[ZGen] The Legend of Zelda: Dark Seed

Story by: BrokenWing
Logo by: Crystal

Chapter One:
Several hundred years ago, a legend was made. A boy rose to defeat an evil that nearly destroyed the entire land of Hyrule. This boy used the power of an ancient, long-since lost sword, remembered by two names: the Master Sword, and The Blade of Evil's Bane. The evil was defeated, leaving the land forever-more, and allowing its inhabitant's to rebuild.
At that time, the lands were known simply as Hyrule, but were split into different provinces, each occupied by a different species. Hylians: humanoid and honorable. We built the grand Hyrule Castle, and the well protected Castle City around it. Some of us branched out and created a second settlement, Kakariko Town; it was a simpler, more casual place to reside. Gorons: rock-like creates of immense strength and resistance to heat. They live in the volcano, and it's rocky surroundings, of Death Mountain. Zoras: an amphibious and noble species that lived in the lakes and rivers of Zora's Domain. These two were once our allies, but the Gorons shut themselves away long ago, leaving the Zora's as our only friends. There is a forest, but none dare enter. Stories have been told about little people, "children of the forest," living in that place. Some believe they are demons, meant to lure us in so they may feast. Others believe that they are indeed a race of children that live in this forbidden and protective forest. Off in the barren sands of the Gerudo Desert, a race of female warriors used to live. They never permitted a man into their midst, unless for the furthering of their own race. Some time long ago, but no less than a century, they deserted their fortresses and moved on. Soon after, another race moved in. They were powerful, more-so than the Gerudo, and they took these deserted fortresses. They fortified, rebuilt, and redesigned them into major strongholds, castles, and places where machines of war could be produced. Contact was never made, but spies were sent out to gather information, and gather they did. These Selkish, as they seemed to call themselves, were comprised of soldiers, mercenaries, criminals, Gerudo warriors, and even some of our own, who had defected. Several years later, they came across their lands, and into ours, with a small army. They perceived us as rulers of the entire lands, and came to us to ask recognition as the land of Selack, neighbor to the land of Hyrule. The king at the time was in no way ruler of the entire land, thus could not grant the Selkish their request. Not believing such things, the Selkish unleashed their army on the walls of Castle City. They were warded off by the Royal Army of Hyrule with little trouble. One of them was left alive, and was sent back to tell the others they were refused recognition. They returned a very short time later with a much larger army, and several siege weapons. They declared the deserts as the land of Selack, regaurdless of their neighbors wishes or abilties. Their intention was to take our grand city, but they were beaten back yet again. In retaliation, the king sent out his army. However, he'd severely underestimated the Selkish defences, and his army was defeated in only one battle.
Ever since this time, we Hylians and the Selkish have been waging war with each other... Now for nearly a century. Just recently, Kakariko Town was captured, looted, and then burned to the ground. The new king, King Nodel Johnsen Relgard, has ordered for a man, who is known to have been the most loyal of fighters to the old king, to be brought before him.

----- ----- -----

"You have been called before King Nodel Johnsen Relgard of Hyrule, at his personal request, to dine with him in his halls, and discuss certain matters of importance to this land." Royal Guards had come to Arash's house, located on the lower levels of Castle City.

"I have no need to dine with a king. What I have is all that I need."

"A request from the king himself is no less than an order. Arash, you are to come with us. Resistance is futile." One of three guards firmly griped Arash's shoulder, and pulled him forward. The other two followed as the first led Arash through Castle City, up it's three levels, and into Hyrule Castle. Castle City was divided into three section, each higher up than the last. The lowest was the best fortified, and contained the low-class peasants, blacksmiths, and makers of small items, such as baskets and blankets. The next section contained the middle-class people, merchants, craftsmen, artists and the like. The final section was the largest, which housed the high-class citizens. This was an area where the wealthiest of Castle City reside, living with almost no troubles to speak of. Above this, in it's own heavily fortified section, separate from the city, is Hyrule Castle, home to the Royal Family, and the Royal Guards, defenders of the king and his family. Nobles also live in the land around the castle, providing the king with insight, guidance, and company. Arash took up residence in the lowest section to avoid drawing attention to himself after his master, the old king, died in battle. He wished, even at his young age, to cease fighting, and live a small life. He was rejected this, as his new king called for him.

Upon arrival at the castle, the first of the three guards ordered the other two off, and took Arash to the king alone. They entered, and Arash was introduced to the king. "King Nodel, sire, this is Arash, the man you requested."

"Thank you, Feren, you may go now." Feren backed out of the room and bowed.

"Yes, my king." Both Arash and King Nodel were silent until the massive, steel reinforced doors of the throne room were closed fully.

"Arash, I know you served under the late King Demitris for a good fee years, and very well, I might add." He was only answered with a cold stare from Arash. "I'm sorry, have I interrupted your life for a moment? Surely you can spare a day for your king."

"Under your command, my 'king,' more men have fallen in the past year then in the three years before! You are a poor strategist, and you spend far more then need be on this war. I admit, I do support the war, but I do not support your actions." King Nodel smirked at Arash, before turning away.

"Hyrule is a land for us, and our allies. Though I must say, those Zoras haven't been very useful during the war. If they are truly allies, they shall aid us if they can. I know they can, so why don't they? Oh yes, and the Gorons? Those cowards hid themselves away from the world, for who knows what strange reason. Did you know... I sent a messenger to them. He reached their gates, but his only reply was a bucket full of stones dumped on his head. Poor man now rests in the graveyard hidden behind the remains of Kakariko Town."

"So what, have you called me here to break down their doors, and demand something from them? Even I'd no doubt end up a corpse, buried right alongside the fool you sent out before! I will not do your bidding. I've done my duty, and I'll do no more." Arash turned and walked off towards the doors.

"Hold it just one moment, Arash... I am king. You will do as I say, or be thrown into prison, to rot away like a petty thief, and be eaten by rats." As Arash froze in his steps, a smirk formed on King Nodel's face. "I am not done speaking with you, Arash... No indeed. Now then! Sit at my table! Eat! You have a long life ahead of you, so be sure you are full and ready!"

"I will eat your food, but only until my hunger leaves. Too much, and I may become bloated, and be unable to fight, thus being the instrument of my own destruction."

