize the chance of critical injury."

It sounded like a solid plan to her, through she couldn't help but fear for the safety of everyone here.

"I will also be on medical standby. I will expend everything I have to ensure you all come home with me, if I have to."

~Gerudo Desert, Siratu's Home~

Slaif seems a bit confused by some of the things Siratu was saying. 'Horse Stable'? What was that? However, he knew that if he followed Ahkina, he would be alright. After all, she was Siratu's granddaughter. That meant she had to be as good-natured as Siratu herself, even if she wasn't willing to show it to him.

He looks back to Siratu one last time, nodding a final goodbye as he takes the rope reigns and steps cautiously onto the shield, standing on it almost fearfully. What was this strange thing going to do?

Karnage could hear the man in green’s words ringing in his ears as he looks the odd sword over in his hands. He knew it wasn’t a Master Sword but....Why was this blade so powerful? It felt so strange....

Meanwhile, the cloaked man turns behind him towards the darkness, an amused smile on his face. “Gunner. Be a dear and shoot him for me. I don’t have time for such a trifle matter.”

Through the darkness and mist steps out a slender woman with long black hair tied down into two twin-tails that flowed behind her like hair ribbons. She had a piercing, cold gaze in her blue eyes and on her right arm was a huge mass of dark crystals that were seemingly attached to her body. It looked to be in the formation of a huge arm cannon and the crystals on the tips of the cannon-like structure pulsed with energy. She wore a simple skirt and shirt clad in a black coat. Her hips had small, black feathered wings that, while obviously not suited for flight, obviously added to her mobility. She walks forward and stares at Karnage, no words passing through her thin lips. She looked almost....human.

Karnage stared at the strange creature in front of him, narrowing his eyes. What was she? But as he was thinking to himself, he saw her start to raise her crystal cannon arm and point it at him. This immediately interrupted his thought process. This isn’t the time to think about such things! I have to fight back!

He raises the sword to his right like he had been instructed. Slowly he felt the power building in his arm, collecting onto the sword. The cloaked man growled and glanced at the new woman, denoted as Gunner. “What are you doing?! Shoot him!”

The woman does as instructed, raising the arm cannon of crystals and pointing it fully at Karnage. Suddenly the energy in the tips of the crystals condenses and shoots out like small projectiles, rapidly raining a barrage of energy attacks at him.

Karnage felt many of the attacks hit, gritting his teeth as he endured the assault. Then when he felt the energy reach its peak, he lets a yell and crouches down, spinning in a fast circle. A large amount of light energy radiates outwards, hitting Gunner and knocking her away as the mist quickly gets blown away by the ensuing attack.

The cloaked man himself, opens his palm outwards, a solid barrier of dark energy appearing and protecting him from the light of the attack. The hit cracks his shield and he lets it down after the attack, his face full of surprise. “....Who....are you?”

~Zora's Domain~

The soldiers gasped, finding the harmonized views to be just what they needed to hear!  They smiled and readied their stances, eager to put this plan to action!  Captain Nuwe seemed impressed, tilting his head to the side and eyeing the hilltop where Ralis Pond was located.

"Then we should get going.  It will be a lot harder to fight after nightfall, as there are hardly any luminous ores deposits left up there," he told his troupe and Princess Malika.  As he was about to speak again after signalling his group to come with, another, louder voice shouted at them from behind.

"CAPTAIN!  PRINCESS!" the tall, red, muscled Zora Prince called after them.  Nuwe's firm shoulders fell, a deep sigh following.  "I've finished preparing!  Now everyone, let's hurry!  Our domain is counting on us!"

Nuwe mumbled as Sidon jogged past them, "That foolish shark will doom us all..."

With this team of 5 Zora soldiers, their bitter Captain, their strategic Princess, and the energetic former Prince, the Hinox of Ralis Pond couldn't stand a chance!  ...At least, that's what they all hoped.

And so they began the travel away from Zora's Domain, they moved up the mountains and around the winding bends.  Now would be the best time to catch up Sidon on the plan.

---

~The Desert~

Ahkina rolled her eyes at the pitfull expression on Slaif's face and smashed the reigns once he was on the shield.  The seal attached to the ropes barked in surprise and dashed forward, diving belly-first into the sand.  It disappeared beneath the hot, grainy sediment, then resurfaced, accelerating rapidly!  Ahkina shouted, "forward!" and steered the Sand Seal into the hefty mounds of desert.  Being so far back, the reign-holders didn't get sprayed with too much sand, and holding on tight enough they were able to be pulled along at a brisk pace!

Her feet positioned one before another on the shield she used, Ahkina looked over at the nervous Slaif and called to him, "Don't be afraid!  Just focus on keeping your balance and try not to let go!  If you gotta fix your feet, don't move too drastically, or you'll be thrown off!"

The scape of the desert proved to be immaculate and bright, the small number of plant life dotted the slopes sparingly, and the house behind them was becoming smaller and smaller.  Siratu could no longer be seen.

In the meantime, Siratu had appreciated Slaif's company enough to gather a bundle of her own things, and make the trek to Gerudo Town.  It wasn't a far walk, but she needed to tell the people she loved what news the Twili man had brought them.  It was important for them to know; after all, a magical doorway through time and space does not open for just one inexperienced sorcerer...

---

~Outskirts~

Consumed by the crystal, Mallory pounded on the casing from the inside, excited to see her dearest friend fight back!  Where did he learn such a powerful move?  Was the sword she manifested really that strong, or was it something else within him?

