《THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: Twin Heroes》


 I am going crazy!!!

    <div>


    The night looked especially dark, as the moonlight couldn''t penetrate through the thick dark clouds covering it. The night was quiet, almost unbearably silent. The bustling city looked almost lifeless: not a single light could be seen in any house, as people were fast asleep, unknown of the storm that was currently brewing in a house north of the city.


    Ghul was fast asleep on the sofa. His faint rhythmic breathe indicating so. There was a Nintendo switch on his chest, not known when he fell asleep while playing the game LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD.


    On the screen, Link was standing still in the wild, wearing the barbarian armor. Suddenly, the visual on the screen distorted: a shadow of a much older link could be seen climbing a mountain whose peak reached the heavens. He seemed to be fading in and out of existence while a glowing mark in his left hand that looked like a triangle made up of three golden triangles could be seen at first glance.


    After an unknown amount of time, and countless efforts, the shadow reached the top of the mountain. He flinched as he gazed at his surroundings which were nothing but void. Even though it looked like just a normal cutscene, there was something odd. The shadow felt alive like it was real.


    Nothing existed on the void, even the mountain peak was gone as the shadow seemed to be standing on a platform the same as the mark in his hand. His facials couldn''t be made out as the shadow blurred, but the shadow looked like it had a look of understanding. He gazed at the void, seemingly penetrating the thin screen of reality.


    He smiled, as he spoke every word with utmost clarity.


    I EXIST...


    *BOOM*


    The switch exploded, breaking the silence of the night. A dark blackhole manifested itself, it ends seemingly leading to the void, but the unnatural thing was, that the black hole didn''t suck anything like crazy.


    The night regained it''s calm, a wisp of gold light escaped from between Ghul''s eyebrow as it got sucked on by the blackhole silently. Ghul''s breath stopped and his body crumbled to dust.


    The moonlight shone down, ripping apart the dark clouds as well as the suffocating atmosphere. It seemed like every house lit the lights at the same time, brightening the whole world, noises followed as the bustling city became lively, unknown of the silent storm.


    -


    Ghul was annoyed as a mechanical buzzing sound rang in his ear, which he found oddly familiar. His shoulder and back hurt and he felt like he was lying on a cold hard ground. He shifted to make himself more comfortable, but the discomfort remained.


    He was hearing the sound of water current and a cool breeze in his cheek. It all felt too real to be a dream. He opened his eyes, the bright light of the sun made him squint his eyes, but what he saw made him wide awake.


    What the hell is going on!?


    A mechanical monster was staring at him or it ''looked'' like it was staring at him. A red laser pointed at his face.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Ghul gulped and smiled wryly.


    "This is a dream, right?"


    The sound coming from the mechanical beast became louder, as Ghul felt like it was about to attack. He froze, not knowing what to do. He closed his eyes, and leaned back, he knew it wasn''t going to change anything, but it was just the reflexive action of his body. He waited and... waited.


    The attack didn''t come though.


    Why didn''t that... thing attack me?


    He opened his left eye to peak at the monster, but the mechanical beast was tilting from side to side like it was confused.


    Now, that he looked at it clearly, the mechanical beast looked like the GUARDIAN from the game he was playing yesterday night ''LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD''.


    He was outside with a bright sun hanging above his head and a river streaming down. Two gigantic peaks were on the left and right, and he was currently in a narrow valley between them. He could clearly remember, he was in his room when he fell asleep. His head started to hurt. He couldn''t comprehend the situation that he was in.


    "This is a dream, right?" He questioned for the second time.


    Pinching his thigh, the burning pain made him shout in agony.


    "Ahhhhhh"


    A gust of chilly wind passed, as Ghul realized he was naked from top to bottom.


    "PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS A DREAM!!!"


    Ghul hurriedly looked left and right, carefully surveying for any people, while covering his willy from the chilly wind. All the questions were thrown in the back of his mind. The most important thing right now was to wear something or people would start calling him a pervert.


    Thank god, there are no people nearby. What''s that guardian doing? Damn, it''s aiming its laser at my little brother.


    Ghul was relieved that there were no people nearby to see him in his birthday suit, but the action of the guardian made him burst out in cold sweat. He hastily dived in the river. The cool water river made him a bit relieved.


    Nobody saw me, right!? Where did the guardian go?


    The guardian was already far away from the river. It looked like it was patrolling the area.


    Finally, with a bit of time in his hand, Ghul thought about his current predicament.


    I swear this can''t get more shocking.


    Ghul looked at his hands, which were much more delicate and fair than the hands he remembered he had.


    No, no, no... God no. Damn it... WHOSE BODY IS THIS!?


    It looked like a teenager''s hand. The water reflected the face of a young boy with golden hair. He speechlessly stared at his reflection in the water, it was Link, the protagonist of the game ''LEGEND OF ZELDA''.


    Without even having time for questions, Ghul felt a rock hitting his back, as he felt the air escape his lungs. It hurt like hell. Even before, he could recover from the first attack, another one shot at him, then another.


    Ghul started to drown from that barrage of attack. The water entered his lungs, and he couldn''t breathe. His limbs felt heavy, and he was losing the power to move them.


    Am I just gonna die like this? No, I still don''t know how I am here, and what''s attacking me. There are so many unanswered questions. I-i...I don''t want to die. I want to live, I''ll live. Damn it...


    Ghul started to wildly flail his limbs under the water, as his bloodshot eyes were full of desire to live. Alas, all of it was for naught, as his head became light, and he lost control of his body.


    Ghul had a dream. It was a strange one, it didn''t felt like a dream.


    Ghul was in a bleak-looking forest. He was being chased, a tall metal armor carrying an iron mace the size of Link was constantly behind him. He was exhausted. He couldn''t even hide, a ghost-like creature with a lamp would always expose his location. But he couldn''t give up, he was on a quest. He had to find all the 13 Farore''s tears scattered around the woods.


    The woods were vast, being constantly chased, he was exhausted, mentally and physically. But he had to go on, for Zelda. Collecting a Farore''s tear stopped the monsters for 90 minutes, giving him some time to breathe. He was on the run again. Trying to find the 13 tears scattered around the vast forest was an almost impossible task.


    After countless efforts, he finally found all the 13 tears of Farore and made his way back. He had done it. He had completed the trial, after full three days. The goddess rewarded him for his bravery, giving him a water dragon''s scale.


    Ghul snapped his eyes open. He did a spin maneuver, gracefully leaping out of the water, and landed on the ground in a superhero pose. He didn''t even look back. Running like a madman, the river was already far behind him.

 It hurts!!

    <div>


    <h1>What is life!?</h1>


    "LIFE''S A BITCH,"


    Ghul shouted, his words carrying untold frustration. He was currently inside a thick bush, naked that is...


    Shhhh


    Ghul winced in pain, as the bush would occasionally scratch his bruised back. Shouting and venting made it all the worse. He couldn''t stay still and calm. He had to vent, or he felt like he would go crazy.


    "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL HAPPENED TO THE WORLD. IS THIS WORLD CRAZY, OR AM I CRAZY?"


    First, I wake up in a narrow valley between two mountains with a Guardian pointing its laser at my face. NAKED!!!!!!!!!!!! period...


    He sucked in a breath of cold air, as he continued.


    Then, I almost got drowned to death by an Octorok and had a strange dream. Now, I''m inside a bush, buck naked, and contemplating life...


    Ghul roared in anger, as the bush swayed left and right. If people saw the bush, they would certainly have some inappropriate thoughts.


    Ghul patted his chest to calm down his madness. After venting all his frustration, he felt much relieved and lost. Even, if he knew where he was...


    Dueling peaks...


    Staring at the two mountain peaks with a narrow valley between them, there was a complicated look on his face. It wasn''t his world. It wasn''t the earth he knew.


    Even though, he had no loved ones to return to at home. It was still his home, no matter how boring it was. Home is where your heart is. Even, if he loved this game very much, it wasn''t where his heart was. His eyes grew moist. His parents had died in a car accident, while they were coming to visit him while he was in the hostel. That was the worst day of his life, as he still vividly remembers that day.


    A tear dripped down on the dry soil, darkening it. His parents'' death devasted him, so much that he dropped out of high school. The home his parents left for him was the only solace he had. Every inch of it reminded him of them. He didn''t feel alone when he was in the house. He didn''t feel like an... orphan.


    Tears burst out his eyes like a broken dam, he didn''t even have that much anymore. He was now completely alone in this familiar yet so unfamiliar world. He knew life wasn''t fair, but life was also such a bitch. Thrown off in this dangerous world, Ghul wasn''t so stupid to think of himself as a protagonist. Even if his job was a web novel translator. No, former job... This wasn''t the world he knew anymore.


    Man up, Ghul. You have to accept the reality and move on. You have to survive in this new world.


    Ghul tried to cheer himself up, chuckling while imagining his near-death escape experience. Tears stained his cheeks, as he constantly wiped them with his arm. He laughed while still sobbing.


    After some time, and with bloodshot eyes, Ghul calmed down, as he started to think about his number one priority: finding something to wear.


    Ghul stretched out his head from the bush, keeping his eye out for people... with clothes! He broke off a leafy branch of a tree.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    It''s actually quite easy. This body seems to be trained. Those lean muscles look full of power.


    Ghul covered his ass and crotch with two leafy branches and started surveying his surroundings for anything useful at this moment. He saw smoke in the sky while his eyes glowed with delight. Smoke means fire, and fire probably means humans, or maybe Hylian! Ahem...


    Ghul carefully walked towards the direction of the smoke. He didn''t want to recklessly charge in. He didn''t know if the other creature who lit the fire (if there was any) was hostile or not.


    The stamina of this body is quite good.


    Ghul commented, while slowly making his way out of the thick forest. He didn''t know how he ended up in a forest. All he remembered was running like a madman, and jumped inside a bush, hiding there. The lush-green forest was quite pleasing to the eye, but Ghul knew it was dangerous nonetheless.


    He hid behind a tree. It was a very big tree, and there was a plain grassland ahead of it. He was out of the forest. He peaked his head out to see a camp of monsters besides the river bank. They were grotesque and looked like a goblin, with a big snout and large ears.


    Alarm bells rang in his ear, while a thought came to his mind.


    BOKOBLINS...


    One of the most common monsters in the game LEGEND OF ZELDA. Ghul would be lying if he said that he wasn''t scared seeing this hideous monster. Its strength was average, but a monster nonetheless.


    Ghul gulped almost audibly, he wanted to run away, but a torn pant at the side of the camp made him not to do so. The Bokoblins probably stole it from some Hylians. He wanted that pant so badly, but he was scared as well. The wooden club wasn''t just for show.


    They shouldn''t notice if I quietly steal that away. Should I? Let''s try. I could always run if things go south. This body has pretty good stamina and the Bokoblins can''t actually run fast enough to catch me. At least, in the game, the Bokoblins could never catch up to Link.


    Ghul decided to take the risk. he was a grown man, and he knew you have to take some risks in life. The leaves everywhere were too small to even cover his willy. There was nothing in the environment he could use as well. Waiting for someone to pass by was just a pipe dream. Even, if someone passed by, who will actually carry an extra set of clothes. If he stole their clothes and left them naked, he would seriously have to start questioning his morals.


    So, without any choice, Ghul decided sneaked in the camp. There were a total of five Bokoblins in the camp. One on a wooden watchtower, two were patrolling, one was sleeping, and one was by the fire. He had to be the most cautious of the Bokoblin on the watchtower The two patrolling Bokoblins were more like taking a stroll than patrolling. There were tons of loopholes.


    Dumb monsters!!


    Ghul cursed, trying to hide his fear. The sleeping one and the one by the fire were out of sight from the pant. He slowly made his way towards the camp, while keeping his eyes on all five of the Bokoblins, the one on the watchtower the most. Every step he took made his heart race. Even the gentle breeze made his heart skip a beat. His back was drenched in cold sweat.


    Five steps... just five more steps.


    First step, the sleeping Bokoblin waved his hand, swatting the housefly away. Ghul almost collapsed, his heart was on his throat.


    Ghul sucked in a breath of cold air, taking the second step, the Bokoblin by the fire suddenly jumped in the air...


    Shit! Did it saw me?


    His heart raced as a drop of sweat slithered down his left eyebrow, and the Bokoblin started picking his nose. Ghul sighed in relief seeing that.


    False alarm... Now, three more steps... Three more steps.


    One... Two... Three, I got it.


    Suddenly, the Bokoblins on a watchtower turned its head towards Ghul''s direction. He had smelled something. Aaha. a Hylian. It took out its horn and started blowing it, as all the Bokoblin became alert.


    Shit...


    Ghul knew he was f*cked when he met the Watchtower Bokoblin''s gaze. There was only one thought in his mind.


    RUN...


    And so he did, he ran like a madman while clutching the pant, not even turning his head once.


    This isn''t a game Ghul. You have to stay alert. Those are real monsters, and they don''t leave after they kill their prey, like in the game. They eat them. Damn it, did I just jinxed it?


    Ghul turned his head back to see that the Bokoblins were already faraway and stopped chasing him. Escaping death second time, and successfully stealing the pant, he couldn''t help but feel a little giddy.


    Bam


    And before he knew it, he hit a tree with his head still looking behind. It hurt like bit*h.