"Wise words, my friend... Wise words indeed." The king ripped a leg from a fresh cooked cuckoo bird, and bit hard into it's juicy meat. With the food still in his mouth, the king spoke again. "I hear you never took a title, even though you've earned many. Tell me, which would you like? Knight? Lord maybe?" Arash spared not a second to respond.

"Peasant will do fine." King Nodel sat up in his chair, feigning an insulted face.

"Oh, come now... 'Peasant Arash, Commander of the Royal Army of Hyrule'?" Arash's eyes widened as the king's words reached his ears. He slowly faced the king.

"C-commander.. of the army!?" Arash was frozen for a moment, but regained his composure and looked away again, picking up an apple to eat. King Nodel laughed heartily for a minute before speaking again.

"Looks like I've got you now, Arash. Yes, no matter what title you may decide to choose, you shall also be Commander of the entire Royal Army of Hyrule. Maye now you'll be a little more cooperative?" King Nodel eyed him for a moment, waiting calmly for a reply.

"I... I said I would take no part in this war! Are you deaf? I will take my leave now, sire." With that said, Arash stood quickly, and walked to the doors. King Nodel nodded for the guards inside the room to let him out, and so they opened the doors for Arash.

"You'll be back, Arash... You will." King Nodel again luaghed, and Arash could hear him until the doors were shut behind him. He was walking quickly, and his steps could be heard through the massive hallways, deviod of life, other than guards here and there. We walked, on, and on, and on, not stopping for others, but rather going around them without slowing down, and even nudging himself past a few. As he reached the mid-way point of the second section of Castle City, he observed smoke from the first section. His pace quickened to jog, and soon after he began to run. He ran throught the crowds in the first section, once he arrived there, until he reached is house. Not that he had one anymore. He fell down to his knees, staring into the roaring flames that engulfed his previouse dwelling. Thoughts raced through his mind. He couldn't focus on any one of them. He tried and tried to think straight, finally coming to one conclusion.

"'You'll be back,' he said! That 'king' ordered my house to be burned!? Well, sire, your little ploy to get me back has worked! I'm coming back right now!" Arash stood and turned at the same time, then proceded to run back through the first section. He jogged through the second section, and paced quickly through the third, coming up on the castle again. He barged through door after door, until finally he was back at the throne room, with it's doors wide open... "welcoming" him in. "You sneaky rat! You were the one who had my house burned down, weren't you!?"

"Ah-hahahaha! Silly boy, I would never do such a thing, haha!" Arash could plainly see through the lie, but the king knew this and didn't care in the least. "Now, my boy! Peace is what all true warriors strive for, is it not?"

"...What are you getting at?"

"Peace always comes after a war. Warriors fight battles to defend their way, and ceate a peace between those who think differently. I have put you, as a warrior, in charge of this task of peace-making."

"If you want peace made, find a diplomat! I'm not one who makes peace. As a warrior, it is my duty to fight! As any child knows, war is not peace."

"Yes, your point is valid. However war will lead to peace, despite who wins." A moment of scilence filled the room. Arash stood up slowly and faced away from the king. He sighed then looked up at King Nodel, an expression of defeat on his face.

"Where should I go now?"

"Head for the castle's stable to aquire a horse. You may choose any of them. Once you have one, head outside Castle City to the encampment. There you will meet up with Hadley, who is now a Captain under your command. He will tell you what you need to know from there." Arash faced King Nodel, stood straight, then bowed, but spit silently under the table in the king's direction. He stood again, turned, and left for the stables. On his way out of the castle he was fuming to himself about giving in so easily. He calmed down, however, after convincing himself there was nothing that could have been done anyway.

Several minutes after he exited Hyrule Castle, Arash had found the stables, filled with the best horses in the land. He walked in, hardly even noticing the stench that any stable, even this royal one, would have, and glanced at each horse. While most were simply standing around, a somewhat restless one caught Arash's eye. He came over to it's stall, and looked the horse over. It was clearly a strong horse; maybe not the strongest, but close to it. He turned to the man running the stable, asking if he could take the horse, with only expressions. The man shook his head slightly, stood, and walked over to Arash.

"That isn't the horse you want. I got word that you're the new Commander of the Royal Army and all that, right?"

"Those words are true. But what do you mean by telling me this isn't the horse I want?"

"It's unsteady. Too restless all the time. There are stronger, better behaved horses here." The man gestured to a few horses, separated from the rest.

"This horse needs only freedom to move. Gender?"

"Female."

"She's got the smallest of rooms in this place. She needs to get out more than the others, but, I would assume, hasn't. She wants to get out more, and thus has become restless. I'll take her. What is her name?"

"A'right... If you're sure. Oh, right. Her name is Lanza." Arash watched the man open the door, releasing the horse. He swiftly took hold of her reigns before she could run, and led her calmly outside. After she was saddled up, Arash mounted her, and trotted out of the castle section, and through the third section. He quickened her through the second section, and then galloped into, and out of, the first section. The two arrived at the camp just moments upon exiting Castle City, and rode to a man who looked like he was in charge. The man was larger than most, with broad shoulders, and thick muscles. His orange hair was longer than an average man's, and his beard was very full, and braided at the ends, giving him a very unique, but still strong look. He was clothed in chain-mail armour, and his torso was covered in a green cloth, which bore Hyrule's coat-of-arms.
"Excuse me, sir... Are you Hadley?"

"Aye, that I am lad! And who be you? Are ya' that lad that's been put in cha'ge of us here?" It was difficult for Arash to understand the man's speech for a moment, but he got the gist of what he said.

"Yes, I am."

"Welcome then my sir! Aye, you're a wee bit improperly dressed there, lad. Le's take ye to my tent where I can find you some fitting armour and clothing!" Arash didn't know what to make of the man, but figured he'd just follow him. He wouldn't want to cross a man of his size. Once inside Hadley's tent, the giant turned and looked Arash over fully. "Ya' got the clothin' of a peasant, ya' do there, lad! Let Captain Hadley fix that one for you!" Hadley gave Arash a wink, and a solid shake on his shoulder, nearly knocking Arash to the ground. "Now lemme see... Too big... Too big. Outdated... Wrong color. Ah...! Haha! This is what we want fer ya', lad!" Hadley spun around with a big smile on his face as he showed Arash a chain-mail shirt made of something brighter than steel, and looked stronger too. It was rimmed with gold around every edge, and was the perfect size for Arash. After it was fitted on, Arash took notice of how light it was.