"Great work.  You're already a fine knight, but this blade won't hold up much longer," the mysterious voice of the green-suited man told Karnage.  "Let's chase them away with another attack.  It won't be as effective with this weapon, but it will have to do!  Hold your blade skyward, as high as you can point it!  Then, when you feel the energy reach its peak, swing it down!  Force them to retreat!"

From the villain's view, a heavenly light had surrounded Karn, something that the cloaked man had not noticed before!  Something or someone was helping him, at least in this moment! Was it Mallory's doing? She did give him that mock sword, but... this was different.

"Oh! Your highness!" She called out, trying to keep up with the massive Zora. "I'd like to fill you in on the plan!" She adjusted the quiver on her back before taking a breath and explaining the plan to Sidon. Malika hoped that the plan was solid enough for the Prince as they made their way to their destination.

In truth, the young princess was terrified. This was her first real combat, and it was up against something so deadly. She tried to stop the visible shaking in her hands as she came to the end of her update for the prince. 

"I pray we come out of this victorious... That we all return home..." She muttered quietly, reaching into her bag and pulling out some of the food that Voka had prepared for her. Malika offered a portion to the prince. "Here. This should aid you a bit during the combat."

~The Desert~

As Slaif is suddenly pulled forward, he lets out a loud cry, clinging to the reigns for dear life as he's pulled along by the sand seal. His eyes squeeze shut as he feels his body gliding along the sand beneath his feet. He was moving so fast! Slowly, he opens his eyes and looks around as the desert rushed past him in all directions, the wind whipping around him. He was awe-struck by the rushing clouds, the mixture of the wind and sun against his skin, the feeling of the sediment and sand being pushed apart by the shield he was riding on, and the feeling made a smile slowly break out on his face. A light, joyous feeling wells up from within his stomach and chest as he starts to slowly laugh, enjoying the rush from the ride. He leans to one side accidentally, nearly losing his balance. However, this led Slaif to another discovery; if he leaned one way, he would move that way slightly. He practices with small leans back and forth, making sure to hold his balance. Finally, when he feels brave enough, he leans forward and swings into a sand dune, riding up it until he's suddenly airborne, having used the dunes as a launch pad.

He laughs out, crying out happily as he lands, swerving a bit before righting himself and panting happily. He looks over to Ahkina and waves gleefully, his eyes sparkling. "AHKINA! THIS CREATURE IS AMAZING! WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS ACTIVITY!? ITS SO MUCH FUN!!"

Little did Slaif and Ahkina know, as they sped through the great desert, that back at Gerudo Town, a tragedy was about to unfold.



~Gerudo Town, dusk~

As the sun begins to set over the desert of Gerudo Valley, the adobe walls of Gerudo Town stood strong and tall, the town having developed into a mecca of Gerudo might and culture in the west. Tonight, the Gerudo Chief was meeting with the representatives of the Shieka Tribe and the Goron of Death Mountain. This alliance has been a vital to all three races, and has persisted long. Today, it was a cornerstone of economic and military might in Hyrule, and provided the Hylian Kingdom with a powerful foothold in the west.

As the town begins to wind down, the night starting to set in, two Gerudo guards stand at the gates, their swords and shields shining in the coming dusk. One yawns, looking to her comrade and smirking. The smirking guard was tall, with a thin and lanky build, a yellow top and red pants adorning her body alongside a gold nose ring. "Hey, you think we'll be allowed to go with the Chief on her next trip to Hyrule Castle? I hear the town has a lot of great sights! Maybe you'll meet a nice Hylian voe?~"

The other guard, a shorter woman with her hair cut to a short pixie cut and her face adorned with a gold chain linked to her rings on her nose and eyebrow, only rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I told you, I don't need a voe. They're freaking useless, I tell you. If anything, the Chief will probably take that new recruit vai, Ahkina! She shows much promise!~"

As the guards continue to gossip, a single figure appears on the horizon, walking with the sun directly behind him. His shadow stretches forward, the figure of Zazo finally coming into view. Drawing closer, he looks between the guards. Only two...for now. There were probably more behind the wall. He lowers his head, dark pixel-like particles floating out around it as a strange, white mask that looks like a screaming skull with no eyes and armor plate-like segments forms over it. He seems to look forward at the guards, his pace not slowing as they finally take notice of his approach.

"HALT!" the short guard cries out, "THIS TOWN IS RESTRICTED! ONLY WOMEN MAY ENTER HERE! SPEAK YOUR BUSINESS OR BE ASSAILED!"

Zazo seems to pay them no mind as two wisps of blackness form out from his shadow, moving like smoke. From them, two creatures emerge and begin trotting next to Zazo like a pair of jackals.

The guards immediately draw their shields and swords, the short one looking back and calling to her comrades behind the town walls. "INTRUDER ALERT! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

The tall guard bashes her sword against her shield, challenging the approaching being. "IF YOU SEEK A QUICK DEATH, WE WILL SEND YOU TO IT!"

Zazo leans forward, whispering to the creatures. "Take them." Immediately, the creatures screech and charge forward, barreling at alarming speeds at the two guards. In moments, they pounce and tackle the two Gerudo warriors to the ground, the sounds of the creatures tearing into their flesh and the warriors screaming in response breaking the silence of the coming twilight. As the Twili Sorcerer approaches the town gate, he swipes his hand across the air in front of him, black pixels forming in front of him.