 My head hurts!!

    <div>


    The sun was setting in the west, painting the sky in a tinge of orange. It was going to be night soon. The plain grassland seemed very peaceful, as grasses swayed in the gentle wind. The wild looked breathtakingly beautiful.


    Ghul had to admit that this world was truly beautiful, even more so when all of it was real. The beauty of nature. Wildlife thrived, as deers could be seen drinking water from the river. He was sitting upon a tree branch. Looking at the distant narrow valley between the two mountains, as a river made its way straight between them, Ghul felt a bit of an odd feeling.


    That was where he first woke up in this world. A world which shouldn''t exist, a world of fiction, yet here he was in that same world, chewing on an apple. He missed his old world, homesick and grief-stricken. He feared this dangerous world, full of wild beasts and monsters. He was confused, lost, sad, and fearful. But, he had a faint anticipation for the future nonetheless.


    Let''s see what the future holds.


    Ghul thought while staring at the Dueling peak, his starting point.


    Night came, as the moonlight reflected in the clear river water. The night was silent, except for occasional howls of beasts. Ghul was watching three Stalkoblin wandering around in the dark of night.


    Stalkoblins are the skeletal remains of Bokoblins that emerge from the earth at night.


    While they''re fragile enough to crumble from a single blow, as long as a skull remains intact, they''ll continue to pull themselves back together and go on fighting. Sometimes the body will pick up the wrong skull, but this doesn''t seem to be a problem...


    Thank god, I was wise enough to climb up a tree before the sun was down. Even though they are much weaker than the Bokoblins, it still would be dumb of me to stay on ground without any weapons.


    Ghul sighed, this was truly the world of LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD. Ghul felt numb seeing these monsters. It was real, not some animated 2D picture. Ghul quietly sat on the tree branch, not daring to even make a sound. He slowed his breathing, making it as quiet as possible.


    The world was the same, but Ghul felt some minor(maybe) differences between the game and the world before his eyes. This world was much vast. In the game, you could see a bridge called Proxim bridge west of dueling peaks, but he could only see the river almost reaching towards the horizon with no signs of a bridge. The small forest south of Dueling Peaks wasn''t small at all. It is actually reasonable as this world was real now.


    The Guardians were hostile automata in the game, but the one from before didn''t do anything to him, so it means they aren''t under the control of Calamity Ganon. The Guardian was even patrolling the vicinity. It seems this is before the Great Calamity, as the events before the Great Calamity were just mentioned in some cutscenes and diary entries in the game, Ghul couldn''t figure out the date.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ghul was an avid fan of the Zelda series. He wouldn''t call himself a hardcore fan, but he could hold his own on Zelda lore and history. Knowledge is power. It was quite an edge compared to the natives of this world if he would say so himself. But, he didn''t let himself get carried away, any scenarios could have ''what ifs''.


    What if the events don''t transpire as he remembered?


    What if just the geography and monsters were the same as he remembered?


    What if he just died?


    You can never be too cautious, especially if it''s your life that''s on the line.


    Midway through his inner debate, Ghul felt asleep.


    He had a dream.


    A much older Link could be seen climbing a mountain higher than the heavens. There was a golden triangle glowing in his hand, while the man could be seen fading in and out of existence.


    After countless efforts, he reached the top. His surroundings were nothing but void. The mountain had already disappeared, and he was standing on a platform the same as the mark in his hand.


    He smiled as he said;


    I exist...


    Ghul snapped his eyes open. He had a strange dream again. He squinted as his eyes tried to adjust in the light. The sun was rising in the east. It''s morning glow bringing endless vitality. Birds chirping, the sun rising, a bit of morning dew, the smell of the wild. Everything felt alive.


    The dream I had when I was drowning, and now this. The older Link in my dream even had the mark of a glowing Tri-force. There is definitely something going on.


    Ghul frowned as he thought hard. His butt was sore from sleeping in a tree branch, but he couldn''t care more about it.


    Wait.. wait, I think I''ve seen the first dream elsewhere. I''ve been in this world for just a day. My old world?


    Ghul found himself more confused as he got near the answer.


    It''s Skyward sword. That dream is the silent realm trial you have to do in the game LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD.


    Skyward sword was another game from the Zelda series. The very first game in chronological order. It was a game he had only played once about five years ago. His memory was a bit clogged up.


    Okay, calm down Li-no! What the!


    Ghul suddenly remembered he had the face of Link.


    No, no, no!!! I''m Ghul. I''m Ghul, not Link. Then, what about the original link? What about me? Am I the Link of BREATHE OF THE WILD or SKYWARD SWORD?


    If he was the Link of SKYWARD SWORD, there would be two Links with almost identical faces!!


    Ghul felt his head hurting, one answer led to more questions.


    What about the Water Dragon''s scale? It was a reward given by the goddess after completing the trial. It can be used to dive underwater and do a spin maneuver. So, that''s why I could escape from drowning and perform that flashy move. This shit just got a whole lot more complicated.


    The events of Skyward sword took place more than 10000 years prior to now, the events happening in Breathe of the wild. That dream was a real event that happened almost 10000 years ago. Link of that era completed the trial, and the goddess rewarded him with a Water Dragon''s scale. Giving him the power to dive underwater, and perform a spin maneuver.


    Ghul felt all around his body, looking if he had the Water Dragon''s scale. Nope, his upper body was naked, and he was wearing a pant that was torn up to knee length, making it a short pant. But, how could he use the power of the Water Dragon''s scale without having it?


    Was he really Link from the SKYWARD SWORD?

 Princess!!

    <div>


    <div>


    A gentle breeze blew the fallen leaves on the ground, fluttering the leaves danced in the wind. The tree swayed in the gentle breeze. The road was peaceful, and the melody of the wild was pleasing to the ear. Birds chirped, the winds howled, as a majestic white horse traversed the road. It was followed by two strong looking horse with armored knights riding them. They were escorting the rider of the white horse.


    The white horse steadily walked, its hooves clattered as it hit the ground, rhythmic and graceful. The person riding the horse was a young girl of about 15 or 16. She had long blonde hair, with a slightly round face. Her eyes were like clear lake water, pure and mesmerizing. Anyone who saw her would want to cherish her.


    She had a royal aura, as every movement she made had an elegant feel. The blue Royal tunic she wore, as well as her royal manners, made her status clear.


    "Princess Zelda, we have arrived at the Great Plateau." The knight riding the horse reported in a monotone voice.


    Zelda''s eyes lit up as she stared at the majestic wall surrounding the Great Plateau. It was truly an architectural monster. Even the tallest tree in the vicinity was tiny compared to it. There was a giant gate at the bottom of the wall. Two Sheikahs were guarding the gate, as Zelda made her way towards them.


    "Princess Zelda," The two said, as they bowed their head in unison.


    "May I enter the Great Plateau?" Zelda said, her voice soft.


    "Yes, princess," They replied as they started to open the gigantic gate.


    The gates started to slowly open, as the gears shifted, making clanking noises. It was a sight to behold.


    Ancient technology...


    Zelda looked at the open door, a series of stairs came into view, with a white light at the top. She was excited, as anticipation flashed in her eyes. She couldn''t help but be fascinated by these ancient technologies.


    "As the calamity draws near, we have to be united more than ever. I sincerely thank you for your help, brave warriors of Sheikha." Zelda said, her gaze looking at the distant mountains.


    "It''s our honor, Princess." The Sheikah warrior replied as they could hear the sincerity in her voice. They felt gratified that their princess was thanking them.


    The hooves clattered as Zelda''s horse strutted through the stairs, while the knights followed behind.


    After some time, they reached the top, what laid before them was a vast grassland. There were trees everywhere and mountains could be seen in the distance. They were in an elevated place.


    It looked like the whole Great plateau was situated on an elevated land.


    Looking ahead, there was an ancient temple. Standing against the test of time, it had witnessed the birth and demise of countless Hyrulean Kings. Temple of Time, the place where most of the kingdom''s sacred ceremony is held.


    "Temple of Time, Legend has it that this was the birthplace of Hyrule Kingdom," Zelda whispered.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    There were many tents lined up in the north of the Temple of Time. The tents had the mark of an eye with a tear dropping. It was the mark of the Sheikah.


    There was a cave on the right side of the tents. Zelda couldn''t help but be excited about seeing the cave. That cave was suspected to be an ancient research lab. The past was much more glorious, it was a time of highly advanced civilization. The Sheikah tribe was at the forefront of technology. Alas, all of the ancient technologies were already lost to time. The reigning Hyrulean King of that era feared the technological prowess of the ancient Sheikah, he forbade them from researching new technology and burned all of their data.


    If that cave was really an ancient research lab, then it would be a tremendous help in defeating the upcoming calamity.


    Calamity...


    Zelda became silent, the calamity was approaching inevitably and she still hadn''t awakened her sealing power. The four Divine Beasts were excavated, but they had no means to activate them. The Four Champions weren''t selected. Only, the master of the sword that seals the darkness was present. The future of Hyrule looked bleak.


    She felt so useless.


    Zelda had already reached the area with tents. Seeing her, everyone stopped their work and bowed their heads.


    "You may continue, your work. " Zelda said gracefully.


    After that, Zelda walked towards the biggest tent while the knights stayed outside.


    "Oh... You''re here, Princess Zelda." A melodious voice spoke as a beautiful Sheikah lady came to view.


    "Yes, I am, Purah. What is the current situation of the suspected ancient research lab." Zelda replied, her voice getting a little higher due to excitement.


    "Hey, Robbie. Fill princess Zelda up on the details." Puran looked behind towards a rather short sheikha male.


    Robbie grumbled something and came towards Zelda.


    "It isn''t confirmed if that cave is a research lab, but it is very different from all the ancient techs we''ve come across," Robbie said as he wildly flailed his arms, trying to be more vivid. He was quite an eccentric fellow.


    "Currently, the entrance is blocked. We are trying to open it, but I don''t think we can open that door anytime soon." Robbie said.


    "We can always blast that door off if we can''t open it." Purah chimed in with a giggle.


    "Using such methods could damage the interiors and cause harm to the research materials. It isn''t a plausible solution, Purah." Zelda replied.


    "Ignore her, Princess. You know she''s cra-" Before Robbie could finish his sentence, he felt the cold gaze of Purah. Thankfully, he stopped in time.


    "I was hoping if I could see the entrance myself," Zelda said, blinking her eyes. Her eyes were full of curiosity.


    "Oh... sure, Princess," Robbie replied, his body shaking from enthusiasm.


    "Let''s go, Princess. I''ll take you there." Purah had already clasped Zelda''s hand and took her away, leaving Robbie behind.


    "Hey, don''t leave me." Robbie hurriedly followed.


    The three went inside the cave, it couldn''t really be called a cave, as there was only about five-foot long space. They were already in front of a door with mysterious characters engraved in it.


    Zelda touched the mysterious characters. She was fascinated. The technology of ancient people was almost magical.


    "They are so mysteri-" Before she could finish her sentence, the characters lit up with a blue glow, and the cave started rumbling. The door started to retract upwards, as the dust started to fall. Soon, the door was fully open, it''s interiors'' revealing a mysterious room with strange patterns on the wall.


    "What was that?" Zelda asked, shocked.


    "The door opened, I guess," Purah replied mischievously.


    "Oh, I know, I know." Robbie started banging his feet with excitement.


    "When Princess touched the door, the door lit up and opened. It had probably sensed Princess Zelda." Robbie said, giving a ta-da position towards Zelda.


    "Incredible," Zelda was astonished.


    "Let''s explore," Purah said while heading inside.


    "These patterns on the wall seem very similar to the ones in Guardians."


    "What is that?" Zelda asked while looking at a strange chamber. It had an alien design, with some kind of patterns all over it. They had never seen such patterns. Describing it seemed impossible.


    "Seems like some kind of chamber," Purah said.


    "Hey guys, look what I found." Robbie''s excited voice came, as they looked towards him. He was standing in front of a strange pedestal with something on it. They came towards him.


    "Princess, you should touch it," Purah said while giggling.


    Zelda touched that strange-looking pedestal. Suddenly, it lit up and the top of the pedestal rotated, as something came out. It was a square like thing with an eye in the middle.


    "This seems like the key to activate the Divine Beasts," Zelda commented while touching it like a piece of treasure.

 War !

    Thump...


    Heart pounding, Ghul took a peek at the Bokoblin camp. He was hiding behind a tree, carrying a stick for a weapon. The afternoon sun was directly above his head, making it a bit hot. The Bokoblins were lazing around. Ghul was excited and nervous, his body crazily secreting adrenaline.


    Ghul knew that he had to learn how to fight if he wanted to survive in this world. Calamity will befall soon. And, having this perfect warrior body, it would be a sin not to know how to fight. Top-notch stamina and strength, this was a body born to fight, but Ghul wasn''t. He was just a couch potato two days ago. His skills were non-existent.


    Okay, Ghul... Get your shit together.


    Ghul tried to calm himself, but his tight grip on the stick, and sweat on his temples, made his nervousness very clear. Steeling his resolve, Ghul charged towards the Bokoblin camp. His strategy was simple, get the Traveler''s Claymore stuck on the ground. It was a basic two-handed sword with immense weight.