"Hadley...?"

"Aye?"

"Are you sure this... is really worth wearing? It's so light."

"Ah-haha! Don't you put yer mind to it, lad! That's some of the best stuff you'll ever find in these here lands!"

"Al-alright. I'll take your hearty word for it then, Hadley." Upon hearing this comment, Hadley let out a booming laugh of appreciation. After this laughter died down, Hadley turned his attention back to getting the rest of Arash's armour, and the proper royal battledress to go over it. After placing on the rest of his outfit, Hadley and Arash walked out into the camp to see every man from the Royal Army of Hyrule standing there, in front of the tent. Arash walked forward, and they all bowed to him, as their commander. Needless to say, Arash was certainly embarrassed, and felt rather awkward, but he commanded them to rise, and they did. "This is... going to be quite an adventure..." Arash said to himself softly, before looking up to Hadley, who whispered back.

"Aye, lad. You'll never find an adventure like this anywhere."

Chapter Two:
A few days past over the lands while Arash waited for a sword that was being made for him specifically. He had received his shield not long after his armour, as it was a standard Hylian Shield, though very sturdy. This sword he waited for was to have a silver, gold-lined hilt, with an emerald in its pommel. The blade was made thinner than most, but it was interlaced with the same material as Arash's armour, meaning it wold be sturdier than a normal Hylian's sword. His helmet, which had been just recently finished, was placed on a green velvet pillow, and presented to Arash, as if it were a crown. He took it, nodded to the boy who had brought it to him, then slowly placed it over his head. It was a perfect fit, and was even padded inside, for a more comfortable feel. Arash was impressed by the way it was designed, and even commented on it to Hadley, who responded with a laugh of agreement.

"Tell me, Hadley... How is it that you're so full of life, even with such a large war being fought? I'm not speaking against you at all. In fact, I'm glad you are like this... It improves the other men's moods. But still, how?" Hadley looked over the men for a moment, thinking, before he turned back to Arash.

"Ah, lad. That's one thing I can't say to you for sure. It's not like I enjoy the war 'r nothin', but it makes me feel alive." He smiled a moment before nudging Arash's shoulder. "Gets the blood flowin', lad! That ought to be reason enough, aye? Ah-hahahe!" For a man of his looks, Hadley had a calming, and uplifting mood about him. Arash felt secure and happy when around Hadley, and so was glad to know he'd be around him often. "Eh? What's this now?" Hadley spoke as he looked behind the two of them. another boy, with yet another pillow, was running to Arash. On the pillow, almost slipping off a few times, was a gold and silver plated sheath, and in it could be seen the sword that was made for Arash.

"Sir...!" The boy shouted as he ran. "Sir, your sword is here!" He stopped, panting, and presented to sheathed blade to Arash, kneeling as he did so. Arash took up the sword in his hands, and strapped it to his back.

"Boy, stand. I am not your master. You need not bow to me." The boy was a slight bit confused, but stood up just the same, and walked back to where he came from after Hadley nodded for him to do so. Arash pulled the sword out from its place, and looked it over carefully. The blade itself looked as though it had veins of gold running over its silvery surface. As with his helm, Arash was indeed impressed by the craftsmanship put into the creation of the weapon. Moments later, Hadley was handed a note, which was from the king. He looked over it carefully, and even re-read it.

"Lad... How'd you like to venture into a land that hasn't been entered in ov'r five-hundred years?" Arash was surprised at the question.

"Unexplored lands? What unexplor- Oh dear. He can't mean...!" Arash's thoughts turned to words as he looked up to Hadley's face. "Are you talking about... The Lost Woods? Are you insane?"

"Ah-hahaha! Aye, some have called me that, but it is not of my choice. This 'ere is an order right from the king himself! We best make our preparations, lad! It's the start of a new day still, so we have time enough to eat a meal beforehand, wouldn't you agree?" Arash was clearly uneasy about roaming around in forbidden woods that could very well be filled with demons. His voice shook a little while he spoke.

"Uh, yes. Food sounds like a grand idea. But Hadley, who will be coming?"

"Eh? Oh just you, me, and few o' them soldiers over there." He motioned with his hand at a few soldiers sitting in a circle.

"Why them? Are the special?"

"Nah, just the closest." Hadley began to laugh once again as the expression on Arash's face turned to confusion, and slight disappointment. "Worry not, lad! All these men are special in their own way, aye? Hahaha!"

"Heh... So what reason do we have for going to the forest? What possible strategic purpose could it have?" Arash was skeptical of the king's reasoning behind sending them into a forbidden forest.

"That will be easiest to explain upon arrival there, lad. Just be ready for anything, and I will tell you that we're looking for something." Arash sighed in annoyance, but figured Hadley would probably know best. From there he, Hadley, and the soldiers went off for some food.

The meal was made, two fire-cooked cuckoos and some wine, then eaten before the group started their walk for the Lost Woods. The journey across Hyrule would take a day if they walked non-stop, but they decided to rest the night, when it came, so it would take them no more than two days in total. Arash and Hadley rode on their horses, while the six Hyrulian Soldiers followed along on foot. Arash looked from his horse, Lanza, to Hadley's, comparing them a few times. Like him, Hadley's horse was a giant. But it would have to be to support him.

"Hadley?"

"Aye, lad?"

"What should we expect to meet on our little journey?"

"Hmm. Well, no doubt there will be Stalchildren tonight, so we'll be takin' turns keepin' guard tonight in groups of three, while the others sleep. After the night, we might just run into some Deku Babas, relatively weak plant-monsters, and some Deku Scrubs. Scrubs, while weak, are quite the bothersome creatures. They can fire large Deku Nuts from their mouths, and believe-you-me, lad, they hurt!" Hadley let out a bit of an uneasy laugh at the point, and turned his attention back to guiding his horse, even though it knew where to go on its own.

"Stalchildren you say? I remember them... I remember lopping the head off of one. The thing wandered around like a blind man without his cane, and nearly ran himself into a tree. I ended its cursed life once I caught up with it."