Inside the town, the guards were already mobilizing. At least twenty Gerudo warrior women, all stood ready as they locked their shields in a phalanx formation, their blades pointed over their shields. Behind the line, the Guard Lieutenant observed the gates with wary, prepared eyes. The sounds they just heard on the other side were beyond gruesome, and they could only imagine what happened to the two guards posted outside. Suddenly, there is a loud boom as the gates are suddenly flung open, black pixels breaking apart and disappearing into thin air as the intruder shows themselves. When the Lieutenant sees that it is only one male intruder in strange attire, she seems baffled, but on edge. "YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE COMING HERE!" the Lieutenant called out. "YOU HAVE KILLED TWO OF OUR SISTERS IN ARMS, AND HAVE VIOLATED OUR SACRED LAW BY SETTING FOOT IN OUR TOWN! BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE GERUDO CHIEF, YOU SHALL DIE!" She draws her sword and shield, clanging them together to spur on her fellow warriors. "GO! FIGHT ON, SISTERS!"

As the Gerudo charge, Zazo's shadow seems to retreat behind him and form a wall of darkness. From the wall, dozens of the creatures from earlier suddenly pour out and rush the charging shield wall, leaping into the Gerudo line and attacking each Gerudo as groups of two or three, moving with almost pack-like mentality and precision as they begin slaughtering warriors left and right. Zazo finds himself facing down the Lieutenant and four Warriors, the five Gerudo women barreling forward to rush the Twili. Zazo brings his arms back and slowly flicks his wrists, his hands flashing with black pixel energy as they change into two wicked, black and red-veined, curved sword blades.

"Fools..."



~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

In the center of Gerudo Town stood the Chief's Hall, a massive meeting hall built to act as a center for diplomatic negotiations. Within the hall, the Gerudo Chief was seated before a massive table. On either side sat the representatives of the Goron and Sheikah tribes.

The Sheikah Representative, named Maki, was an older Sheikah woman with leathery, brown skin and long, sharp ears. Her long, white hair was frizzy and long, hanging down to the small of her back and covering her face save for her mouth and nose. Behind her, two Sheikah Assassin women stood guard. The Goron Representative, however, was completely different. The Goron, being a mostly male race, were the only exception to the Gerudo law of restricting men from entering their city, and the Goron Representative, Ordac, was a prime specimen of Goron physiology. He was massive, standing at nearly twice the size of an average Goron, and was incredibly muscular, with his shoulders actually seeming to be above comically small head. Behind him, two massive Goron Warriors stood as his guard.

Ordac laughed out loudly, a skeptical look in his eyes as he addressed the fourth, unexpected guest in the room. "You mean to say, you've found someone who claims to be from a race that only exists in old Gerudo fairy-tales? Siratu, your drinks are the finest in town, but I think you may have been enjoying some of your own stock! These 'Twili' are a myth, nothing more!"

Maki nods, her mouth showing a serious disposition. "Great Gerudo Chief, you don't actually believe this...dodgy-at-best story, do you?"

The cloaked man narrows his eyes under his hood. What was that light that was surrounding that man? Whatever the case, his prize was almost ready for collection. He only needed to stall for another moment or two! “Gunner! Stall him! I’m going to concentrate on capturing this girl!”

Gunner nods in understanding, getting up and silently turning her gun on him. The tips pulse with energy before firing again at him, rapidly peppering him with weaker attacks. She didn’t need to kill him. Just buy time for her master!

Karnage sees the peppering bullets coming, dodging away behind a tree to get away from them. He could feel and hear the bullets hitting the trunk of the tree that he was leaning against. How would he possibly get out of this situation?!

Meanwhile, the cloaked man turns to Mallory inside the crystal and an inky darkness begins to form underneath her, starting to engulf it. While this was his primary method of teleportation, an object of this size would take a little time to transport completely. "Just a little longer now my little jewel~ Then you'll be all mine."

Karnage growls at what he hears. He would have to take the hits in order to get this attack off! But if he took too many, he would be too damaged to stop the cloaked man! He had to pick one! Thinking quickly, he makes a quick decision, deciding to try to target the cloaked man. If he could get an attack through, maybe he could stop whatever magic he was attempting until help could arrive! He looks down at his sword, the energy having made it crack a little bit. He could only get one more shot off....He had to give this everything he had!

Rolling out from his hiding place, he makes a run through the tree and brush cover so that he could get into position near the cloaked man. Then once he was in position, he raised his blade skywards and let the energy begin building up again.

But the cloaked man spots this and points at him with his palm. "Gunner! Kill this annoying gnat before he interferes with my plans!"

The dark woman's bullets quickly become larger as she turns the cannon arm onto Karnage, rapidly shooting him with as many rounds as she could muster. It hurt! The bullets were tearing his body up. While many of them did miss him, the ones that hit spot on or grazed his flesh burned! It was if they were trying to suck away all the life from his body! But soon it didn't matter as the attack became ready. He lets out a yell and swings the blade downwards, a shockwave of energy shooting forth and soaring straight at the cloaked man!

This time however, the cloaked man simply vanishes into smoke and the shockwave hits the crystal instead! The energy attack gets absorbed by the crystal and shocks Mallory with its force. The cloaked man then reappears nearby and growls. "Enough of this!" He aims his palm at Karnage and lets loose with a blast of dark energy, hitting Karnage square in the chest and knocking him into a tree once again.

Turning to the darkness that was engulfing Mallory's crystal, he simply smiles as he can see it starting to transport her away. Darkness forms under his and Gunner's feet as he looks at Karnage, the young knight desperately trying to stand up and help his friend. "We'll meet again someday little warrior of light. I don't know what kind of magic was helping you. But I have no need to play this little game anymore. I have what I've come for. Farewell!" His form vanishes into the darkness as does Gunner's and Mallory's, the knight trainee slowly losing consciousness from his wounds.

He....had failed.

~Ralis Pond~

Sidon slowed his pace as they climbed the steep hill, leading to their destination.  The others were going much slower to save their energy, but Captain Nuwe kept his eyes on the two in the forefront.