    As soon as he got out from behind the tree, the Bokoblin on the watchtower spotted him and blew his horn. All the Bokoblins focused on him. He could feel five pairs of monster eyes on him making his hair stood on end, but he still didn''t stop his charge. He''d be fucked if he lost his momentum.


    Three Bokoblins jumped at him, he pointed his stick straight, it was quite long. The stick acted as a spear, knocking a Bokoblin, while he dodged the other two. But, he didn''t have time as a Blue Bokoblin had sneaked behind his back. It was a variation of Bokoblin, stronger than average red ones.


    The Blue Bokoblin swang his spiked club aiming for his head. It would be very painful if it hit. Ghul froze, not knowing what to do he tightly shut his eye, awaiting his impending doom. But, suddenly his body moved on its own, he ducked narrowly escaping the attack.


    Top-notch reflexes as well.


    Ghul didn''t have time to be happy though, as he couldn''t repeat the same mistake. He ran towards the claymore. Suddenly, he moved his head to the side, dodging an arrow by a hair''s breadth.


    It hasn''t even been two days in this world, and I almost died three times already.


    Ghul was sweating bullets, still running towards the claymore, fueling his drive with the fear of death. The Traveler''s claymore was almost before him.


    I got it.


    Holding the sword with two hands, Ghul swang it at the Blue Bokoblin behind him, knocking it off. The sword was almost as long as Ghul. Ghul almost felt invincible seeing the Blue Bokoblin on the ground.


    Suddenly, his hair stood on end, as Ghul moved his body, but an arrow still pierced his shoulder.


    "Ahhhh... It hurts, damn it!!"


    The pain tolerance of a couch potato was nothing remarkable. Ghul ran towards the river, his shoulder was injured. The Bokoblins couldn''t swim, so they wouldn''t pursue him. The sword''s weight slowed him down, the three Bokoblins were almost going to catch up to him.


    Ghul saw that he was already out of the range of the archer. the Blue Bokoblin was knocked on the ground, it''s weapon nowhere to be seen, His shoulder was hurt, but it was just a fleshly wound, with no broken bones. If he could endure the pain, his arm would move normally. He knew he had to man up right now and take down the three Bokoblin.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Chance...


    Enduring the pain, Ghul crazily swang his sword, almost like a madman. There were no skills involved, he was just crazily swinging it.


    Ghul''s monstrous strength got magnified by the weight of the sword. These low-level monsters got one-hit K.O. The sword wasn''t very sharp, but it wasn''t blunt as well. Bokoblin limbs and intestines were around him, his body had some of their blood as well.


    It isn''t a game.


    Ghul had played quite a decent number of gore games, so the scene didn''t bother him that much, but the smell was absolutely disgusting. He felt nauseous.


    Ghul hurriedly dived in the river, as the Blue Bokoblin stared at him from the riverbank, carrying another weapon.


    Ghul swam to the other side of the river. As soon as he got to land, he laid in the ground, staring at the sun above. He was exhausted, mentally. Looking at the Traveler''s Claymore, he smiled, this was his first step towards surviving in this world.


    The adrenaline rush gradually died down, as his shoulder started to hurt like hell.


    After a bit of rest, Ghul started searching for something to eat. His shoulder had already stopped bleeding. The wild was full of fruits and nuts, so finding something to eat was quite easy.


    Ghul had to find shelter now. The sun will go down in an hour or so. Even if he had a sword, fighting Stalkoblin at night wasn''t a wise choice. He didn''t want to sleep in a tree branch as well. His butt was still sore from sleeping in a tree branch.


    It would be awesome if I could sleep in the Bokoblin camp. I''ll have to take out the two remaining Bokoblins first. The Blue ones a bit of a problem.


    Even though it wasn''t a good place, at least it was safe. Ghul made up his mind and started sneaking towards the camp. It wasn''t as dangerous as the first time he went in. He had a sword, and there were only two Bokoblins remaining. He could just run towards the river if things go south. Overall, it was a minor risk.


    The Bokoblin on the watchtower was vigilantly scouting, while the Blue Bokoblin was picking his nose. The strategy this time was really simple as well. All he had to do was knock the Blue Bokoblin in the river and keep running so the archer couldn''t take a good aim on him. He was more confident than the first time.


    Ghul charged towards the Blue Bokoblin and swang his sword, knocking it towards the river. The Blue Bokoblin had been sneak attacked so it''s guard was down.


    Just one more push...


    The Blue Bokoblin was near the river, trying to stand up. one more strike and it would be in the river. Before he could follow up with another attack, an arrow landed in front of him, halting his movement. The Blue Bokoblin had already stood up, charging towards him.


    Ghul dodged the Bokoblins charge, as he used his sword to defend an arrow. He followed up with slashing his sword towards the Blue Bokoblin, knocking it towards the lake again. Running towards it, Ghul felt pain in his back. an arrow had slashed his back. Thankfully, it was just a flesh wound.


    Without losing his momentum, Ghul slashed at the Blue Bokoblin again. Even before the Bokoblin hit the water, it was already dead. Ghul didn''t know if he should laugh or cry. The battlefield was constantly changing. If he knew one thing from today''s battle then it was to always have the initiative.


    Ghul started running towards the watchtower. The last Bokoblin, it was average with only a bow equipped, but Ghul didn''t underestimate it. As soon as he climbed the watchtower, he chopped the Bokoblin in half. It was a disgusting scene.


    I did it!!!


    Looking at the mess surrounding him, Ghul felt a sense of accomplishment. It felt amazing.


    Now, for the spoils of war.


    Ghul excitedly searched every body of the Bokoblin. The teeth and horn of a Bokoblin was quite a good material. Even though he didn''t have any uses for them right now, it could always come in handy sometime.


    There were some normal Bokoblin weapons like Bokoclub and spiked Bokoclub. He didn''t have any uses for them, so he just used it as firewood.


    The real treasure was the Soldier''s bow from the archer Bokoblin. It was a bow used by Hylian soldiers. He could do ranged attacks now.


    After cleaning the battlefield, Ghul sat by the burning fire which was already lit by the Bokoblins. He started contemplating about today''s battle. His shoulder was pierced and his back had a cut. There were twists and turns, but he was victorious at last.


    I can do even better next time.


    Night came, as Ghul slept by the fire. The fire was warm in the chilly night. He was having quite a good sleep if it wasn''t for the hard ground.

 War II

    <div>


    Ghul stood up while stretching and turning his body. The sun was rising in the east. Sleeping on a hard ground wasn''t quite comfortable, but it was way better than sleeping in a tree branch. The fire beside him had already died. The morning was a bit chilly, as he was wearing just a short pant, but the rising sun was gradually making it warmer.


    Ghul went to the river to freshen himself up, the sound of the flowing river was quite pleasant. Splashing his face with water, Ghul felt that his new life wasn''t so bad. Suddenly, his stomach grumbled.


    I haven''t eaten anything since yesterday...


    Ghul rubbed his stomach. He didn''t want to eat fruit and nuts anymore. He was sick of it after eating it for 2 days.


    I have a bow, so let''s hunt for some meat today.


    He equipped his bow and counted his arrow.


    I have 8 arrows. it isn''t much, but as long as they don''t break, I can reuse them.


    He headed inside the forest by the river. The Traveler''s Claymore was still in the camp, as he left it there, so it wouldn''t slow him down. He was only carrying a bow and arrow.


    After wandering in the forest for quite some time, he found a deer grazing. Ghul slowly lurked towards it, trying to get a better angle to aim. He was about 5 meters away from the deer. He didn''t dare to get more closer, as it could alert the deer.


    He aimed his bow at the deer''s head, stretching the bow to its limit.


    The arrow escaped the bow at breakneck speed, slicing through the air with a swooshing sound. the arrow missed the head but hit the hind leg. The deer was alerted, as it started to run limply.


    Ghul gave chase, while still aiming his bow. He couldn''t aim properly while running, so he didn''t bother firing. The deer was considerably slow due to its injured leg, while Ghul was like a fish in the water, rapidly catching up to the dear.


    He caught up to the dear, aiming his bow at point-blank range towards the dear, he fired. The deer cried as it gave its last breath. Ghul stared at the deer with pity. It wasn''t a monster like the Bokoblins, it was killed just because someone was hungry.


    Survival of the fittest...


    In a world where even he could die the very next day, Ghul couldn''t afford to show such emotions like pity. It died because he was hungry. Simple as that. He had to adapt to be cold. One day a human could be after his life, then what? Could he show pity?


    Ghul shook his head and carried the dead body of the deer towards the camp. He chopped the dead body with the sword, roasting the thigh meat by the fire. He threw some rock salt in the fire. He didn''t know if it would work, but he didn''t know how to extract the salt from the rock, so he just threw it in the fire. Rocksalt was a common mineral found almost everywhere.


    He went towards the body of the Blue Bokoblin which was far away from the camp. The flesh was already eaten and only the bones remained, probably the work of wolves. He took the skull. After clearing out the excess meat, he washed it in the river and left it to dry in the sun.


    The meat was already done cooking. Ghul started chowing down on the meat. Devouring the whole meat, he let out a satisfied burp. It was truly delicious when he had only eaten fruits and nuts for the last two days.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The meat wasn''t bland, so the rocksalt probably worked.


    After patting his stomach, Ghul stood up and walked towards the dried skull. He took it and wore it on his head like a mask.


    He had to hide his face. He couldn''t go around the place looking like the Master of the sword that seals the darkness, Link. He should be fairly famous even before he became the Princess''s Knight attendant.


    Wearing nothing but a short pant and a skull, Ghul looked as peculiar as he could.


    Is the Link of this era a reincarnation of me?


    Ghul suddenly thought about this out of nowhere. The Link from the Skyward Sword, which he was suspected to be, was the very first Link. He fought the Source of all evil Demon king Demise with the help of Goddess Hylia''s mortal incarnation named Zelda. Yeah, I know.


    After defeating the demon King Demise, he cursed Link and Zelda. With his final breaths, Demise vows that his hatred and the curse of the Demon Tribe will be reborn in a cycle without end as it evolves, cursing those with the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero.


    So the Link of this era was his reincarnation or not?


    Ghul abandoned the topic, as it wasn''t going to get him anywhere. he would be more productive, learning how to fight.


    With his stomach full and his weapons sharp, Ghul started his search for more Bokoblin camps.


    Ghul wandered around, searching for Bokoblin camps. He came across a skull-shaped rock with two watchtowers beside it. It was a camp of advanced Bokoblin camp. It was quite easy if you knew how to raid it.


    Hiding in the dark, Ghul aimed at the rope from which the fire lamp was hanging, it could be seen from the skull''s left eye. Taking a precise aim at the rope, he fired. But, the arrow missed as it hit the lamp instead.


    The Bokoblins were alerted, but they were too dumb to know where the arrow came from. The Bokoblins on the watchtower became vigilant. Ghul loved this feeling of the enemy being clueless. Taking another shot, the fire lamp fell down, as an explosion occurred inside the camp.


    All the Bokoblins died from it except the two in the watchtower and the Blue one inside the cave. Ghul fired another arrow at the watchtower Bokoblin.


    Bull''s eye...


    The arrow hit square on, killing the Bokoblin in one shot. Ghul aimed at another one on the watchtower, he fired. But the arrow only hit its leg. It had survived, and the Bokoblin knew his location now. Ghul aimed again, as the Bokoblin aimed as well. The one who hit first would influence the tempo of the battle.


    Ghul took his arrow back and changed his position. His guts told him, it would be dangerous if he sat there. Even if his arrow hit the Bokoblin and it died, it could also release its arrow in time before his death. Ghul wouldn''t die from that attack, but a major injury in the wild was nothing short of death.


    After changing his location, Ghul aimed again. From the corner of his eyes, Ghul saw that the blue Bokoblin had come out of the cave. This shot decided the level of this battle. If it hit square on and the Bokoblin died, Ghul would have enough time to prepare for the Blue one.


    If he couldn''t take out the archer, he would have to face the Blue Bokoblin with archer support. Ghul''s heart pounded, it was a crucial point in the battle. taking his aim, he shot the arrow.


    The arrow traveled through the air in breakneck speed, making a swooshing noise, it hit the Bokoblin squarely on its head, killing it.


    "BULL''S-EYE..." Ghul shouted with excitement.


    He held his Traveler''s Claymore and charged towards the Blue Bokoblin. He was excited facing this Blue Bokoblin one on one. His adrenaline skyrocketed, as he howled while slashing the Blue Bokoblin.


    The attack hit it square in the head, stunning it while its body flew in the air. Ghul ran towards it and jumped, performing a downwards stab.


    The Traveler''s Claymore penetrated the Blue Bokoblin''s skull and the ground beneath as well. Seeing the bloody scene, and the dead Bokoblin, his adrenaline rush gradually died down.


    "Well, that was easy... Am I just that strong?" Ghul said while chuckling.


    He knew that it was already injured from the explosion inside. But, he still felt proud nonetheless. During the whole battle, he held the initiative.


    Ghul started searching for his spoils of war. He found about twenty arrows, some normal Bokoblin weapons which weren''t useful, and the last one was an Eightfold Blade. It was a real piece of treasure. A short and sharp blade. He could use it when he doesn''t have the energy to swing that bulky Claymore.