"I've seen the same. Haha, in fact, a group of men and I once attack a small swarm of Stalchildren, and removed only their heads. We all had a good, fulfilling laugh as the small mass of bony creatures wandered around aimlessly, constantly bumping into, and attack, each other. We left them like that, so I 'uppose they went back to the ground whence morning light came." Arash shared with Hadley's laughs as he recalled the encounter from some years ago. "Tell me now, lad... Just how old are ye?" Arash stared at Hadley for a moment, not really wanting to say.

"I... Well, I'd rather not say, but if you must know, I'm no older than thirty-four, and no younger than twenty-six." Hadley glanced at Arash, thinking it was strange he wouldn't give his age.

"Lad, it's the women who keep their age hidden, not us men. For example, I still don't know exactly what my own wife's age is, but I'm thirty-eight. You're still young, so I'd guess twenty-nine or thirty." With this said, he sped up his horse for a moment before ordering a halt. "Aye, looks like we've got some trouble. I see two Stalfos off o'er there. Arash, come with me, lad. The rest of you... Take a break." Hadley beckoned Arash to follow as he ran off with his horse towards the enemy. Arash followed a moment later, and quickly caught up. Upon arrival they dismounted and approached the two Stalfos that stood in their path. "Ya' take the one on the right, lad." Hadley whispered to Arash before running at the left Stalfos. Arash walked forward a bit, and called the Stalfos to him. It came, and immediately jumped at him. Arash back-flipped out of the way, held his sword high, and then spun himself around, creating momentum, before bringing the blade down on the Stalfos. The metal connected with the bony shoulder of the creature, and knocked it back. He wasted not a moment before attacking the thing again, this time with a low sweep, severing its lower legs. The Stalfos fell down for a moment, but stood again, even missing half its legs, and ran awkwardly at Arash. At this point, a blow to the head of the Stalfos cracked its skull, and caused its whole body to shatter.

"That was... rather too easy." Arash looked up to see Hadley standing over a bile of bones, leaning on his longsword, obviously having watched Arash fight.

"Aye, that it was. They're lookin' to test us, not fight us. Not yet. Le's return back to our men, lad." The two remounted their steeds, and galloped back to the group of men they led. Upon return Arash ordered the men to stand, and pick up their things again. Once finished, the small group marched on again, without incident, until a Wolfos howled somewhere far off, indicating that night had officially come. They ceased walking, and let down everything they held. Hadley and Arash dismounted and did the same as their men.

"Hadley, would you mind taking first watch with two men of your choice?"

"Aye, not at all!" Hadley pointed to two men, who seemed the most alert, and called them over. "You sleep well for a few hours, lad. You'll need 'em for your watch, and for the day ahead." Arash nodded, thanked Hadley, and lay down with Lanza. He drifted slowly off to sleep, and began to dream. At first, he was living in his old home still, drinking a little wine, and chowing down on some bread. But suddenly, the house began to burn. He tried in vain to put it out, but it just grew, and grew. Everything he once owned was now burning around him, and he was panicking, trying to run. The doors and shutters were jammed, trapping him inside. Suddenly, his roof collapsed, and he could see the face of King Nodel, deformed, and laughing at him. He awoke suddenly, screaming for a second. He looked around, and everything was dark, his men laying around asleep. As he looked, he saw Hadley, crouched next to him.

"H-Hadley? Oh... goodness, I was dreaming... it was terrible."

"I feel for ye, lad, but it's time for you to take watch now." Arash sighed with relief, as being on guard meant he wouldn't have to sleep again for some time.

"Thank you, Hadley. Rest now, and regain your own strength."

"Aye, thanks much, lad." While Hadley and the two men that kept watch with him went off to find a place to sleep, Arash went around to find two men to keep watch with him. After waking them, he ordered them to patrol in two areas, so that the three made a triangle around the others. For a good long while nothing happened. Clouds started to form overhead, and Arash hoped it wouldn't rain. There wasn't enough cover around for all of them. Finally, something caught the eye of one of the guards. He gestured for Arash to come over, then pointed it out.

"See it, sir? There's something moving over that way."

"Yes, thank you, I do see it now. Looks like there might be two." Just then another guard signaled that he saw something, making note that there were two. Arash returned to his own post, only to see three white things in the distance. He went to wake up a couple more guards, ones that hadn't been woken beforehand. They bunched around those who still slept, and waited for the seven creatures to come. It was clear to Arash that they'd be Stalchildren, so he didn't expect much of a fight. Once they were in clear sight, the men all saw that there were indeed Stalchildren, but six. Accompanying them was one Stalfos, with a shield, unlike the two before.

"Sir, shall Jones and I take the two by me?" One of the soldiers asked, while preparing to attack.

"Yes, and you two do the same." Arash motioned the other soldiers to go attack the two Stalchildren nearest them. "I'll take the Stalfos and these two." He walked over to them, and pulled out his own shield. One Stalchild ran right up to Arash, while the other tried to flank him. He turned to the flanker, and smshed in it's face with his shield, knocking it away. He turned, quickly dodging a swipe by the conscious Stalchild, and proceded to chop it in half at the waist, leaving it to drag itself around with its hands. The legs, acting on thier own, wandered away, and soon went back into the ground. Arash dispatched of the Stalchild, now it his feet, and walked over to the Stalfos, who had stayed back. Immediately he put his shield up to block a swing from the Stalfos, then took a jab at it, breaking a couple ribs. This was meaningless to the Stalfos, and it used its own shield to push Arash's away. Knocked off balance for a moment, Arash was forced to block with his sword, and got knocked down. The sucsessive blows that followed almost made him lose grip of his blade. The Stalfos raised it's sword for a strong blow, but was stopped by one of the soldiers, while another soldier came from behind and promptly removed the Stalfos' arm with his sword. Arash stood and swung his sword, bashing it into, and shattering, the Stalfos' skull, defeating it. Arash turned his attention to the first Stalchild he'd attacked, which was still able to attack, and sliced it to shreds.

"Well, sir, that was something." One of the guards comented after the few men had come together again.

"Yes... Yes it was. It's almost morning now. You two finish the guard, while the rest of us get at least a little sleep.

"Yes, sir!" The two freshly aakened soldiers took up patrol for the rest of the night while Arash, and the other two guards, lay down once again, to sleep for a small time more before they wandered into the Lost Woods the next day.

I haven't finished reading both chapters yet, but this is awesome, Dave.