"Princess, thank you for informing me!  I'm glad you managed to pull such different ideas into one amazing plan!" he exclaimed, his grin bright with enthusiasm.  "We have strengths of all kinds beside us; that's something a dear friend of mine once reminded me."

When offered the extra food made by Voka, he gasped a little, gently accepting the rations.  Even though she looked nervous, she still wanted him to be safe and have enough energy to fight.  "Lovely Malika, it's hard for me to find words just to express how thankful I am to you... I hope that my actions in this fight are enough!!"  Putting the food away in a pocket on his shoulder strap, he clasped his hands over hers and shook them affectionately.

"Don't move so abruptly!" Nuwe hushed to the pair, as he and his troupe moved past them, crouching.  "Let's move."

The sounds of the sleeping giant were getting louder as the group of Zora arrived atop the hill.  It was massive, hideous, and adorned with golden weapons!  The mighty Blue Hinox slept peacefully beside broken tree trunks and squashed plant life.  Its horns were sharp and its ears long, while its snot-bubble shrunk and grew with each smelly breath it took.  A monster five times the size of an average Hyrulean, this would be one challenging fight!

Nuwe looked to Malika, ready for her signal.  She was the formulator of the plan, after all, despite the mounting pressure she might be feeling now.  He was just there to direct his Zoras.

---

~The Desert~

Ahkina couldn't hold back a grin as she listened to Slaif's cries of joy.  "It's called Sand Seal Surfing!" she explained over the grinding of sand and stone.  To keep him having fun, she directed the dashing and diving mammal deeper into the dunes, as a small detour.  It was a small distraction, but it was enough to give them a bit of time before they went back to focusing on task.  They'd arrive soon enough at this rate.


~Gerudo Town, Center~

The town began to fall faster and faster, with every Gerudo Scimitar and Radiant Shield thrown from the hands of the defeated soldiers.  Civilians and tourists bravely tried to fight in their stead, hoping to buy time for the young and old to make it to the other exits.  Two young women managed to flee on Sand Seals, hoping to reach the watchtower close to Vah Nabooris.  The elderly chanted and prayed to the Goddesses for mercy, ushering the crying youths into the basements of buildings, barring the doors with everything from armor stands to wooden kegs.  The Shadows found many of them, darkness quickly extinguishing the candlelight inside every shelter.  Blood stained walls soon outnumbered screams of pain.  Gerudo Town had not seen a darker time in centuries...


~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

The shaking elder, Siratu, held tightly onto the handle of her crook, her mouth dry with haste and urgency.  Although she had shared everything, the representatives did not believe her tale.  Although she was frustrated by this predicament, she remained steadfast in her position.

"My family come from a long line of lore-keepers!  None of you are old enough to remember the days of my mother, where she occupied the library we used to care for!  Back then, we did not have such a thing as a fiction section!" Siratu spat, furiously.  She needed to watch herself.  In her age, this rising anger could seriously send her over the edge.

The Chief's Bodyguard, Captain Hukaegu, a muscular woman of 6'7" with vibrant red hair with black tips, slammed her spear on the ground, silencing the words of the old vai.  "That's enough!  Our Chief Tutemu needs to say her piece."

The seated woman, dressed in gold, green and white, nodded.  Her elaborately dressed pink hair with blonde streaks had been tossed to the side, as she adjusted herself upon her throne.  Although Tutemu was in her mid 20's, her stature was a little short for a Gerudo, only made more prominent by her knee-high heeled boots.  "As much as I'd like to dismiss this woman's inane cry for 'help,' I cannot shake the feeling that she's telling nothing but the truth.  Tell me, dear representatives, how often have you heard such a radical claim for traces of mythological characters appearing in or around your cities?  If there isn't an answer for that... why should we ignore such a random outcry?  Allegedly, this Twilight incident happened more than 10,000 years ago," she snidely retorted, looking to Siratu, then to the other faces in the room.  "If we don't, at the very least, investigate this situation, we will never be prepared for the worst.  If we are wrong, then we only lose a few hours of our precious time and very few resources.  If we are right, then we double our efforts and prepare for war.  Making the decision to go to war now is--"

As she is cut off, a violent scream echoed through the Hall and had every guard on high alert.  Cheif Tutemu stood up, and Captain Hukaegu stood in front of her, commanding the meaning of this noise.

"GUARDS!  FIND OUT WHAT ALL THIS RACKET IS ABOUT!  QUICKLY!"

Siratu's face fell and her heart nearly stopped.  "Slaif... Ahkina..."

---

~Outskirts~

Mallory growled from inside the crystal, belting out a fierce roar before demanding, "Stop this!  Why are you doing this?!  What do you really want from me?!  Is it my power??  My body??  You can have it, just leave Karn alone!!  Right now!!"  Nothing she did could stop the tears from spilling from her ducts.

It wasn't long before Karn's skyward slash completely knocked out Mallory from inside the crystal, after a shocking screech penetrated the muffling walls of the seal, of course.  His sword was now nothing but crumbled dust in his bruised and shaking hands.  In his last moments of consciousness, Karn could just make out the miserable and pained expression on his friend's face as she was whisked away in the darkness.

Many hours pass.  Dusk has arrived and the twilight is upon the land of Hyrule.  The Outskirts are littered with the efforts of a failed celebration, and many soldiers and knights had been camping just outside of the forest.  The bodies of the injured were taken away for healing, while those that did not survive the attack had been blanketed-over.  Karn was placed in a tent of his own, as his wounds were surprisingly easy to mend.  Fresh bandages and new clothes were to his left, and a new set of weapons (a sword, a shield, and a bow) were to his right.  Outside the tent, soldiers talked about the attack and how they were thankful that a few of the would-be victims escaped and told them right away.  Other soldiers were upset they couldn't figure out who had done this awful thing.  Karn's Captain was there, too, sitting by the fire in the middle of the camp.  He looked very distressed.