    After everything was done, Ghul returned to the camp. It was already evening when he got there. He ate the meat he hunted this morning and slept by the fire.

 War??

    <div>


    Ghul slashed his sword at a Bokoblin while dodging another Bokoblins attack. He was raiding another advanced Bokoblin camp. The two archers were already dead, and he was taking on a horde of Bokoblin.


    Ghul tightly gripped his Traveler''s Claymore, and performed a 180o slash, knocking off all the nearby Bokoblins. He took a deep breath and started his wild flurry of attacks again.


    Ghul had some minor cuts and bruises, but nothing major. There were dead all Bokoblins around him, while he was facing two Blue Bokoblin all by himself.


    Swinging the big claymore was exhausting him but he managed to stab one of the Blue Bokoblins in the chest. Without a second to spare, another Blue Bokoblin tried to stab him with a spear, he dodged the attack, as his body spun in the air. He took out his Eightfold blade, cleanly slicing off the Bokoblins head, and perfectly landed on the ground.


    Panting, his body lay exhausted on the ground. There were dead Bokoblins all around him, and the smell was absolutely horrifying. He was too tired to care about it though.


    Ghul laughed as he tried to stand up. He laughed uproariously, drowning away all his hardships.


    Cleaning the battlefield, Ghul extracted the Bokoblin teeth and horns. The weapons he got were nothing but some rusted metals, nothing particularly useful. The loot wasn''t that good, only the arrows were of some use. He had about 28 arrows, an Eightfold blade, and a Traveler''s Claymore. He had quite a considerable sum of Bokoblin teeth and horns as well.


    Crows cawed in the orange-tinted sky, as the setting sun made it dimmer. The night would fall soon. It was Ghul''s 4th day here. He packed his inventory and went towards the very first camp he raided. It had a river beside it, so he could escape from there if anything unexpected happened.


    Ghul was returning to his camp when he heard some noises. It was coming from his camp. He quietly made his way towards it hiding in the bushes.


    When he reached there, he saw some horses and some people with armors. They couldn''t be Hyrulean soldiers as their armor differed from one another, probably some mercenary. A big cart that looked like full of goods was nearby as well.


    Merchant?


    Ghul took a deep breath and headed towards them. As soon as he came out of the bush, all the men became alert and picked up their weapons.


    "Who''s there?" A bulky Hylian guy asked who seemed to be the leader.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Well, Hylians were nothing more than humans with long ears, kinda like Elves.


    "Who are you?" Ghul questioned back, a bit cautious. It was his first time meeting a real-life Hylian. He didn''t want to be hostile with them, but he still kept his guard up just in case.


    The bulky guy signaled with his hand as everyone lowered their weapon. He hesitated a bit and spoke, "I am Tobias. The leader of this mercenary group. Who are you and why are you here?"


    "I''m Ghul. Well, to be honest, I am lost here." Ghul lied without batting an eye. There was a bit of truth though.


    "Why are you here?" Tobias asked again, his gaze a bit stern this time.


    "What why am I here? Why are you here? This is my place." Ghul was truly speechless this time.


    "Didn''t you see that this camp was already cleared out by someone? " Ghul huffed.


    "Well... It was already cleared of monsters when we reached here," Tobias feigned a cough, a bit embarrassed. "I''m sorry, but it''s already dark and it''s not wise to move in the dark. why don''t we compromise? It would be safer as well."


    Ghul pondered for a second, it wasn''t a bad idea.


    "Sure.." Ghul nodded.


    "Prepare another mattress for brother Ghul as well," Tobias said to the Hylian behind him. He knew how to get along.


    "How did you end up here brother Ghul?" Tobias tried to make small talk with Ghul.


    "I got carried away by the river," Ghul replied. He knew quite a bit about the art of lying.


    "May I ask a question?" Tobias said a bit hesitant.


    "Sure.." Ghul replied. His reply was short, as he didn''t want to blurt out any more than needed. He still didn''t know the date. What if he leaked some future knowledge?


    "Umm... The mask?" Tobias didn''t know how to phrase the question in his mind. After all, that thing was a freaking skull.


    "Oh.. Some personal reasons," Ghul replied vaguely,


    "I... understand," Tobias replied.  He knew he wasn''t going to get his answer.


    "What''s the current situation of Hyrule?" Ghul questioned casually.


    Tobias sighed as he spoke. "It''s getting worse by the day. There are frequent monster attacks. People aren''t even traveling anymore. The prediction of the great calamity has caused more panic."


    Ghul''s eyes gleaned. "What is the Kingdom doing?"


    Tobias stared at him, while Ghul stared him dead in the eye as well. Tobias had to admit, the skull mask gave him extra intimidation factor.


    "Recently, Princess Zelda has found a way to activate the Divine Beasts." Tobias tried to test him.


    Ghul knew it, and he knew that he had to give a substantial reply, not a vague one.


    "I heard the Sheikah were helping as well."


    "Yeah, who knew that all the myths were actually real," Tobias replied, relaxing a little.


    "You believe that the Great calamity will happen?" Ghul questioned.


    "Well, the myths were real, so maybe..." Tobias replied. He was a mercenary who was accustomed to risk. He wasn''t as fearful of the calamity.


    "What about the Master of the sword that seals the darkness?"


    "That kids a monster. Worthy of the title top swordsman of the kingdom." Tobias replied, awestruck.


    "Hey, who''s this guy?" A dark-skinned Hylian said while pointing at Ghul.


    "Ah... Raihan, he''s Ghul. He is the one who killed the monsters here. " Tobias said. It seems their relationship was quite good.


    "Oh.. Thanks for the help. If you need help with anything, just ask. I''m sleepy, so I''ll be going to sleep." Raihan said while yawning.


    "Don''t mind him, he''s quite a good guy if you get to know him," Tobias said with a nonchalant expression.


    "No problem, I''ll be going to sleep as well," Ghul said, happy that he won''t have to sleep on hard ground.

 Revenge!!!

    Ghul woke up early in the morning. He had quite a good sleep today.


    Some of the mercenaries were asleep, while some of them were awake, exercising, or cleaning their weapon.


    "Aren''t ya cold kid?" A gruff voice sounded in Ghul''s ear.


    Raihan was beside Ghul, staring at him from head to toe.


    "Who wears only short pants in the wild?" There was a crafty glint in his eye.


    "What''s your deal?" Ghul said, sounding annoyed.


    "Ohhhh... I''ve got the right deal for you. It isn''t good for a man to run around half-naked now, is it? Seeing you desperately in need, I''ll sell you these leather armor and trousers for just a measly 100 rupees." Raihan finished his advertising so fast that Ghul didn''t even have time to react.


    Ghul was tempted but, "I don''t have money." He shrugged.


    "Well, what about that Eightfold blade?" Raihan''s smile seemed to grow bigger.


    "You''re not getting my blade old man." Ghul''s eyebrow twitched.


    "Too bad... " Raihan pretended to sigh and shook his head.


    "What about these?" Ghul took out quite a sum of monster parts. He had tons of it from hunting regularly.


    "Hmmm... not bad, these could certainly be useful." Raihan contemplated for a bit.


    "Ahh... Okay, I''ll do it as you seem to be in need of it."


    Ghul blinked, he couldn''t believe what he heard. These monster parts weren''t used very much before the Great calamity. Raihan was taking a loss here. Ghul didn''t say anything, and silently accepted it, he really was in need of it. But, he would never forget this help.


    Ghul wore the leather armor and trousers. Equipping his Claymore, eightfold blade, and Soldier''s bow, Ghul looked like a warrior. and, the skull mask gave him a bit dangerous feel.


    "Wow, you don''t look as poor as before," Raihan commented with a grin.


    "Shut up, old man..." Ghul was quite happy right now.


    "Where are you heading towards, old man?" Ghul questioned.


    "I''m a merchant. I head where there''s the smell of profit." Raihan said, trying to act cool.


    "You''re too old for this, be honest, old man." Ghul was wondering if he was like this with only him or all people.


    "You''re never too old to do anything. Haven''t ya heard--"


    Ghul''s glare stopped Raihan mid-sentence. "I''m going to Hateno village. What''s your plan?" Raihan asked a bit curious.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Nothing..."


    "Why don''t you follow us? It would be much safer. What will you do in the wild?" Raihan said sincerely.


    Ghul contemplated for a second, he had to make his way towards civilization one way or another.


    "Sure..."


    Hearing his answer, Raihan gave him a beaming smile. Ghul shuddered seeing Raihan''s smile, he felt like he was being scammed.


    "Freshen up a little. we''re moving in an hour." Raihan said as he went away to do his work.


    After everything was done, Ghul and the team hit the road. It would take almost five days to reach Hateno village. Hateno village was in the east of Dueling peaks, and they were currently in the west. They would have to travel through the narrow valley between the Dueling peaks again.


    Ghul was sitting beside Raihan in the big cart. Two giant horses were pulling the cart, as the mercenaries were around them in their own horses, protecting the goods.


    They reached the valley between the Dueling peaks, as the river where Ghul almost drowned to death came into view. Ghul took his bow and aimed at a grass that was sticking out of the water. It was a water Octorock.


    Octorocks are usually found in rivers and lakes. They can be spotted if you were to look for small plants poking out of the water. Octorocks tend to hide underwater.  They often jump out of the water and fire rocks towards any enemy at an incredible speed. This was the little monster that almost killed Ghul at first.


    Ghul fired his arrow at the bottom of the grass. The water''s buoyancy made the arrow a little less effective, but Ghul fired another arrow right after, killing the Octorock.


    Ghul felt quite happy killing that little monster. His mouth automatically curved a little.


    Raihan felt a chill down his spine seeing that smile.


    "Who are the guys?" Ghul said casually.


    "They are Tobias'' friends. It''s getting dangerous to travel because of constant monster attacks, so I hired them." Raihan shrugged.


    "He''s Esme," Raihan said gesturing at the guy beside him.


    "He''s Hasan, Luke, Raphael, and Bailey." Raihan introduced all of them one by one.


    Ghul nodded at them, showing his goodwill. The mercenaries were quite friendly, nodding, and smiling. Except for one that is. Luke was looking like a never melting ice, he completely ignored him.


    "That guy''s a little shy." Raihan just waved him off.


    "We''ll soon be out of this valley and arrive at the Big Twin Bridge," Raihan said, while still controlling the horses.


    "Where will we stay tonight?" Ghul replied to continue the small talk.


    "We''ll camp at a little north of the Big Twin bridge. I''ve heard there''s an ancient shrine there."


    Ancient shrine...


    The shrines were built to train the hero to face the Calamity. It wasn''t activated right now but in the future. The chaotic future.


    Ghul became silent, he knew more about this world''s past and future than anyone else in this world. He could bring change. But, could he? Ghul was contradicting himself. He felt like he wasn''t worthy. No... He was afraid more than anyone.


    "Hey... Kid... HEYYYY!"


    "Oh.. What were you saying again?" Ghul snapped out of his reverie.


    "You okay?"


    "Yeah, just a little spaced out..." Ghul replied dully.


    "You young people should be energetic. What''s up with that dull look?" Raihan replied, gazing into the distant mountain.


    "Okay stop trying to act cool, old man," Ghul grumbled.


    "What''s your age anyway?"


    "I-I''m 48..." Raihan said depressingly.


    "How many children do you have?"


    "I-I don''t have any children," Raihan said despondently.


    "Ha... It''s okay old man... Looks like you were a little too wild in your young days." Ghul said with a comforting expression.


    "I''M NOT IMPOTENT, YOU BRAT!!" Raihan shouted.


    "It''s just that... that I don''t have a wife." Raihan said meekly as his voice trailed off at the end.


    Ghul was dumbstruck, but he soon regained his calm.


    Looking at Tobias, he asked, "How many children do you have, Tobias?"


    Tobias said with his head held high, "I''m a proud father of two daughters."


    Everyone laughed as they got Ghul''s intention, except Luke.


    They soon reached the Big Twin bridge.

 Mob!!

    <div>


    Ghul stared at the strange structure before him. The structure was thick at the base, and thin at the top, with strange patterns all over it. It was in the middle of a small pond.


    It was the Ha Dahamar Shrine.


    After the Sheikah helped to seal away Calamity Ganon, they built the Ancient Shrines to serve as training grounds for the hero as he prepared for the revival of Calamity Ganon


    It wasn''t active right now. It would only be activated after 100 years, after the fall of the Hyrule Kingdom, after the death of the Four champions, after this land was run amok by monsters, after the hero''s fall, and after the Princess sacrifice.


    It would be too late. The hero defeated the calamity at last. It was their victory, but at what cost?


    Ghul sighed and shook his head. He was just a lost soul in this chaotic world. He wasn''t a hero...


    Ghul looked behind him where Tobias and Raihan were setting camp. It was the place where dueling peaks stable would be. The stables all around Hyrule were made only after the Great Calamity.


    "Hey, Ghul... You should come to have dinner." Bailey shouted at him.


    "Okay, Bailey."


    After having dinner, Ghul and the team went to sleep. It was his 6th day here.


    -


    The sun was slowly rising, the first rays of dawn hit the distant mountain. Raihan woke up groggily. His bladder was full, so he went behind a tree to relieve himself.