It might even turn out to be better than your Defender of the Mother Galaxy story! The only critique I have is that you should watch it on the run-on sentences like you have in the first chapter's paragraph so far. But, like you told me the other day, that's what happens when you write at early morning hours. xP

Chapter Three:
"Rise and shine, lads! Today's the day we're going into the Lost Woods. I've prepared a cuckoo fer us all, so come and dig in before we leave!" Arash's short sleep was abruptly ended by the booming voice of Hadley who, it seemed, had woken up and fresh-cooked a cuckoo for the men.

"Mmm... Smells wonderful! Thank you, Hadley." The other soldiers followed along with Arash in thanking Hadley for the meal. "I came a bit prepared myself..." Arash ran over to Lanza, pulled a bottle of wine from one of the saddlebags, and carried it over to the men. They all cheered for both Hadley and Arash for providing "proper" food and drink. The group ate every last bit of the cuckoo, and drank the entire bottle in one round, as that's all there was enough for. After they'd finished their breakfast, they all laid back for a few minutes before getting up, gathering their things, and heading out again.

This day's journey was filled with chatter between all the men in the group, as well as jokes, mainly told by Hadley. No creatures showed themselves along the way, and all was merry among everyone, until they could clearly see the extensive mass of trees. There was a barely visible road leading to a break in the line of thick trees, and it seemed to be the only way in. Upon entering, strange noises could be heard everywhere. Arash noticed that everyone, even Hadley, was uneasy. He was as well, and it was understandable to him. They had just entered a forest that hadn't been entered in a very, very long time, and was thought by many to contain demons. The two horses were restless, and the odd noises got louder as they entered deeper into the forest. Eventually they had entered so deep that the entrance couldn't be seen by anyone. Things were dim throughout the visible area, with exception to the occasional break in the treetops that let some light in. Without warning, something struck one of the soldiers right in his side, knocking him down. Arash and Hadley halted the group, and dismounted.

"That was a Deku Scrub, no doubt. Lads, get out your shields, they're impervious." Following Hadley's command, the group promptly got out their shields, and just in time. Three shots more came from various places, and struck the shields. Arash located one of the Deku Scrubs and made an attempt to reach it. However, this was thwarted by the thickness of the forest, and furthermore when a Deku Nut struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out. "Aye, you and Jones go cover Arash; the lad's been hit!" Arash's focus faded quickly, as did his sight. He was out like a light in no time.

----- ----- -----

"Aaaarash... Aaaarash? Wake up!" He could hear a faint, far sounding voice. "Aye, lad! We need ya'!" Everything shot back to Arash as he quickly sat up and saw his men fighting off orange-clothed, child-like creatures. The creatures were resilient, and their little blowguns were significantly painful when they struck unarmoured areas. Regardless of where they hit, the little Deku Seeds used created a bit of a flash.

"Hadley, what are they? The demons?"

"Could be, but I believe I once 'eard one be called a 'Skull Kid' by a traveler who came near the forest once."

"Alright, Skull Kids they are. Got my shield, Hadley?"

"Aye, right 'ere, lad. Take it, and let's get back to the group." Arash took his shield as Hadley handed it to him, and swiftly stood up. His first task was to locate one of the Skull Kids. Their orange clothing allowed them to blend in with leaves that were dying on the ground, but their motion gave them away. Arash dashed at the one closest to his location, and came up from behind. Despite swinging his sword full-strength, the little thing wasn't cut, but rather thrown into a tree. Arash stabbed at it, puncturing it by only a small amount. It laughed at him, leading Arash to slap it across the face with his gauntlet. The Skull Kid was dazed for a moment, so he took this chance, and smashed his sword into it several times while it was still against the tree. Before he could deliver a final blow, it flipped out of the way, and disappeared. Arash was utterly surprised, but regained focus quickly enough to defend himself against another Deku Scrub who'd been hiding. He was able to defeat it, as well as two more Skull Kids before he witnessed a enormous Deku Baba burst from the ground, and take a bite out of one of the soldiers. It flipped his body around with its mouth then spit him out against a tree. Hadley lopped the creature in half before checking on the man, who was badly injured. There was very little chance for this man, and they couldn't get him back, meaning the only option was to leave him. Arash ran over to the man, and handed him a small roll.

"No point in leaving you to starve, right? I'm sorry we can't get you back, Jones... Truly I am."

"D-don't... worry a-about it, sir. I like... your style. The others should be hon-honored to serve under... you, sir." Arash carefully shook his hand, then got up with Hadley, and called a retreat deeper into the forest. Both he and Hadley mounted their horses to clear the path for the rest of the men. The small group ran and ran until the Skull Kids were left behind, and the noises were lessened. Eventually they all saw a small opening in the trees that appeared to lead into a large open space in the forest. They entered it to see large tree stumps that had been hollowed out, and looked like homes. There were several of them total, as well as a stream, and a small valley to one side. Even little lights, for a lack of a better word, were floating here and there.

"Have you seen anything like this, Hadley? A... village, or something, right in the middle of a violent and cursed forest. It feels so peaceful..."

"Aye, that I can agree with, lad. But nay, I've never seen a thing like it." The group walked all around, as well as in each of the "houses," despitethe doorways being rather low. There were a couple shops in addition to the houses, and a well at the end of the stream. The men got together again and looked for a path out, back in to the forest.

----- ----- -----

"Who are these guys? There... so large! And what are those strange creatures they have with them?" several children clothed in green were watching the group of men that had entered into their village. They started at them, afraid, and wide-eyed. They watched as the men searched around the entire place, and even went into their houses.

"Hey! That's my house! How dare he go in there!?"

"Oh shut it, Saren! Let's just sit here until they leave, alright?"

"Well, that would be easier, Kelman, if Hilo wasn't walking out there..." Kelman, the apparent leader of the children, turned to see Hilo, one of the youngest children, walking over to the strangers.

"Hilo, you Deku-brain, get back here!" His command was ignored, or just not heard, by Hilo who was walking over to Arash.

"Hi, mister! Who are ya?" Arash spun around quickly, surprised by the tiny voice behind him.

"Wah-! Huh? Uhh... Hadley...? Come here for a second." Hadley came over, and soon saw the tiny child by his feet. He knelt down and looked Hilo right in the eyes.

"Hello, child. What are ye doing out here?"

"I live here. Who are you people? You're not Kokiri... Right?" Arash now crouched beside Hadley and answered.