Malika's eyes went wide as she finally gazed upon the massive monstrosity before her. The blush on her cheeks from The Prince's words fading all too quickly. The young princess had only seen depictions and heard stories of the Hinox, but had never seen one up close. Her breath rattled in her chest and she surveyed the field and the creature noting the weapons the adorned its neck. 

"Your Majesty," she started to go over the plan once more, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to regain her composure. She gained a little more confidence with each sentence. "We're going to lure it to the edge of the cliff. I'll be aiming for its eye. The spears will provide quick attacks, and use their speed to avoid getting hit. After it falls..." She stops, her throat suddenly dry as her hands shook once more. "You and the swords will combat it below. The fall should deal quite a blow, but it may not kill it entirely. If anything happens... I will be on medical standby as well. Our goal is to destroy this creature and protect our home. We must return to the Domain together."

Malika pulled the bow off her back and knocked an arrow, doing her best to steady her arms. "Be ready to fight as soon as I hit." She speaks to the other Zora. "Good luck."

The guppy zora took several deep breaths, focusing down her arrow and lined it up with her target; the sleeping Hinox's eye. Sje closed out all other distractions and everyone got into position around her. "Goddess be with me..." She whispered to herself as silence fell upon her ears.

She let the arrow fly.

~The Desert~

As Slaif and Ahkina dart deeper into the desert, the two enjoying their time sand seal surfing, they seem to lose track of time as the sun slowly sets around them. By the time they finally arrive to the Gerudo Canyon Stables, it is already dusk, the sun finally setting over the horizon.

As the seal pulls up, Slaif manages to stop the shield on his own by leaning back and stepping off once it was slow enough. With a gleeful smile, he picks up the shield and walks over to Ahkina, offering it to her along with his thanks. "That was so much fun, Ahkina! Sand Seal Surfing, such a wondrous thing! Oh, if only Dalk and the others were here! They-" He stops, remembering the gravity of his situation and the fact that lives were in his hands. Clearing his throat, he looks around their new destination. "So, this is a 'stay-bil'?"


~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

One of the guards nods, walking over to the door and going to open it. As she does, she is surprised by the Guard Lieutenant barging through, her body covered in cuts and strange wounds that looked like bite marks. The woman was scared out of her mind, something rare among the Gerudo warriors, and she looked to her Captain and Chief with eyes filled with horror as she keeps her back pressed to the door.

"Captain Hukaegu, Chief Tutemu! You and the representatives must flee! Hurry, the town is already lost! They just kept coming...coming from the darkness...and that voe....his mask...that horrible, white mask...HURRY YOU MUST-"

She is suddenly cut off by the sounds of splintering timber as a black, curved blade suddenly stabs through the door and through the Lieutenant's chest. She coughs out a splatter of blood as she looks down at the blade through her. Suddenly, the sound cracks out again as a second blade cleaves through the door and cuts the Lieutenant's arm clean off before stopping halfway. The blade wrenches out, a chunk of the door breaking off along with it. Through the hole made by the second blade, the occupants of the room can see the white, eyeless mask of Zazo peering in, the shrieking of his beasts behind him.

The Lieutenant can only look to her chief with one last, hopeless look.

"....Run."

A massive horde of claws suddenly break through the rest of the wooden door and grab the Lieutenant all over her body, even reaching into her mouth and nose, as they suddenly rip her back into the ranks of dark beasts hidden in the blackness beyond the doorway. Zazo slowly steps into the room, fire following him as the room is slowly set ablaze by the sheer malignant energy radiating off Zazo's form.

He walks past the stunned guards and representatives easily, stepping up onto the table. Black pixels radiate off his mask as the white visage slowly sheds away square block by block until Zazo's face is completely visible. He then begins speaking from his high place like he was addressing an audience.

"...Someone who looks very similar to me will have passed through this place, or at least near it. This is your one and only chance...Tell me where I can find him, and I will that one person live. The rest...will follow those outside, shortly. They were, after all, a demonstration...both that I am a man of my word, and of the power of my God. Now...Who shall be the sole survivor, and who shall be offerings to the God Eater, Raithas?"

The warrior awakens with a start when his consciousness finally returns to him. He then groans quietly and grits his teeth, realizing that he was still injured from before. It is then that he remembers the cloaked man from before and how he’d gotten these injuries trying to save Mallory; his childhood friend.

He turns and spots the sword, shield and bow and moves out of his place of rest, slipping the bow over his body, the sword onto his hip and the shield to his left arm. Once he was equipped once again, he gets up and comes out of the tent, his injuries, while still painful, not halting his ability to move. He spots James, his captain, and walks over to him.

James heard his footsteps behind him and looks over to him, his enormous shield resting against the stump he was sitting on. He appeared surprised that Karn was already up and about. “Karnage. Good to see that you’re still with us. I didn’t expect you to be up for another hour or so.”

Karn chuckles, resting his shield hand onto his hip. “Come on now Captain, you don’t give me enough credit.”

James laughs softly and gestures to another stump next to him. “Have a seat. I have much to ask you.”

Karnage does as he is told and furrows his brows at him. “First a question from me if I could Captain?”

He nods. “Go ahead.”

“What’s wrong? Far be it for me to be speaking outside of the respect for the chain of command, but you don’t normally look distressed or troubled about anything.” He explains.