    "Ahh... What a relief!" Raihan was peeing when his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. There was a Blue Moblin with a whole squad of Bokoblin coming towards them.


    Without having time to fully empty his bladder, Raihan ran towards the camp and shouted.


    "WAKE UP EVERYONE!! WE''RE UNDER ATTACK!"


    The mercenaries were light sleepers so all of them woke up at once. Even Ghul woke up as he had started to become a light sleeper since coming to this world. Nowadays, he would wake up even to faintest of noise.


    "What happened?" Tobias was the first to regain his composure as he asked.


    "A Moblin and Bokoblin herd are coming this way." Raihan hurriedly explained.


    Tobias'' expression was grim as he ordered, "Everyone, prepare your weapon, and get into formation."


    The mercenaries started to take their position as all of them were now wide awake. They were quite skilled to get into the formation this fast. Almost like trained soldiers.


    Luke and Bailey were at the rear, readying their bow. Tobias was the vanguard, as Hasan and Esme took the flanks. Raphael was the main attacker it seems.


    Ghul also prepared his bow, he wouldn''t dare underestimate the monster this time. He had never even faced a Moblin before, let''s not even talk about a blue one.


    This heavyweight species of monsters can be found all over Hyrule. They''re physically very strong, their legs alone strong enough to resist the force of a bomb blast.


    The Moblin threw its spear at Esme. Esme would have surely died if it had hit him.


    Tobias moved, he stood before Esme defending with his shield. The spear made a clanking noise as it hit the shield. The sheer force behind that spear attack made his hand numb, as he coughed up blood. The pain made him groan, as he felt like his insides were being crushed. The battle hadn''t even started and he was already injured, the battle wasn''t in their favor.


    Luke and Bailey were constantly attacking the Bokoblins with their bows.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "HAAAAAA!!!"


    Raphael moved, trying to sneak attack the unarmed Moblin. But, the Moblin''s action was way out of their expectation. It caught the nearest Bokoblin and threw it at Raphael. The Bokoblin squealed as it got thrown flying towards Raphael.


    Caught unexpected, the force from the blow made Raphael faint. A couple of seconds in the battle and their strongest attacker was already down. Tobias and others tensed up, no one had the time to even check on Raphael.


    "Grghhhhhh!!"


    The Moblin grunted as it took it''s spear again, and charged at Tobias.


    Tobias took his shield up. He would be heavily injured if he didn''t parry this attack properly. But, he had to do it to make an opening. He gulped. His body tensed involuntarily, he feared the consequences. If he didn''t make an opening, death was inevitable, not just for him, but for his comrades as well.


    Ghul was clearing out the Bokoblins, so they don''t distract the battle with the Moblin. He was taking the least risk. Humans were just that, selfish creatures. He knocked back the Bokoblin with his Traveler''s Claymore. He was facing 3-4 Blue Bokoblins himself. It was dangerous, but it was relatively less dangerous than fighting the Moblin.


    Luke narrowed his eyes, he had to concentrate, the stakes were too high. He aimed at the Moblin, his arrow ripped through the air, it made a puncturing noise as it hit the Moblin''s left eye. He didn''t miss a moment as he started to throw a barrage of arrows towards it.


    It was a perfect chance.


    "Grghhhh!!"


    The Moblin groaned in pain, its attack losing its initial power,


    Tobias couldn''t miss this golden opportunity. He readied his shield, taking a deep breath, he deflected the spear charge, perfectly parrying it. Metal met metal, as sparks flew in the air.  An opening. Tobias shield charge, hitting it in the crotch. The Moblin was disoriented, as it shrieked in pain.


    "Arghhhhh!"


    Hasan and Esme didn''t miss it either, as they unleashed a wild flurry of attack. Gathering every ounce of strength, they repeatedly attacked. Raphael who had the highest attack power was already knocked out, they had to do their best.


    The Moblin stood still, there were only some small cuts and bruises on its body. Its defense was too strong.


    Panting, disbelief flickered in Esme and Hasan''s eyes. Their strongest attacks could only give it cuts and bruises. How strong was that body? The battle seemed to be one-sided.


    Suddenly, the Moblin caught Esme and threw it at Tobias. The exhausted Esme was already nearing his limits, and the violent jerk of the Moblin made his blood flow backward. Esme coughed blood, as he fainted.


    Tobias hurriedly dropped his shield and caught him. Raphael and Esme were down, he himself was injured. The battle was hopeless. Tobias regretted.


    Taking his spear again, the Moblin attacked Hasan, aiming for his head.


    "HASSSSAAANN!!" Bailey shouted, unable to watch his friend''s end.


    Pain and helplessness flickered in Tobias'' eyes. They were his friends, his comrades, who had stuck with him through thick and thin. They were brothers. Why couldn''t he be the one who was dying? Why couldn''t he take place for his comrade''s death? He regretted.


    Hasan closed his eyes, awaiting his impending doom. He remembered his wife, her smile. She was just 3 months pregnant. He felt like shit.


    I''m sorry...


    Sparks flew in the air, as Hasan felt his cheek burn when he opened his eyes, he saw a big Traveler''s claymore defending against the spear.


    "I''LL TANK HIM. YOU GUYS ATTACK!!" Ghul shouted, trying not to show his fear.


    Ghul didn''t have a choice. Tobias couldn''t defend anymore. If it went on like this, they were sure to lose. Ghul could only hope that his strength doesn''t lose to the Moblin.


    Ghul stabbed at the Moblin, but the Moblin continued to attack like it wasn''t hurt.


    The Moblin swung his spear at Ghul, Ghul parried. The force from that swing made his hand numb, as the Moblin took a step back from the recoil as well.


    It seems our strength is equally matched.


    Everyone focused their attack on the Moblin seeing him take a step back. The tide of the battle had turned. they were holding a tiny advantage.


    Luke was excellently distracting the Moblin with his bow as well as clearing out the Bokoblins. He was quite skilled in archery.


    Ghul exchanged a couple of attacks with the Moblin. The clanking noise of the metal sent sparks flying in the air, Ghul was exhausted. His hands were numb from the impact, but the Moblin was much worse. Every time it showed an opening, everyone would concentrate their attack on it.


    The Moblin was loosing.


    Ghul performed a vertical swing, knocking away the Moblin, it gave its last grunt before it''s death.


    Ghul collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.


    The battlefield became silent, everyone was lying on the ground exhausted from the battle. It was their victory, and Raihan was the only one celebrating, he was full of energy, as he had hidden behind the cart during the battle.


    "Haha, You''re amazing, kid. You okay?" Raihan said giving his hand to support Ghul.


    "No need. Let me lay here for a bit." Ghul said with a tired voice.


    All the mercenaries were dead tired. Thankfully no one was gravely injured. Most of them only had cuts and bruises, and only Tobias had some internal injury.


    "You okay captain?" Luke asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern.


    "Ah... I''m fine, just some minor injuries. Check the others out." Tobias said.


    "All of them are fine with only some minor injuries. Raphael and Esme are knocked out though." Bailey said.


    After finding out the captain was fine, Luke suddenly headed towards Hasan and forcefully grabbed his collar.


    "IT WAS YOUR SHIFT TO GUARD TONIGHT. WHERE WERE YOU!?" Luke shouted, angrily. It was the only other emotion Ghul had seen on his face.


    Hasan lowered his head. It was his fault, he had fallen asleep during his shift.


    "TELL ME, WHERE WERE YOU!? IF RAIHAN HADN''T WOKEN UP WE ALL WOULD''VE BEEN SURROUNDED AND DIED." Luke seemed to get more agitated.


    Hasan couldn''t reply, as he lowered his head even more.


    "Leave it, Luke..." Tobias said in a heavy voice.


    "But captain-!" Luke didn''t want to leave this matter.


    "He''s the one who was closest to death today. Leave it" Tobias said.


    Luke became quite, as he pondered for a second then turned around and left.


    Ghul stared at them quietly, he wanted to say something, but he couldn''t muster up the courage.

 Water loves me!!

    <div>


    "You''re quite strong," Luke said indifferently.


    "Your archery skills are not bad as well." Ghul complimented back.


    "Thanks for earlier..." Luke said as he turned around.


    "Quite shy huh." Ghul grinned.


    "You were amazing Ghul. I didn''t know you were that strong. This is the first time I''ve heard Luke compliment someone." Bailey said with amazement.


    "I''m honored." Ghul laughed it off.


    "Thanks for today Ghul. We''re brothers. If you need any help, just ask." Bailey said.


    "Why thank me? We''re brothers, aren''t we?." Ghul said cheekily. He had quite a good impression of Bailey. He was a simple man.


    "Haha... Of course." Bailey laughed happily.


    "Let''s go eat."


    "Sure..."


    Ghul had breakfast with all of them.


    "If I hadn''t been knocked out by that Bokoblin, I would have surely kicked that Moblin''s ass." Raphael huffed, clearly bluffing.


    "If you could''ve beaten that Moblin, then you wouldn''t have been knocked out by it." Esme scoffed.


    "If that Moblin comes again, I''ll surely beat it," Raphael said rolling up his sleeves.


    "Raphael started bluffing again..." Bailey said as everyone laughed.


    Only Luke and Hasan didn''t laugh. Hasan seemed a bit uncomfortable, he was probably feeling useless. Luke was as cold as ever. He was quite a complex character.


    Raphael seemed to be angry at everyone laughing at him, as he started to draw circles on the ground. He was a goofy guy, but he was absolutely reliable on the battlefield. His attack was the highest. The only problem was his low defense. So, he easily got knocked out.


    Ghul looked at everyone. They were his brothers since they took him as their own. Ghul felt like laughing, but he was quite happy with it nonetheless. The bond forged in battle. Ghul''s lips were slightly curved.


    Esme was a quiet person, but whenever he spoke, someone would get their ass handed.


    "You seemed to have mingled in quite nicely," Raihan said, as he sat beside Ghul.


    "Yeah... Fighting is a good way to bond, I guess." Ghul replied nonchalantly. He had to admit, fighting with a team was much different from fighting alone. Knowing that when you''re in a pinch there was someone to help you, it was a refreshing feeling. Especially when your life was on the line, with someone to save you. You couldn''t help but have a unique sense of trust.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "I''ve never entered a battlefield, but yeah fighting does seem to be a good way to bond," Raihan said,


    "Pity, I couldn''t feel this feeling. But, its this cowardice of mine that has saved my life countless times." Raihan admitted without shame.


    "If you really were a coward, you wouldn''t have tried to profit from these chaotic times," Ghul replied, staring at the distant mountain. Ghul was fitter to be called a coward. He knew it, and he accepted it. He just wasn''t a hero.


    "Trying to copy me, Kid, Ha... But, yeah, being born into a long line of a merchant family, the smell of profit is irresistible to me." Raihan''s eyes seemed to literally turn into rupees.


    "One time, I got attacked by a Hinox." Raphael was at it again.


    "What happened next?" Bailey replied.


    "You should already be dead if that was true," Esme said.


    "It was sleeping so I quietly ran away," Raphael said, still proud nonetheless.


    "You didn''t shit your pants?" Raihan joked as well.


    "Shut up, old man. At least I saw a Hinox, how many of you have actually seen one?" Raphael huffed.


    "I''ve seen one," Tobias said,


    "Me too." Luke finally spoke.


    "These old bones have even seen a Stalnox," Raihan said proudly.


    Ghul stared at Raihan, Ghul''s gaze made him a bit uncomfortable.


    I thought we''re talking about your cowardice, and now you say you''ve seen a Stalnox.


    "So, I am not the unique one." Raphael seemed crestfallen.


    From the corner of his eyes, Ghul saw that Luke was whispering something to Hasan. Hasan seemed to hesitate, as Luke acted as nothing happened again.


    "I''m sorry everyone." Hasan suddenly said.


    "I won''t ask for your forgiveness, but your lives were in danger because of me. I''m sorry." Hasan''s voice fluctuated at the end, indicating his emotional turmoil.


    Everyone quietened down for a moment, before erupting into laughter. Even Ghul had a smile on his face.


    "What are you saying? We''re brothers." Bailey said while chuckling.


    "If you really want to apologize, buy me a drink next time," Esme spoke.


    "I''m your captain," Tobias said, his sincere eyes made his answer clear.


    "I''ll forgive you if you need it so much," Raphael said before getting hit on his head by Esme.


    Luke was still the expressionless Luke, but his eyes seemed to be brighter.


    "I thought we''re brothers, aren''t we?" Ghul said while laughing.


    Brothers, huh?


    Ghul''s smile seemed to be brighter.


    "Ah... It''s nice being young." Raihan said with a smile.


    "I''m gonna go take a bath," Ghul said as he stood up. He was the one tanking the Moblin, so his body was stained with its blue blood.


    "Make it fast. We''re moving in an hour." Tobias said.


    The river was quite a distance away from the camp. Ghul stowed away his gear and took a dip in the water. His swords and armor were on the shore. He was still wearing the skull though, just in case.


    A blue lizard-like creature was silently moving beneath the water, staring at the bathing Ghul. It''s animalistic eyes held some trace of intelligence.


    It was a Lizalfos.


    These quick-witted, lizard-like monsters can be found all over Hyrule. They are very agile and are amphibious.