"No, we're not. I'm Arash, that is Hadley. We're Hylian."

"Hehe, you have a funny name, mister!"

"Uhh... Right... Alright, well what's your name?"

"Hilo. My friends, Saren, Gadfin, Kess, Kelman, Bred, and Felas all live here." Hilo pointed to a small section of the village that was separate from the rest. Arash walked over alone to find a group of six children: three girls and in total, counting Hilo, there were four boys. All but one of the group were huddled in a corner. The one that wasn't was Kelman, and he was standing with his arms crossed, frowning at Arash. Hilo came up from behind Arash, and stood next to Kelman. "These are my friends! See?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes, Hilo, I see them. Um, hello... I'm Arash. Over there, the really big guy, is Hadley." Arash pointed at Hadley, and all the children glanced over at him. One of the girls fainted upon seeing the giant of a man. "Oh... dear... That's not good. Um, Hadley?"

"Don't worry about it, lad. I'll take the men 'ere to someplace else so ya' can all talk." He winked at Arash and ordered the men and horses to follow him away. Arash turned back to the children and spoke again.

"We're out here looking for something. We came from that path," Arash pointed to where his group had entered, "and we want to find another way out, which should lead us to where we need to be."

"Mister, if you want something, then take it up with the monsters... They guard all kinda of things."

"No, no... I just need to know of any other paths out of here."

"There's one about... oh, North-ish of here. It's kinda small, so you'll have to look closely to see it." Arash thanked Kelman, and walked off to find his men. It turned out that the group had wandered right over to the exit to the village, saving some valuable time. Hadley was already mounted, ready to leave, so Arash followed suit and mounted Lanza once again. Due to the size of a good portion of the path, they had to walk in single-file, before there was room enough for the soldiers to walk in two columns.

It felt like ages had passed, but none could tell the time as the forest was already so dark. Things only got darker, leading Hadley to believe night had fallen over the land. But there was no stopping this time. In a place like this, it seemed that even tripping, though common, was dangerous. The men were strong, however, and were trained to work on empty stomachs. But these men had not hunger in them, for they had such a grand breakfast, and some rolls along the way. Though scared, they pushed on, ready for an attack from anywhere. However, that needn't have been, for their night travels were peaceful ones. Arash could only assume that the creatures in the forest did indeed sleep at night. Conveying this to Hadley, he suggested that the group travel only at night, instead of during the day, when things were awake. Only minutes after the decision was made they came upon an enormous, moss covered, and broken down stone structure, long lost in these woods. Arash could barely make out the original shape, and only the entrance was untouched.

"Well, I suppose this is where we need to be, Hadley?"

"Aye, that it is. Before ye continue on, lad, I'll tell ya' what ye need to be knowin'." Hadley slip off his horse, as did Arash. "All the men are to stay outside with me, and stand guard. While ya're in there, you'll need to be lookin' fer a sword. It's hilt is of a rich purple-blue color; I really can't describe it any better for ya'."

"Wait, why am I the only one going in? Shouldn't at least one or two other men accompany me?" There was a hint of worry in Arash's voice. If a place like this could frighten a man like Hadley, it must be worse then just facing an enemy army.

"Fer one thing, I can't even fit into that small doorway. Secondly, we're gonna be needing e'ery one out 'ere to protect this entrance..."

"Right... Well then, wish me luck!" Arash grabbed a sack to take with him, then turned to his men. They were lined up with Hadley in front, and bowed to Arash. He smiled, thanked them, and walked to the temple. On the way in, he was cheered on by the men until he was lost completely from their sights. The entrance became a tunnel that went on for a good length before eventually opening into a large, once well-decorated room. It was obvious from just a glance that someone stayed here... Candles were lit, books were open on a table to the left of the entrance, and things were relatively clean for a room with a nearly missing roof. He took a few steps into the room before a medium-sized Deku Baba grew from the ground in front of him.

"Down, Daba! Down boy!" A strong, but time-wizened voice rang out from across the room. The Deku Baba immediately shrank back into a spot of soil near the stairs that led from the entrance into the room. An old, but sturdy looking man came into the candlelight a second later. He was clothed in green clothes, which were lengthened with plant parts so the clothes would fit him. The cloth itself was much like that of the children from the village.

"I... well, uh... Thanks, I suppose?" Arah wasn't sure to make of this man. He was old, with long grey hair, and wrinkled skin, but he was standing strong, and his voice was in no way weak.

"It was no trouble. He's merely my pet. My goodness... I haven't seen another man in so very long... Would you mind sitting with me for a moment?"

"Well, thing is, I'm here looking for something..."

"Oh? What might it be? I have many things here that I don't need."

"I'm searching for a sword... with a purple-blue hilt." The man turned away and walked over to the table to take a seat at it. He seemed to be disturbed at the mention of the sword.

"Maybe you would like some food? I have some very good food here."

"No," Arash insisted. "I'm looking for a sword with a blue hilt! I need it."

"I... cannot give it to you. It's the one thing I can't gain from this place... There's- No, never-mind. Go away, you can't have it." Arash was annoyed by the man's refusal.

"Look here, wise one, I need that sword, and I'm not leaving until I get it! Now what were you saying? Is there something guarding it?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"A monster."

"A big one?"

"Yes."

"Will you give me something to work with, here? What kind of monster? How big? What does it look like? Can it be killed with a sword!?" Arash's temper was short, and he had little time for an uncooperative man.

"It's a plant-like monster. It's about twice a man's size. I'm honestly not sure what it looks like, but it does have very sharp hand-things. I would assume a sword could damage it, but I wouldn't know about killing it."

"Thank you. Now where is it?"

"I can't let you kill it."

"What!? Why not?"

"If it dies, this temple falls. Anyone inside dies. It's a useless endeavor." Arash thought for a long moment before giving a reply.

"Might I be able to run past it, grab the sword, and go?"