James sighs. “It’s about the person that assaulted this place. It wasn’t Ganondorf by any means at all. In fact, whatever kind of sorcery or magic they were using was powerful. I’m surprised that you didn’t get any more serious injuries despite the number of casualties that were reported.”

“Casualties? How many of these people died in that attack?”

“Twelve. And we’re still finding injured and dying people in the forest. Whoever this person was wanted something and they didn’t care who got in their way. So my question is this, who was it? Did you see Karn?”

The knight in training shakes his head. “No, not at all. I didn’t catch his name. All I saw was a cloaked man who was commanding the darkness. Living creatures within it too. He called one of them ‘Gunner’ and it shot what looked like magic arrows or bolts from some crystal formation on its arm. I only remember them stinging like fire and feeling like they were draining away my strength. It was very troublesome. The cloaked man also was capable in combat as well, using his own brand of shadow magic on me.”

James’ face turns hard. “Is that all the information you gleaned?”

Karnage nods. “Yes Captain. That’s all I got from it.”

He thinks for a moment. “Some of these people say you defended them from the cloaked man away with a glowing sword of light. You didn’t take a sword with you though. How did you come across something like that?”

Karnage shakes his head. “It’s difficult to explain and I don’t think you would believe me if I told you. All I know is that a sword rose from the ground and when I touched it, a man clothed in green helped me.”

“Clothed in green? You mean a hero of time came to you?”

He nods. “Seems that way.”

James scratches his chin, unsure of what to make of this. It is then that a soldier comes up to him and whispers something in his ear. The Captain gets up and nods to Karn. “Duty calls to me. Will you be alright by yourself?”

Karnage nods. “Yes sir. Go ahead and leave me here. I will catch up momentarily.”

James nods. “Help with the relief squad if you feel well enough to do so. Beyond that, just sit tight and rest. Understood?”

“Yes sir.”

James then gestures to the soldier to lead onwards, taking him away somewhere. Karnage then lets out a sigh and looks up at the sky. “By the goddesses....what have I gotten into...?”

~Ralis Pond~

A deep, guttural roar pierced the silence among the Zoras, as the arrow landed perfectly beside its upper eyelid.  The Hinox rolled its massive body upright, the shining weapons dangling on around its neck clanging and clinking against one another.  Now that it had awoken, the offensive team of 5 charged forward on Captain Nuwe's command!

The three spearmen jabbed at the Hinox's toes, while the swordswomen slashed away at its hard skin from the side.  Nuwe himself used a two-handed sword, attacking the monster from the back!

Such small attacks were hardly damaging the monster.  The blue beast righted itself onto its stubby feet, and kicked away two of the Zora spearmen, whacking one of the swordswomen out of sight with its blubbery arm!  Sidon went immediately to their sides, helping them stand up and urging them to press on!  Thankfully, the Hinox had not yet noticed Malika's perch.

-

~The Gerudo Canyon Stable~

Ahkina chuckled as she picked up her own shield, patting her Seal's fuzzy mane as a reward.  "I'm glad you had a good time, because this next form of travel is a lot more... strenuous on the body?  I'll be the first to admit, because I have lots of opinions anyway, I don't like horseback riding.  It might just be because I'm used to traveling through other means, but... you might like it more."

Sending the seals off into the dusty desert, Ahkina and Slaif went up to the Stablemaster positioned at the front window of the building.

"Welcome!  It doesn't seem you have any steeds with you!  Do you have some pre-registered here?" the bearded man in uniform asked.

Ahkina nodded.  "Kumo, the black mare.  We'd like to take her with us."

The Hylian man of the stable looked at both Ahkina and Slaif, a confused, almost disgusted look appearing on his face.  "You're going to let a single horse carry two of you?Kumo is not as young as she used to be!  I'll fetch her, but I strongly advise your... friend? here to find another steed."

Ahkina rolled her eyes as the man left for the horse.  "I knew this was a bad idea... look, Slaif, right?  Maybe we can-"

A sudden rumbling shook the canyon, cutting off her train of thought completely.  Taking a defensive stance, the Gerudo woman jumped in front of Slaif with a sword drawn.  Barreling down the pathway of the canyon was a massive brown and green furred boar!  Its tusks were huge compared to other Hyrulean boars, and it certainly looked angry!  Ahkina had the intent to slay it, but could they stop it peacefully?!


~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

Captain Hukaegu, Chief Tutemu, and Siratu's expressions drastically changed from anger to fear.  This monster was the one behind Slaif's deepest worries, and Siratu knew he must be stopped, but not at the risk of losing so many others!

She hobbled forward, in front of the Chief, and spat at the guiltless face of death.  "Horrid creature!  Get back from whence you came!" she yelled, careful not to let on that she knew about Slaif.  "How dare you attack our city and spill blood before our Chief?!  You will know the true meaning of suffering when we are done with you!"

Maki and Ordac's soldiers ushered them out the windows behind the Chief's throne, getting them to safety all while Siratu made her threat.  This didn't stop them from being completely free from harm, however, as they were now outside the once-safe adobe walls of the city.

Captain Hukaegu and her remaining Gerudo forces pushed Siratu back by the Chief.  Keeping her alive would be detrimental to their people if they were to understand more about this Twili species.  Chief Tutemu also stood up.

"God Eater, Raithas?  In this land, we do not know of such a thing.  What we do know," she lowers her stance and draws two scimitars from behind her.  "Is how to fight."

-

~Outskirts~

As the stars brightened with the slowly darkening night sky, a tiny, yellowish-white light shot past Karn's line of vision.  It went straight into his tent, a faint whistling sound coming from it as it zipped inside.  It was much too small to be a Blupee, and far too rounded to be an arrow of attack.  Was it just a fast lightning bug, or... something more magical?