    The Lizalfos suddenly dashed towards Ghul catching him off guard. It caught his leg and started bringing him in the depths of the river.


    It was clearly trying to drown him.


    Ghul tried to perform a spin maneuver, but before he could spin, another Lizalfos caught his leg, halting his movement.


    If it went on like this, he would surely drown. Water entered his lungs and the lack of oxygen made him dizzy. His limbs were already turning numb.


    What is up with me and drowning?


    Ghul was speechless, as he desperately tried to attempt a spin maneuver. but the force of the Lizalfos restricted him. He tried to punch the LIzalfos, but the water''s buoyancy made it useless. It was their home ground, he couldn''t battle underwater.


    Am I finally going to die? Tobias, Raihan, Bailey, Esme, Hasan, Raphael, and Luke.


    Brothers, huh?


    Ghul smiled as he closed his eyes. They were the only people he knew in this world. They were the only people who knew Ghul existed in this world. Ghul was a bit relieved as well. He was a coward, he knew the future, he wasn''t a hero.


    Ghul''s body slowly stopped moving.

 Luke…

    <div>


    Ghul had a dream...


    He was about 10 years old in his dream, riding on his beautiful horse, Epona, traveling on the Great Bay Coast. The gentle waves of the sea were making a splashing noise as it hit the shore.


    The seagulls were flying above the sea. Upon a closer look, it seemed like they were flying above a particular area.


    Ghul squinted his eyes to get a clear view.  He saw a humanoid thing floating in the sea. The waves were carrying it to the shore.


    Ghul moved closer, the humanoid thing was a Zora. It was a race of aquatic people. They looked like humans but with fins and blue skin.


    The Zora was mortally wounded. It stood up gingerly, as it walked two steps before falling again.


    "I am Mikau of the Zora people... guitarist in the Zora band... I think this is it for me... Will you please listen to me?" Mikau said in a weak voice.


    Ghul nodded...


    Mikau stood up with passion and started playing his guitar even though he was gravely injured. Jamming his guitar, he sang about his story.


    "One!Two!Three!!!


    Oh, baby, baby, listen to me!


    The carnival''s beginning soon.


    We''re the ones they''re waiting to see.


    But that girl, our vocalist...


    She laid some strange eggs.


    And she''s lost her voice.


    You can''t hear what she says.


    Whoa-oh! in the Great Bay now


    somethin'' is a happenin''.


    Is it now?


    Oh! Baby, listen to me.


    I don''t wanna beg.


    Gerudo Pirates!


    They stole that girl''s eggs.


    I left the cape to stop the Gerudo


    Pirates, then pow and bam!


    I got knocked down, now here I am!


    Baby! If I die like this...


    Even if I die...


    It won''t be in peace...


    That''s for sure!


    Somebody, please rescue her eggs


    before the pirates take their toll.


    Oh, somebody, somebody,


    please heal my soul."


    With a final swing of his guitar, Mikau fell on the ground, as life left his body.


    Ghul looked at the dead body before him. He felt something odd. This was real, but he also had a strange sense of D¨¦j¨¤ vu. This whole moment felt odd. He couldn''t remember anything except this moment. He didn''t know who he was. He didn''t know what he was doing here. He didn''t know anything about his past


    Ghul looked at his tiny hands. He had a nagging feeling in his heart that his hands were much bigger. Everything felt surreal, but everything was real.


    Ghul took out his ocarina and started playing the song of healing. He didn''t know why he was doing that.


    Mikau spirit seemed to be flickering in his body like it was separating from it. His body lay dead on the ground, as his spirit exited his body. With his hand on his chest, he deeply stared at Ghul.


    "Carve my farewell song on my grave... I''m depending on you to help that singer girl..."


    After saying his parting words, Mikau''s spirit disappeared, as a mask fell on the ground. The mask resembled a Zora''s face. Ghul picked it up.


    Ghul buried Mikau''s dead body in Great bay for a proper grave. Mikau''s guitar put on the place where he was buried. It was a giant fishbone. He bowed and left holding the Zora mask,


    Ghul stared at the ocean that stretched up to the horizon. Who was he? Where was he? Is this real? Did he even... exist?


    He had to move forward, he didn''t have any past to lean on. He had to move forward and beyond.


    Looking at the Zora mask, Ghul looked back at Mikau''s grave. He had an objective, he had a path. Ghul slowly put the mask on his face.


    But... As soon as he put it on, the world turned white. A white light was streaking across the horizon, devouring everything in its wake. The light was getting closer and closer to Ghul. He felt like he was disappearing... from existence itself.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ghul woke up.


    He still found himself underwater with the Lizalfos dragging him down. But, he didn''t felt uncomfortable anymore. He could breathe underwater, and the water felt like it was his home. He could move freely underwater when he saw that his arms weren''t of a human anymore. It was blue and there were fins on it.


    Heck... He wasn''t a human anymore. He was a Zora. The race of aquatic people.


    Ghul tried to do a spin maneuver, as the Lizalfos gripping him got knocked off, and Ghul ripped right through the water like a speeding car. Before he knew it, he was out of the water, and in the air 6 meters high, as he landed on the riverbank in a superhero pose. He felt a sense of D¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    But, he wasn''t going to run like before. Ghul hurriedly equipped his Eightfold blade and waited vigilantly for the Lizalfos. The Lizalfos were too nimble that using the Traveler''s Claymore would be a stupid decision.


    Ghul waited for a bit but the Lizalfos didn''t come out.


    They probably got carried away by the river downstream.


    Ghul relaxed a bit and started checking his new look. He... was speechless. H was a freaking Zora. And the dream was too strange. It was so vivid that he could recall everything, and he knew what that dream was. The dream was a scene from the game LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA''S MASK.


    Majora''s mask was another game from the Zelda series. The dream he had was another event that should have happened many years ago in the past. He was getting more and more confused. He had countless questions in his head with no answers.


    Ghul shook his head and threw the questions to the back of his mind, he knew he had to take one step at a time.


    First things first, I need to be a human... eh, Hylian again.


    Ghul imagined that he was taking the Zora mask off his face. Suddenly, his body started changing, his greenish-blue skin was being replaced with his normal skin color, his fins were growing smaller and smaller until they disappeared, and he regained his blonde hair.


    Ghul hurriedly started wearing his clothes again, and equipped his gear,


    The more answers he wanted, the more questions he got.


    The mystery thickened.


    "Ah... Ghul, you''re just on time. It''s time to go." Esme said with a smile as he saw Ghul walking towards them.


    Ghul nodded. He was a bit too silent right now. There was a lot on his mind.


    Esme saw that and chose to remain silent. he respected other''s privacy.


    Tobias had some internal injury, so he sat with Raihan on the cart.


    Ghul was riding on Tobias'' horse. Don''t ask how he knew to ride a horse. He hadn''t even touched a horse in his previous life. But he remembered that in his dream he was riding his horse Epona.


    The clattering of the Horse hooves was the only sound on the road, as everybody was silent. The attack in the morning had involuntarily affected everyone.


    "You''re awfully silent today. What happened, Kid?" Raihan said being the nosy person he was.


    "Nothing..." Ghul shook his head.


    "Your face tells a different story..." Raihan said while picking his nose.


    Ghul hesitated a bit, as he said: "I''m confused... about life" Ghul minced his words from existence to life. If he did say existence, Raihan would probably say he was mental.


    Raihan laughed as he said:


    "Want this old man''s advice?"


    Tobias coughed, he looked like he was coughing from his injuries, but god knows.


    "Sure..."


    "Life''s a journey... Life''s a bitch... Life''s a race... Life''s a question... Life''s a story... Life''s an answer... Life''s a cruel mistress... Life''s an opportunity... Life''s a curse... Life''s a blessing... life''s a-"


    "What''s the point?" Ghul glared at Raihan.


    "Haha... Life is anything you want it to be. You want life to be a journey. Life''s a journey... You want life to be an answer. Life''s an answer. At least, that''s how I see life..." Raihan shrugged.


    Ghul chuckled.


    "Were you a charlatan, old man?" Ghul shook his head.


    "His father owned a circus." Tobias chimed in.


    -


    Night fell, as Ghul and the team started camping. They didn''t cover much ground today because of the morning attack.


    Ghul took the duty of guarding tonight.  It was a big deal for Ghul because it meant that they trusted him with their lives. Everybody was asleep except Luke who was staring at the stars. He had a melancholic expression.


    Ghul stared at the sky as well. The starry night sky reminded him of his parents. He silently stared at the beautiful view.


    "You''ve changed, Ghul..." Luke suddenly said, still looking at the night sky.


    "Huh!" Ghul couldn''t react. He didn''t know what luke was talking about, but he did feel a bit different after having that dream.


    "Your aura has changed since this morning," Luke said as he stared at Ghul''s eyes. His eyes were completely pitch black. Ghul felt like those pair of eyes were staring directly at his soul.


    "Nice eyes..." Ghul complimented.


    Luke''s gaze intensified, as Ghul felt like the night became darker than ever.


    "I don''t know myself..." Ghul said.


    "Lie..." Luke said as he turned his head.


    "I''m sorry Luke. I am full of questions myself." Ghul apologized, Luke had already shown his sincerity by revealing his cards first. But, Ghul himself didn''t know what was happening.


    Luke nodded. Ghul didn''t know why Luke trusted him so easily, but he had a guess.


    "You weren''t actually angry at that time right?" Ghul asked.


    Luke stared at Ghul, and after a while, he shook his head.


    "Even though I am the youngest in this group, these guys are much more-"


    "Stupid?" Ghul smirked.


    Luke stared at Ghul with his deadpan eyes.

 Big Bad Bazz Brigade!!!

    "WOW! You''ve grown so much, Master Link." A Zora child said looking awestruck. He had a dark-red skin and was looking at a handsome blonde teenager.


    Link nodded. He had a divine looking sword in his back with the mark of the Tri-force. It was the Master Sword, the sword that seals the darkness.


    "Hey! Rivan, why didn''t you call us when meeting Master Link." Another Zora child said while running towards them. Another Zora child with pale-violet skin was slowly walking towards them as well. Her eye-catching color which differed from the normal Zora made her stand out quite very much.


    "I-I was going to call you, Bazz..." Rivan said, sounding unsure. He had forgotten it while admiring Link.


    "Ahh... Anyway, I''ve made a lot of progress in my swordsmanship." Bazz said, getting hyped up. He could now show Link, how much he had progressed.


    Link nodded.


    "You sure grew fast..." The pale-violet Zora, Gaddison said, sounding a bit envious.


    The four of them: Bazz, Link, Rivan, and Gaddison were the Big Bad Bazz Brigade. When Link was four-years-old, he used to visit the Zora''s Domain. At that time, he met Bazz, Rivan, and Gaddison. The four of them quickly became friends and Link joined their club.


    Alas, the Zora had much longer lifespans and aged much slower than Hylians. Link quickly grew to become the young adult he was, while the three of them remained children. They were about thirty years old, but by the Zora standard, they were no more than a 10-year-old Hylian child.


    Time had made them adrift...


    Twelve years was nothing for a Zora, but it was a lot for a Hylian. Link was no more the cheerful and reckless child, he was a man with a whole Kingdom''s expectation on his back.


    "Why so silent, Linny?" A melodious yet playful voice sounded in the air.


    Link turned back to see two Zora females. The one who spoke was a red Zora. She was Kodah.


    "I am really happy that you took your time to visit the Domain again, Link." A gentle and soothing voice, Link instantly knew her just by voice.


    She was Princess Mipha.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Link nodded, he was silent all this time even when he met his old friends. He had changed.


    Link and Mipha stared at each other. Mipha still vividly remembered the day they met.


    At the request of Hyrule''s king, a group of outsiders had come to greet them at the domain. One of them was a Hylian child of only four years of age. He was Link. He made quite a first impression. He was curious and full of energy, with a ready smile. One thing that surely set him apart was his swordsmanship, which was exceptional. He had bested even adults.


    He was somewhat reckless, however, as he was covered in bruises. Wishing to be helpful, she healed his wounds for him. It must have been his first time seeing healing magic, as he looked up at her with big round eyes, It was... adorable.


    .


    He no longer resembled the child she first met. He was now an accomplished knight and the keeper of the sword that seals the darkness. She was proud...


    "You''ve become quite a handsome young man Link," Kodah said while giggling.


    "I wanna spar with you, Master Link!!" Bazz suddenly said.


    Link nodded.


    "Let''s watch them, Mipha..." Kodah said.


    "Sure..." Mipha nodded.


    Link and Bazz started to fight.


    "HAAAAHHH!!!"


    Bazz charged at Link, the sword in his hand gave a cold glint as it ripped right through the air towards Link. He was going all-out from the start.


    With a clanking noise of metal, Link easily parried the blow. He didn''t counter, waiting for another blow. It was just a spar...


    Bazz didn''t miss the chance, doing a spin, he followed up with another attack. The sword made a swishing sound in the air, as it headed towards Link''s rib cage.


    Suddenly, Bazz slid behind Link, the sword heading towards Link had already turned, it was a feint, and without losing momentum the sword slashed towards Link''s neck. If the attack connected, Link would lose his head.


    Everyone tensed up, it wasn''t that they didn''t believe in Link, but they still couldn''t help but get worried.