"I don't know." Arash was too annoyed now to ask anything more. There was only one other doorway here, so he walked off, in a hot-headed manner, to it. The hallway it lead to was broken down, with only a small, slightly winding path that had been made through it by blocks that were pushed out of the way. He walked carefully around, climbing over a few blocks for the sake of going straighter, and made it to the end. The next room had three doors. Signs, written in some obscure form of Hylian, were over each door, signifying what was through each. Arash guessed at what they meant, but one alluded him. The door to the right was labeled as "Food," and the door in the North-east corner was titled as "Supplies." It was only the door off to the North-west end of the room that Arash was unable to guess. Upon closer inspection of the door, Arash found it to be locked; the same held true for the food door. He was only able to access the supply room, which he entered after taking in a deep breath. The old man said he kept all sorts of things there, so Arash was expecting anything. He opened the door to find the relatively small room filled to the top with various trinkets, random items, and a few drawers. Only a small empty space led from the door to the center of the room. Arash came to the first set of drawers, and opened one in the middle. Inside was nothing but a small, dirty key. He took it, wiped it off and decided to try it out. He walked back out, and over to the unknown door. The key was too small for the lock, so it led Arash to believe it was for the food door. He tried it there, bit this time, while fitting in the hole, it didn't work for that door. Upset, he placed it in the sack he'd brought with him.

"This room clearly warrants a full search... There were no other doors in the main room, and none clearly visible here, so..." First off, Arash searched around the three bookcases in the room. It was a classic tactic, so it was a good place to start. To his expected disappointment, there was nothing. Next he searched the walls for loose stones. He found several, but they were in such condition due to age, and not hiding any secrets. Arash decided to search the floor now, for the sake of being somewhat more thorough. Through close examination, Arash found four curved cracks in the ground that led from the wall the the center of the round room. In the center was a block, just sitting on top of the cracks. Arash pushed it aside, and blew the dirt from the cracks. It revealed a iron-lined keyhole in the floor. Excited, Arash quickly pulled the key from his sack and jammed it into to hole, then turning it successfully. He jumped up, and ran to the mat at the entrance of the room as the ground shook a good deal. Soon the floor slid slowly open, dropping loose stones, books, and a lot of dirt into a secret chamber below. The way the floor opened, the bookcases remained steady, though a few books managed to be shaken out. Once the activity ceased, Arash made note of stairs that led from the main door, where he was, down into the new room, and three other sets that led to the food, supply, and mystery rooms. At the bottom of this shallow and hidden room was a single door, which was unlabeled. He ran down the stair, then approached it slowly. As he reached out to grab it, the ground shook again. From above him, Arash witnessed a large, green and brown colored creature burst through the hallway, which was utterly destroyed in the process, that led to the main room. It circled the room above Arash, being able to fly, and plowed into the wall above the mystery door. Arash dodged the debris by yanking open the door near him, and running into a new hallway. He looked behind to see the doorway blocked by rubble. He kept on running until he came into a room that contained two new doors. Examining both, he found that neither was locked. He had to decide between the left door, where he stood, and the right door. "I guess I'll go the... right way!" Arash let out a little chuckle as his rather cheesy joke, and walked to the door, entering it.

Chapter Four:
The room was very dark. No candles lit this room, and only a little light dared to peek in from holes in the very high ceiling. It was humid, with a musty smell that creeped Arash out in every part of his being. He could smell rotting wood, sense the mold floating in the air, but could see nothing. He stepped forward, right into a shallow puddle. The noise it made wasn't pleasing... There were probably small algae in it that got smashed, he'd assumed. Continuing on, Arash found the room to be rather empty; sounds he made echoed off throughout the entire room, and he didn't really run into anything other than a few wooden beams. Arash was going in circles, feeling around for something... anything. He found it, leaning against a wall, sitting down. He felt his hands along whatever it was; its shape was human-esque. Arms, shoulders, head, body, and legs, all where they would be on a human. He stepped back, somewhere in front of it, and stared. The next thing he knew, the creature had opened its yellow-glowing eyes, and began to stand. Both he and the creature were still... Arash reached out to touch it again. He was literally stunned a moment later when the thing screamed like it was in great pain. He was frozen completely. Whether by fear, or some strange magic, Arash could only watch the creature's eyes slowly come closer. His muscles started to loosen up, allowing Arash the chance move away again. He got to the other side of the room before the creature let out its ear-piercing scream again. This time Arash was unaffected by the sound, other than a bit of ringing in his ears. He reached for his sword, and pulled it out, going into a low guard. He inched forward, trying not to move much. The creature had stopped after screaming, so Arash had decided to take a shot at subduing, if not killing, the thing. As he approached, he circled around to its backside and prepared to strike. He brought the blade down onto the thing's back, but it merely let out a grunt, and the blade never pierced its skin. It started to turn towards Arash, so he attacked with three more blows, each more powerful than the last. The creature stopped, gagged for a moment, and fell to the ground. Arash realized his last strike had cut the thing almost in half.

"It's like you were alive, then died, then reanimated... Now you're dead again... A ReDead! Quite a fitting name, don't you think? Heh." Arash had decided on a name for the thing, and continued his search for anything he could find. As he turned around, he saw a chest appear in a shaft of light. He was surprised, but went forward to the chest. He opened it up and found a little crystal inside. It was yellow, and shaped similar to a rupee, but this jewel glowed very bright, and was part of a necklace. He took it out, and could now see the entire room. It was a terrible mess. He placed the jewel around his neck, and looked around. There was only one door, which he had come through, so he left through it, back to the previous room. His only option now was to go through to left door, straight across the room from him. He entered the other room that, without his light, would have been dark. In it was a small chest inside a small cell, and guarding it were two Stalfos. They saw Arash come in, and both started to circle around him as he entered the center of the room. Arash covered his backside with his shield, and then went into a high guard, facing one of the Stalfos. He advanced first, and swung at its arm. His attack was blocked by the small shield the Stalfos carried. The other came up from behind and stabbed low. Arash jumped up to avoid it, and spun around in the air. He brought his sword straight down on the second Stalfos, shattering the outer side of its right arm. It dropped its weapon, but that didn't stop it. The Stalfos threw its shield aside, ripped off the remainder of its right arm, then proceeded to fling it around like a flail. Arash took out his own shield again, and throw it sideways to the first Stalfos, knocking it over. It was open to attack, but Arash turned back to the second Stalfos, took his sword and struck it three times with a combo: angled, horizontal, and then vertical. The Stalfos couldn't hold together, and fell into pieces all over the floor. He turned yet again to the remaining Stalfos, who'd regained its balance, and was ready for Arash. It charged, and Arash rolled away, towards his shield. He picked it up, and ran to the Stalfos. Their blades met, and Arash got a good look at the thing's face.