With combat now initiated, there was no turning back. From her location, Malika watched her companions charge in, following the plan that was made. She couldn't waste any time standing here, watching the fight. As quickly and as steadily as she could, the Zora princess knocked another arrow and aimed, tracking the massive creatures eye carefully before letting her second arrow go.

Any rampaging creature was dangerous. Take away it's sight, however, their movements could become erratic; desperate. They become even more dangerous. From her perch, all she could do was support from a distance, and pray that this fight goes smoothly...

~The Gerudo Canyon Stables~

Slaif was confused. What was a 'Horse', and what was its purpose? He looks into the window, noticing all of the four-legged, hooved creatures there. Were these 'Horses'? When the man seemed disgusted that Slaif and Ahkina may need to share a mount, he seemed even more confused. Were these creatures not meant for multiple passengers? As Ahkina went to give Slaif a new suggestion, however, the both of them are taken by surprise by the charging boar!

Slaif could only look out from behind Ahkina at the creature, his eyes widening upon seeing it. Everyone else seemed so surprised, almost threatened by the large creature. However, as Slaif watches its moves, he notices something; a brutal-looking spear head, stuck under one of the boar's tusks. It seemed like the boar was trying to drag the tusk against the ground as it charged, like it was trying to knock the spear head loose from its lodging. It was then that Slaif realized the truth of the situation. "Its...in pain."

He steps out from behind Ahkina, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I-If you please, Ahkina...Let me try something. My grandmother always taught me that those in pain will lash out at others without thinking. I think...I can stop that creature."

Walking forward, the boar continues to rampage and kick around in circles squealing and roaring wildly. Finally, as Slaif approaches, the boar stops and spins around. Glaring daggers at Slaif through fear-filled eyes, the boar lets out a loud, roaring squeal, kicking the ground with its back hooves menacingly as it aimed its tusks at Slaif. If the strange creature came anywhere close to the boar, it would gore him without a second thought! But then, to the boar, something unexpected happened. The creature was moving slowly, gently, and its hands were out in a calming, almost passive way. The boar tilted its head slightly, now more confused than threatened.

"Easy...easy does it..." Slaif said to the boar as he slowly approached. He was able to place one hand on the boar's injured tusk lightly, showing the boar he meant it no harm. To the surprise of those around him. The boar seemed to completely stop its hostilities! Slaif slowly walks along the tusk and then kneels down, getting a better look at the wound beneath the tusk. "That looks like its quite painful...I may not know many attack spells, but I do know how to teleport objects and heal wounds. That much, I can do...let me help you, oh gentle giant."

He brings his hands to the spearhead and black pixels begin to float off both Slaif and the spear head. With a snap of his fingers, the spearhead seems to dissolve into black particles and reform in the sand at Slaif's feet. He then places a hand covered in black pixels and healing, green energy on the wound, focusing as he feels the boar's flesh mend beneath his palm. In a few moments, the wound is closed and healed.

The boar lets out a happy, thankful squeal as it prances about, shaking its head to confirm that the spearhead was removed. With what looks like a loving, tender smile, the boar trots up to Slaif and presses its snout into his chest, seeming to be trying to cuddle him as a thanks for saving it! "HAHAHA! Ahkina, look! I made a new friend!~" Slaif caled out to his companion, a bright smile on his face and a childlike joy sparkling in his strange, alien eyes.


~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

Zazo watches the reactions of those in the room closely. When Siratu steps forward and speaks so brazenly to him, even going so far as to spit in his general direction, it made him cock his head to the side. He remains silent as he watches the old woman closely, noticing the Captain and the Chief starting to take defensive positions around her. It was then that he put the pieces of this situation together. The old woman...she knew something. Otherwise, the other two would not be protecting someone who was clearly such a liability to their own survival.

".....Very well."

As he lowers his gaze, black pixels form once again around his head as his mask slowly forms, piece by piece, as he speaks. "Then you have elected...the paths of pain and despair." Slowly, he brings his hands behind his back. "Allow me...to be your guide!" He draws his arms back out, his hands now replaced with the curved blades he used earlier. Without a sound, he rushes forward almost instantly, bringing the swords down at the captain in a cross-slash. When she backsteps slightly to dodge, though, he follows through by using the momentum of his swing to make his body bend at the leg in a strange, painful angle. His other foot comes flying up over his back, like a scorpion's tail, and thrusts forward into the Captain's chest, kicking her back as he then steps over his own back strangely, bending as if he had no bones, and comes back up with a single blade strike down. When the Captain catches it, however, she finds that Zazo isn't even looking at her, but at Siratu, bloodlust clear in the dark expression on his cold mask.

"Old Crone...I noticed something just now...The others looked at me with such alien expressions...they were struck speechless by my appearance. You, however...seem familiar with how I look. This tells me...that I am not the first Twili you have encountered."

His head twists painfully as he cracks his own neck by spinning it nearly 180 degrees, the joints cracking loudly as he asks his next question with less courtesy and more of a threatening, growling bite to his tone.

"Where. Is. Slaif?!"

Karnage blinks when he sees the light dart past his vision like a deranged firefly. He turns his head to follow it with his red irises, blinking at it as it flew into his tent with the odd whistling sound. What in the King’s holy name.... He thinks to himself. He carefully gets up and walks over to his tent, moving the entrance flaps aside and peering inside. He sees the tiny light inside and narrows his eyes. What was this strange thing that just let itself into his tent? It didn’t hostile. Or was it...?