    Sparks flew in the air, as the sword stopped inches away from Link, parried by the master sword. Link holding the Master sword, turned his head, as he nodded, showing his approval. Then, suddenly, Link narrowed his eyes, staring at Bazz, he moved. Time seemed to slow down, as Link unleashed a flurry of attacks. His swordsmanship swift and graceful, Bazz couldn''t keep up. The attacks were coming at such a high speed, that parrying one would earn Bazz multiple sword strikes. Sweat trickled down his face, as the attacks were increasing in intensity, while Link seemed like he wasn''t feeling anything.


    "I GIVE UP!!" Bazz hurriedly shouted.


    The attacks stopped, as Bazz collapsed in the ground, panting from exhaustion.


    "Your swordsmanship is as profound as ever, Master Link," Bazz said while giving a wry smile.


    "Are you hurt?" Mipha suddenly questioned.


    "I''m fine Princess..." Bazz said happily.


    "Princess was questioning Link, you idiot," Gaddison said, laughing while clutching her stomach.


    Bazz dumbfoundedly stared at Mipha, while she lowered her head, a bit embarrassed.


    "Our princess cares a lot about you, isn''t it Linny?" Kodah said mischievously.


    Link silently stared at Mipha.


    Mipha noticed that Link was awfully silent, and he hadn''t even smiled once. He was completely different from the reckless and cheerful child, she had met years ago.


    "Is something wrong Link? Why are you so silent? Did something happened?" Mipha asked, her voice reflected her concern.


    Link merely shook his head.


    He was still the kind soul she knew, but something had changed. Perhaps it was his newly acquired height, but Mipha felt like he was ever looking past her, into the distance beyond.

 Strange!!

    <div>


    Luke was fast asleep, so were the mercenaries.


    Ghul silently stared at the sky, he was leaning on his Traveler''s Claymore, the night was quiet with only faint cries from the owls. It was his 6th day in this world, or was it his 7th? Ghul didn''t know, he had already forgotten. He felt like he had been living in the wild for years. Numb from the violence and cruelty of this beautiful world. He lost count of how many times he had almost died, he didn''t want to remember.


    Ghul still missed his old world, the house his parents left for him. His old world, rotten, but still peaceful.


    Relatively... I guess...


    Ghul sometimes questioned if he was in a fictional world. He had the crazy thought of his old world being fiction. Well, he even started to question his sanity.


    Suddenly, Ghul heard a faint cry. At first, the sound was low, and hard to point out, but it gradually increased in volume and was heading towards him.


    Ghul''s heartbeat sped up, as he tightened his grip on his sword.


    Then, Ghul saw it, a swarm of glowing red dot was getting closer to him. Ghul got in a defending stance, ready to alert the group in a moment''s notice.


    Ghul breathed a sigh of relief, the swarm of glowing red dots was a group of Keese. They were just low-level monsters, with a bat-like appearance and only one eye. Their only attack was charging straight at the foe.


    Taking a deep breath, Ghul did a powerful horizontal strike, reducing the number of Keese by half.


    Ghul casually swatted away the Keese that were getting closer to him. If he couldn''t even defeat these low-level monsters, it would be a disgrace to all Links.


    But even after killing the last Keese, Ghul didn''t relax, the night was feeling eerie like someone was spying on him. Still vigilant, Ghul sat down with the sword at his side, ready to take it out at any moment.


    The nagging feeling of someone watching him was gnawing at his heart. Ghul''s tense body didn''t relax for a second. The muscles in his body were twitching from staying alert for a long time.


    A streaking ray of sunlight hit the distant mountain, as the sun started rising. Ghul''s body collapsed on the ground.


    The feeling of him being watched disappeared with the morning rays of the sun.


    Ghul''s body was covered in sweat. He didn''t know what happened the whole night, but his head automatically turned towards the north-west. It was the direction of the Hyrule castle.


    He was feeling like shit, as he couldn''t bring himself to continue pursuing this matter.


    Tobias woke up, he was an early bird. Stretching his body, he saw Ghul on the floor, covered in sweat. Walking towards Ghul, Tobias nudged him in the shoulder.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ghul mechanically turned his head, he was moving like a rusted gear. Eyes bloodshot, he opened his mouth, but no sound came. With a thud, his head dropped as he fainted.


    "Hey!! Ghul, hey!! What happened?" Tobias asked concerned.


    <hr>


    The birds chirped, singing in the wild, as a squirrel hurriedly got out of the pebbled path. Horses'' hooves clattered as it hit the ground, while the rattling sound of the wooden wheel followed. The group was on the road again.


    Ghul was on the cart, sitting beside Raihan. The bumpy ride wasn''t a good experience for an unconscious person. Ghul groaned, as his heavy eyelids slowly opened. Having difficulty in adjusting to the bright light, Ghul squinted his eyes, while blocking the light with his hands.


    "You awake?, kid..." Raihan said in his rather annoying voice.


    Ghul stared at Raihan, his dark skin didn''t reflect light very much, comfortable for his eyes.


    "How are ya feeling?" Raihan asked again.


    Ghul didn''t know what was going on. Wasn''t it supposed to be night, and didn''t he feel like someone was watching him. How was it day now?


    "You okay?" Tobias asked, since every one of them was worried about Ghul.


    Ghul nodded.


    "What time is it right now?" Ghul asked.


    "One o''clock..." Luke said without even looking at a watch. Anyone could tell that he was quite perceptive.


    "What happened Ghul?" Tobias asked in a serious voice.


    Confused himself, Ghul started reciting the events of yesterday.


    "Ah... It happens." Raphael nodded with a profound look, obviously pretending.


    "Don''t worry, Ghul. We are here..." Tobias said in a heavy voice, as everyone nodded showing their approval.


    Ghul''s mouth curved up a bit, he was confused, but not lost. Well, what could he say? He was... speechless.


    "I''m fine, guys..." Ghul laughed, not worrying at all.


    <hr>


    The road split into two, one straight, and one at the right. Going straight, one would find the Kakariko bridge in lake Siela. The path to the right led towards Hateno village. Obviously, the group headed right, the path leading towards Hateno village.


    "Stop!!" Luke suddenly said.


    "What happened, Luke?" Hasan questioned.


    "Enemy..." Luke replied, speaking not more than necessary.


    Everyone became alert. Luke was a skilled archer and a respected member who was always serious. His credibility in the group was leagues apart from Raphael.


    Ghul squinted, his gut feeling was telling him that there was another presence, but he couldn''t see anyone other than them.


    Luke arched his bow, his arrow traveled through the air and hit a seemingly normal patch of grass. The image of the grass blurred, as a green monster came into view. It was a Lizalfos in camouflage.


    "Raphael and Hasan come with me. Luke and Bailey support us. Everyone else, guard the cargo." Tobias said, narrowing his gaze.


    The Lizalfos charged at them, its agility unparalleled. Tobias hurriedly parried with his shield, while Raphael attacked with his spear. The spear traveled through the air at a speed far faster than the Lizalfos. The spear accurately hit the Lizalfos horn, stunning it. The spear was a powerful weapon in the hands of a skilled personnel.


    Hasan attacked, his sword aiming for its neck. The Lizalfos snapped out, as it defended with his sword.


    It hurriedly backed off, an arrow pierced the ground where he was previously standing. Nothing could stop it if it wanted to retreat. The Lizalfos eyes gleamed with intelligence.


    Suddenly, an arrow slashed its cheek, barely missing as the Lizalofs had moved on time. It stared at Luke, the Hylian was dangerous.


    Ghul felt something, a presence beside him, but there was nothing there. Gripping his sword tight, he slashed beside him. BINGO. It had hit something. A Blue Lizalfos materialized from the void.


    Ghul glanced at Luke, while Luke just nodded. Ghul laughed and shook his head, This wasn''t a reliable teammate.


    Ghul followed up with an attack, it dodged, the Lizalfos was too fast.


    Its eyes flickered, as it gave a cry and ran towards the lake. The other Lizalfos followed suit.


    The lake Siela was a big lake, it''s corner even extended up to the road they were taking.


    Ghul stared at the vast water body, pursuing was useless, unless he wanted to turn into a Zora. The Lizalfos probably had a camp somewhere in the river

 Red or Blue? Both!!

    <div>


    "SHIT!! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE..." Raphael shouted with disgust. He had fallen down on a pile of horse crap and it was all over his face. Raphael spat, not letting anything enter his mouth.


    "When did you even have a beautiful face? Esme joked while Bailey was literally rolling on the ground with laughter.


    "Go, wash your face," Tobias said.


    "B-but it''s dark." Raphael stuttered, awkward.


    Silence ensued, as the crackling of the fire was the only sound left. Raphael became embarrassed seeing everyone staring at him. Their eyes seemed to be glowing in the dark of night.


    "Okay... I''ll go alone." Raphael shouted indignantly, turning his humiliation into courage.


    "Wait, Raphael... I''ll come with you." Bailey hurriedly shouted, following Raphael.


    "That guy hid it deeply," Esme said.


    "Yeah, I didn''t know that he was afraid of darkness," Hasan replied.


    Raphael was hurriedly washing his face in the lake. After finishing, he ran towards the camp, leaving Bailey behind. Bailey chuckled, as he made his way towards the camp as well.


    Raphael sat down beside the fire while huffing.


    "Senior Raphael... Which skin product did you use just now that your face is glistening." Esme said in a gentle voice.


    "The special edition, Dark-brown horse poop." Raihan excitedly commented.


    "Shut up old man. have you ever seen your face, it''s full of wrinkles. I am leagues apart from you." Raphael shouted.


    "Don''t get full of yourself, kid. In my younger days, ladies threw themselves at me. Just because of my face. " Raihna and Raphael were the birds of the same feather.


    "Haha. Two ugly ducklings bickering about their looks." Esme laughed while clutching his stomach.


    "Shut up!!" Raihan and Raphael both said in unison.


    "What about you then?" Raphael questioned.


    "I didn''t say anything about my looks. I think that Luke is the most handsome of us all." Esme said honestly.


    Luke really was a very handsome man. he had a fair complexion and looked nothing like a warrior compared to these gruff men surrounding him. All the mercenaries had tough and dark skin as a result of their harsh life. Only Bailey was a bit on the fair side. The perk of being an archer??


    Ghul had to admit, Luke was a handsome man. But, not as handsome as him. Ghul wasn''t being a narcissist, Link''s face was nothing short of a treasure.


    "True, I guess." Raphael conceded.


    "What about you kid?" Raihan suddenly said, facing Ghul.


    Everybody''s ear perked up, Ghul was always wearing a mask, so they didn''t know about his appearance. Even Luke showed a bit of interest. They all looked at Ghul with ferocious eyes.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    <hr>


    A ChuChu popped out of the ground. It was a common monster found all over Hyrule. A blue jelly blob with funny looking eyes.


    On his horse, Luke aimed his bow, the motion of the horse didn''t hinder his aim, as an arrow pierced the ChuChu in its eye, exploding it.


    "Nice aim..." Ghul laughed, he wanted to see other reactions from this snow princess.


    Luke didn''t say anything, he just kept looking out for any other monsters.


    "Luke''s archery is truly commendable," Bailey said, a bit envious. He also was an archer, but Luke''s skills were on a class of its own.


    "Is it more powerful than my spearmanship?" Raphael provoked.


    "Oh please, Luke could kite you from a mile away. You wouldn''t even know where the arrow came from." Esme snarled.


    "Children..." Raihan sighed.


    Ghul''s eyebrow twitched. Raihan was the oldest among the group but he acted like a kid. Ghul looked at Raphael, as his both eyebrow''s twitched.


    I take it back...


    "You wanna piece of me, Luke. Let''s fight." Raphael spat, as he folded his sleeves.


    Luke totally ignored him.


    "Enough jokes... Hassan''s back." Tobias said.


    A figure of a brown horse darting towards them was rapidly coming into view. He had gone to scout the area.


    "Anything?" Tobias questioned.


    "There''s a red Moblin ahead, blocking the road," Hassan said with a grave expression.


    Everybody quietened down. Tobias was deep in thought. Taking on the Moblin was dangerous, but taking a detour from the forest was more dangerous. At least they knew a Moblin was up ahead, while the danger in the forest was unknown.


    "I think taking on the Moblin is safer. Ghul can be the vanguard." Luke said plainly, pitting the pitiful Ghul against the Moblin.


    Ghul''s eyebrow twitched. He could surely do it but doing it didn''t lessen the risk for him.


    Fuc you, Luke...


    Ghul cursed Luke in his head. He was indignant but not angry. Ghul didn''t notice it himself though.


    "Raphael was saying that he would beat the Moblin," Esme said, remembering the boasting of Raphael.


    Raphael was quietly staring ahead, not speaking anything, feigning ignorance...


    If Ghul could take the Moblin on, it would be the best, but...


    Tobias hesitated.


    Seeing Tobias'' hesitant eyes, Ghul nodded.


    "I can do it."


    "Thanks, Ghul... We will properly back you up." Tobias nodded, relieved, and grateful.


    "Don''t worry, Ghul. Just one opening and I''ll make a mincemeat out of it." Raphael said.


    Ghul didn''t take it to heart, while Esme spat:


    "Coward..."


    "You should''ve known long ago..." Bailey said as everybody laughed, lightening the mood.