~Ralis Pond~

The Hinox stumbled around the pond after being hit again, its foot smashing into the waters like a child in a puddle, splashing its attackers.  Thanks to their aquatic bodies, the water didn't cause any of them to flinch, but brief barrier of water bought the giant enough time to lift up a tree trunk and smash it into one of the spearmen!  Sending the Zora flying, Sidon leapt into action and caught him, preventing the soldier from slipping and falling off the cliff.

Nuwe screamed, emboldening his remaining warriors and rushing back into combat.  His next attack was crippling to the beast, as he had cut the Hinox deeply in the back of its stubby calf.  Forcing it to fall to its knees, the monster panted and roared as one of the swordswomen came up close to it, wanting to pierce its eye.  Right as she was about to thrust into it's weak point, the monster roared into her face, causing the Zora to be frozen with fear.  She dropped her weapon, but before her comrades could come to her rescue, the Hinox stumbled up and snatched her with its disgusting, massive hands...

"MALIKA!" Sidon called out to the Princess, finally getting the other solider back up on his feet.

The Hinox was about bite the head off the Zora, and she couldn't do anything but squirm and yell for help!

-

~The Gerudo Canyon Stables~

Ahkina flinched as she expected the boar to bulldoze over him, her weapon still drawn if she needed to use it, but was surprised to find that she needn't worry!  Slaif had not only stopped the rampage, but had healed the furry beast?!  Cautiously, she moved over to him and the boar, now very relieved and thankful for its sudden treatment!  The spearhead had vanished from the creature and was now beside the Twili... how did he do that without touching it?

She lifted up the spearhead, noting the shape and size of the blade.  "It's Hylian made.  This one hung on for a long time.  Had the boar gone into the desert, it surely would have died..." she said to herself, then looking back up to Slaif and his new friend.  "You saved its life.  Of course its happy!"

She pocketed the spearhead and withdrew her blade.  The people standing around the stable applauded Slaif's rescue, including the stable owner - the man that was at the window!  He came out with Kumo, Siratu's old mare, and passed her over to the Gerudo.

"That was some fine work you did there," he complimented Slaif with a smile.  "Compassion for animals is what we're all about, here.  How about I get you a saddle and a set of reins for that mount?"

"Such a big mammal could be suitable for travel... its larger than most Sand Seals, after all..." Ahkina mused, looking back at Kumo and thinking of her age and health.  "I think we should get it suited, right away.  Slaif, lure it to the stable and get it hooked up!"  If she had to teach him how everything worked in this world, he should start getting used to her orders, right?

-

~Gerudo Town, Chief's Hall~

'Curses,' Siratu thought to herself, sweat dripping from her crooked nose.  'He's perceptive, something that has brought him this far.  He won't get to Slaif or Ahkina as long as I can help it...'  Despite her thoughts swimming with choice words for this monster of a Twili - perhaps the very type of Twili that her ancestors intended to ban from Hyrule - she held her tongue.  Anything she said, she could doom Hyrule's heroes!

The sound of Chief Tutemu's blade being drawn was louder than a whistle, intentionally drawing Zazo's fierce gaze to her.  An authentic reproduction of the Scimitar of the Seven and the shield, Daybreaker, appeared in her hands.  Looking more like a warrior, rather than a point of royal authority, Tutemu narrowed her eyes and grinned.  "It's been too long since I've had to stand up for my ladies, like this.  It's too bad you won't get to see me in action more than once!"

Tutemu charged her attack at Zazo, while Captain Hukaegu barked to the others to get out.  The remaining 3 soldiers and Siratu made a break for an exit in the rear, using the royal guard's quarters to escape into the desert.  They could only make it so far without running into some Twilight monsters along the way, forcing the soldiers to split up and fend off the beasts.  When only one soldier was with Siratu, they managed to make it outside the walls of their ruined city.

"Quickly, we have to find where the other representatives have gone!  If we can find them, then we can at least get you out of here!" the warrior woman said to Siratu.

"Please, you must leave me as soon as we find them, then," Siratu panted, hobbling and running as fast as she could.  "You need to find my grandchild and her friend.  You need to help them!  They are in grave danger!"

"Though you are not my Chief, I will grant your wish," the Gerudo replied, unsure of how she'll find them.  "Let's find the others, first!"

-

~Outskirts~

The tiny creature rummaging inside Karn's tent was none other than a glowing female Fairy!  Her platinum aura was bright at first, but looking a little closer, she looked panicked and rushed.  Her short blonde hair and wintery leaf-like dress fit flowed around as she dug through Karn's belongings.  Her pointed ears and round face was sweaty, and her green eyes were darting from side to side.

"Come on!" she huffed, throwing aside Karn's clothes and looking in his sleeping bag.  "What kind of campsite doesn't have bottles of potions lying around?!  These Hylians are so unprepared!"  She turned around to see who had opened the tent, and then screamed.  "AAAAHHH!!  S-Stay away!  I-I'm just here for the potions!  Gimme what you have and I'll-I'll let you off with a warning!"

She was hovering away from him now, her long yellow wings flapping fast behind her.  For being only 6 inches tall, she was trying to act tough to ward him away.

"NO!" Malika screamed out, letting the arrow fly from her bow in desperation. She leapt from her vantage point, during arrow after arrow as she began to swiftly advance into the fray. After all, she swore that they would all return home together.

"I refuse to let anyone fall here!"

She slid to a stop, reaching for another arrow in her left quiver, only to find it was empty! Upon touching the arrows in the quiver in her right hip, Malika felt a searing sting; Zora aren't meant to hold shock arrows. The princess refused to let that stop her. Fighting through the pain of the burn forming in the palm of her hand, she loaded up the shock arrow and aimed for the eye. With all her determiniation, praying this would be the crippling shot, she fired.

This time, she would hopefully hit her mark.