    <hr>


    Ghul sneakily made his way towards the Red Moblin. Tobias and Raphael were with him, while Luke and Bailey were hiding in a tree for archer support. Esme and Hasan were on the flanks and would keep out the Bokoblins. Raihan was hiding in the cart, a few distances away from the battlefield.


    "Whenever you''re ready," Tobias said in a serious voice.


    "I''ll sneak an attack first, as soon as it hits, you guys join me," Ghul replied.


    Tobias and Raphael nodded.


    Slowly tiptoeing towards the Moblin, Ghul''s grip on his sword couldn''t help but tighten.


    Crackle


    Ghul had stepped on a dry twig, it''s sound alerting the Moblin. It turned around with its club in his hand. Ghul charged at it, not giving it a time to react, his sword slashed at his head.


    The Moblin was disoriented.


    Raphael didn''t miss the chance, he charged at it with his spear pointing forward, while Tobias followed behind him.


    The spear powerfully moved through the air, it''s tip seemingly ripping the air in half. The attack penetrated the Moblin''s stomach, as it grunted in pain. Without stopping for its injuries, the Moblin swung his club at Raphael.


    Ghul slid in front of Raphael, stopping the blow with his sword. The Moblin took a step back, as Ghul grinned. He didn''t know that he was quite an adrenaline junky.


    An arrow pierced the Moblin''s crotch, it took a step back howling in pain. Ghul''s felt a cool air pass beneath his crotch. He perfectly knew who did that. Luke...


    Tobias and Raphael didn''t miss the chance, unleashing a flurry of attacks one after another. Ghul was defending, while Tobias and Raphael were attacking, they were totally in sync,


    Hassan and Esme were clearing out the nearby Bokoblins. It was quite an easy task for them. The battle was in their favor.


    Grghhhh!!


    Suddenly, a powerful roar shook the whole area, everyone turned their head. It was another Moblin. And this one was a Blue Moblin, a whole grade higher than the one they were fighting. It was rapidly closing the distance between them.


    Bailey gulped, as fear showed in his eyes. The Moblin was closest to him.

 If…

    <div>


    Grghhhh!!


    Suddenly, a powerful roar shook the whole area, everyone turned their head. It was another Moblin. And this one was a Blue Moblin, a whole grade higher than the one they were fighting. It was rapidly closing the distance between them.


    Bailey gulped, as fear showed in his eyes. The Moblin was closest to him.


    "Shit... another?" Ghul cursed.


    "Bailey''s in danger," Tobias shouted.


    "I''ll go" Raphael hurriedly went towards Bailey.


    "You go as well, Tobias. I can handle this one alone." Ghul shouted. The battlefield was getting chaotic. If it was any ordinary mercenary group, there would already be deserters. These guys were veterans and would lay their lives for their comrades.


    "Don''t disappoint me, Bailey..." Luke mumbled, his eyes showing concern no one had seen. If Bailey could hold on for a few seconds, Raphael and Tobias could reach in time. Just a single blow of the Blue Moblin was fatal for Bailey.


    Hassan and Esme were clearing out the Bokoblin, they were concerned about Bailey, but them leaving would put another strain on Ghul. They knew what was best right now. Hassan looked at the Moblin approaching Bailey, he felt useless. He wanted to help.


    Luke arched his bow, aiming at the incoming Blue Moblin. The distance was too great, he wasn''t confident about landing fatal blows. Luke was on the right of the Red Moblin while Bailey was on the left of it. The Blue Moblin was approaching from the far-left.


    Luke looked at Ghul who was going toe to toe with the Red Moblin. He was confident that Ghul could defeat it alone. Taking a deep breath, Luke took another aim at the Blue Moblin.


    Bailey was up on a tree, but the Moblin was tall enough to reach him just by jumping once. Bailey arched his bow, he had to fend this Moblin just for a second before the others come to help him. Betting his everything into this one-shot, Bailey''s eyes shown with determination.


    Stretching his bow to its utmost limit, Bailey shot, his arrow traveled through the air in break-neck speed, the arrow wobbled as it ripped through the air and landed squarely on the Blue Moblin''s eyes.


    Perfect...


    The Moblin roared in pain, it covered its eyes with his hand, as it charged forth with greater intensity. Bailey took aim again, he wanted to target its leg which had a considerably large surface area. Before he could fire again, an arrow traveled right beside his bow, taking the same path he had prepared and hit right on the Moblin''s knees.


    Luke...


    Bailey smiled.


    The Moblin genuflected, as it got shield charged by Tobias. The backup had arrived.


    Raphael followed through with another attack, but the Moblin already had its fair share of getting beaten. It roared as it blocked the attack with his sword. It was a deadlock. Raphael''s spear was powerful but his strength just couldn''t compare to the Moblin.


    The Moblin swatted Raphael''s spear away and stabbed at him. It all happened in a split second. Tobias couldn''t keep up, but he managed to ready his shield before Raphael. The sword tip made contact with the shield, as sparks flew in the air, a screeching noise followed.


    The Moblin''s monstrous strength was fully shown, as Raphael and Tobias were knocked away. Tobias coughed, he felt a metallic taste in his mouth. It was blood. His insides were churning, as he felt like his insides were being squeezed.


    The Moblin roared, showing its dominance.


    "Damn it... Tobias, Raphael... You okay?" Ghul shouted while blocking the Red Moblin''s club with his sword.


    "I can keep going..." Tobias said as he coughed up blood. He didn''t seem like it.


    "Me too!!" Raphael shouted, gingerly standing up.


    The Blue Moblin moved, heading towards them. Suddenly, it ducked, an arrow missed his head, as another arrow hit its stomach. The arrow couldn''t penetrate. Its skin was too strong.


    The battle felt hopeless.


    "TOBIAS... RAPHAEL... SWITCH!!!" Ghul said as he gritted his teeth. He was exhausted, and taking on the Blue Moblin was sure to end in his defeat. But, he didn''t have a choice. Tobias and Raphael weren''t in the right condition to even take on the Red Moblin.


    Doing a powerful swing, and knocking the red Moblin off, Ghul ran towards the Blue Moblin. Luke and Bailey were keeping it busy, but not for long. Ghul jumped as he did a vertical swing, the Blue Moblin parried with its sword.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Tobias couldn''t stand up, a head-on attack of a Blue Moblin, it would take weeks for him to heal.


    Esme and Hassan hurriedly stopped the Red Moblin, but they were just delaying the inevitable. With Tobias down, no one could parry its attacks. But, they had to try.


    Hassan got knocked against a tree, he couldn''t stand a blow from the Moblin. Esme was barely holding because of his agility.


    Sparks flew in the air, as Ghul and the Blue Moblin clashed. Ghul coughed up blood, while the Moblin gave an animalistic roar. Suddenly, an arrow pierced the Moblin''s thigh.


    "LUKE... YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. HELP THEM. BAILEY... DON''T BE AN IDIOT." Ghul shouted.


    Without a shred of hesitation, Luke started aiming at the Red Moblin. Bailey''s eyes grew moist, as he slowly took aim at the Red Moblin with shaky arms. With no one to hold the Red Moblin down, it was increasingly getting difficult for them to get a shot.


    The Blue Moblin did a powerful side swing, Ghul parried. Ghul slid against the ground, trying to regain his balance. He didn''t have the strength left.


    Esme landed a hit on the Red Moblin, but his attack did nothing other than giving it a minor injury. Esme was doing everything to hold on, Raphael was leaning against a tree, Hassan was barely holding himself.


    Why?


    Esme questioned, his eyes bloodshot. He was angry, he was angry at himself because he was weak. A hot-itchy sensation crawled on his skin. Every inch of his body hurt. A blood vessel in his eye pooped, dyeing his vision in red.


    Luke''s archery was the only reason he was barely standing.


    "RETREAT!!" Ghul shouted, mustering every bit of strength his body had.


    Luke and Bailey were on the ground, getting closer to the Moblin for maximum power.


    The Red Moblin roared, his club made a booming sound as it split the air in half. The attack landed on Esme''s back, knocking him against Bailey.


    "Shit..." Ghul cursed, as he coughed up blood.


    With no one to stop the Moblin, it started its rampage.


    Everyone felt hopeless. Luke was exhausted, as he was constantly firing arrows. Bailey was knocked by Esme. They were the ones who were relatively less injured.


    Tobias was lying on the ground, his condition unknown.


    "Luke... Ghul... Bailey... Run!! Leave us. Don''t give up your lives here. I know you can safely retreat." Raphael said in a weak voice. The Red Moblin was heading towards him.


    Hassan weakly leaned against a tree. He was fighting to keep his eyes open. He applied force on the tree, barely standing straight.


    Raphael would die if the Moblin attacked. He had to buy time. Raphael was the one with the highest attack power, but he felt useless. He couldn''t even do his guarding duty properly.


    Mustering every bit of strength his body allowed, Hassan ran towards Raphael intercepting the Moblin. Without caring even a bit for his safety, he engaged with the Moblin.


    "DAMN IT... HASSAN RETREAT." Ghul shouted. he knew everyone escaping alive was a pipe dream, but he still had faint hope.


    Luke quietly dragged Raphael away. He knew Hassan''s intention, and he didn''t want it to go to waste. It was too late to change his mind. Luke was exhausted as well. He tried his hardest to go towards Esme and Bailey while carrying Raphael.


    "YOU IDIOT. I SAID RUN. LEAVE ME, LUKE. SAVE YOURSELF. I SAID LEAVE ME. YOU FUCKING IDIOT." Raphael shouted, struggling, but Luke didn''t give a damn.


    In his dying breath, Hassan''s sword penetrated the Moblin''s leg. His body limply fell to the ground, as he gave a smile towards Raphael and Luke before his departure.


    "HASSAN!!!" Raphael''s hoarse voice traveled through the forest, grieving for his lost friend.


    Ghul was distracted, the Blue Moblin''s sword penetrated his thigh. He grunted in pain, as he slashed his sword at the Monlin''s neck. An eye for an eye.


    The attack landed, sending the Moblin knocking away, and disoriented. Ghul''s Traveler''s Claymore was already brittle from the clash. It did more blunt damage than slash.


    Ghul hurriedly ran towards Esme and Bailey, ignoring the pain in his thigh. The Red Moblin was moving towards them.


    "HAAAAAHHH" Ghul shouted, covering his cry, he didn''t want to lose another friend.


    Luke couldn''t make it in time, he couldn''t do anything even if he did. He was skilled in archery but close combat was a death game for him.


    Tobias'' fingers crunched. every single cell of his body was screaming in pain, but he couldn''t give in to it. His friends were dying. Tobias opened his heavy eyelids. His vision was blurry, as he coughed up blood. He was awake through sheer will. Applying pressure to his hand, he stood up, catching his shield, he moved,


    Seconds before the attack landed on Esme and Bailey, Tobias was before them blocking with his shield. The attack made him groan in pain. He wanted to lie down and sleep. The pain was becoming unbearable, but he couldn''t afford to.


    "WAKE UP, BAILEY... WAKE UP, YOU IDIOT. I KNOW YOU CAN." Luke shouted, violently jerking Bailey''s body.


    "Uhh" Bailey groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes.


    "Carry Esme and run." Without giving Bailey time to adapt, Luke ordered.


    Ghul ran, his legs wanted to give out, but no, he couldn''t. The stakes were too high. Tobias could collapse any second.


    "AHHHHHHHH" Ghul shouted, doing a vertical slash to the Red Moblin.


    "EVERYBODY RUN!!!!" Ghul shouted.


    Luke carried Raphael who had already fainted from cursing him too much. Bailey carried Esme. They didn''t even look back as they ran.


    The Blue Moblin was up on its feet. It ran towards the group.


    Ghul engaged with the Red Moblin.


    Tobias made an unexpected move, he ran in the opposite direction.


    "YOU FUCKING IDIOT TOBIAS, I SAID RUN!!" Ghul shouted, a vein popped in his head. The battlefield was getting messier and messier. Ghul felt like he could pass out any second.


    Tobias dodged the Red Moblin''s attack and ran towards Hassan''s dead body, with perfect maneuver, he picked Hassan''s dead body up and, turned around, catching up to Luke, and Bailey.


    The Blue Moblin caught up. Ghul had to defend against two Moblins now, one Red and other Blue.


    Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Ghul tightened his grip on his sword.


    "I hope this works," Ghul mumbled.


    With a fierce gleam in his eyes, Ghul placed his sword straight. Using himself as a pivot, he swang the big Traveler''s Claymore in circles. The sword gradually caught up momentum.


    Think, Ghul... Think... How did I perform the spin maneuver underwater?


    Ghul snapped his eyes open, as his sword span in a circle, cutting everything in its wake. He had done it. Ghul was doing the spin attack. The generated momentum knocked the two Moblins away, injuring them, but not gravely...


    Ghul ran, catching up with the group...


    <hr>


    The night looked especially dark today. Everybody was quiet, lying on the ground. The silent atmosphere was suffocating. The cracking sound of the fire made it all the more gloomy. Ghul was leaning against a tree, staring at the night sky.


    Luke stared at the night sky as well. Raihan was unusually quiet, contrasting his nature.


    A crackle sounded from the fire.


    -TO BE CONTINUED-