"You... are a freak!" Arash shoved the Staflos away, and spun around powerfully, throwing the Stalfos into the wall when his sword struck it. He came up beside it and slammed his sword into it, again and again, for good measure. It was defeated. The door of the cell that housed the small chest swung open, allowing Arash access. He walked over and opened the chest, finding another key inside. He placed it in his sack, then noticed a small hole in the wall, through the corner of his eye.

"What's this? If that happens to connect with the room that was blocked... But wouldn't that be a silly way to design a prison cell? And it may just go back to the other room... Well, no other way to find out..." Arash shrugged his shoulder, got down on his hands and knees, and crawled through the hole. It made three turns along the way until it finally ended. Once out, Arash could see that this was the room he wanted, and immediately ran up the stairs to the food door. His new key unlocked the door, so he walked in. The room was narrow at first, but then opened more. Inside was indeed a lot of food, all of it quite fresh. As with the supply room, there was a set of drawers, which turned out to be locked. However, the wood on these drawers was highly worn, so it didn't take much to simply break them open. Inside the top drawer was a golden-brown key that was a bit larger than the others he'd found.

"This must be it! This has to be the key to open that one last door!" Arash, somewhat excitedly, ran out of the food room and over to the final door. The key indeed fit the lock, and opened the door for Arash. As he went in, he could see the hole that the large beast had made earlier, as well as another at the other end of the hallway that he was now in. He walked to the end of the hallway that turned only once, and at the end was a rather large door.

"This... had better not need a key..." Arash pressed against the door, pushing it open slowly. Once open enough, he walked in and looked around. Again, without his light, this room would have been very dark. He stepped almost to the center before the larger door suddenly slammed shut. He looked behind to see a strange, long creature hovering above the door. It's massive claws has shoved the door closed, and caused it to jam. Arash took notice of another door near the North-east corner of the room. He ran to it as fast as he could, but as soon a he reached it, several bars came from out of the wall, and blocked the door. Arash was now stuck in the room with the beast. He looked it over as it hovered around the top of the room. It looked like it was made completely out of plants, and was shaped like a snake. In height, it was about twice a human's size, as the old man had said, but was longer than three. Coming out just under its head were two skinny, but rather long arms. On the end of each were three large blades, all the size of Arash. The beast soon crashed down onto the ground, curling is lower body, and looking at Arash. Its eyes were glowing red, and it seemed to salivate some putrid green slime. In the mouth of this thing were hundreds of small, but very sharp-looking teeth. Arash stood at the ready, waiting for the beast to attack.

"Alright, you... thing... I need what you've got locked away, so let me have it, or I'll have to- Oh gee!" The beast took a swipe at Arash, narrowly missing his neck as he backed away. "Okay then, if you want to fight, then let's fight!" Arash stepped forward and looked over the thing once more. It was completely plant-based, other then its teeth and claws, so he guessed his sword would damage just about any of it. It swung again, and as it did so, Arash ducked forward, then ran up to its underside. He swung as hard as he could with both hands. Its hide was strong, but the blow cut the creature. It screeched, much like a ReDead, and flew up again. It began to drag its claws along the top of the high wall, tearing some of it off and dropping it over Arash, who did his best to avoid the blocks. After a full circle, the beast came down low, with its mouth wide-open, trying to swallow Arash. He ran as fast as possible while the creature chased him around the room. Finally it settled down on the ground again, and snapped at Arash. He could see its claws coming down again, but he couldn't dodge this one. He put up his sword, and braced for impact, which hit hard when it came. He was slammed right into the ground, but was protected from the sharp edges of the thing's blades. After the creature lifted its claws, Arash shot up. But it was too quick, and he almost blacked out. It took him a few moments to regain his composure, but he did. Again he dodged an attak, and ran at the underside of the creature, attacked the same spot again. This time, blue, slime-like blood spurted all over him. It was horribly disgusting, and he wiped it off his face as fast as possible. The stuff caused his skin to sting, like a light acid.

"If this blue stuff is just its blood... Whatever is in its mouth must really hurt." Arash ran around the room again, dodging rocks again, and then stopped near the door where he entered. The creature was angered with him, and charged mindlessly to him. He ran out of the way just before it reached him, leaving it to crash into the wall. The impact knocked the beast out cold, and shook the door loose. Arash heard the sound of metal scraping against stone behind him, and turned to see what it was. The bars over the door were gone, leaving it to be opened. He ran over, yanked the door open, and walked in. The room it led to was very small, but inside, laying against a pile of stones, was a purple-blue hilted sword. Exactly what he wanted. He took the new sword, and secured it to back. He strapped his first sword to his hip, so that he could keep it with him. The new sword was shorter, so the way he placed the swords, he could draw them easily. Arash walked back out to find the monster gone... completely gone. In its place was the old man, sitting down against the wall.

"Ah, you got the sword?" The old man stood up ad walked to the center of the room. Arash came to him, rather confused.

"What are you doing here?"

"Now what kind of question is that? I live here, don't I?"

"Yes... But the monster! Where is it?"

"...I'm right here." Arash gasped when he realized what the old man was hinting at.

"Y-you're the monster? But how?" The old man sat down, and looked away.

"I used to be one of the children you no doubt met on your way here. I was once a Kokiri child. The Kokiri are blessed with eternal youth, just so long as they stay in their village. If they enter the woods, they loose this gift, and grow old, even if they return. I left a long time ago. I lost the blessing, and once I found this place, I became cursed. That blade you now carry did it. It was meant only for one man, but I was still just a curious child at the time. I touched it with no ill effects at first, but... I soon changed into the beast. I couldn't control just how often, and when I changed, but I could feel when I was about to. You... don't feel strange, right?" Arash was surprised by the man's story. It was wild, but somehow seemed plausible.

"No, not at all. In fact, I felt a little better when I picked up this sword. It seems familiar to me, like something I heard about a long time ago."

"In the many books here, that sword is mentioned several times. It is said that the sword can only be held by one man, and any others who touch it will be cursed, and forced to protect it from others. Only the man who must wield the sword can defeat the guardian, and gain the sword. It is referred to mostly as the "Blade of Evil's Bane," but also as-"

"The Master Sword!" Arash whipped out the sword and looked it over. "This is such an ancient sword... But shouldn't it be... glowing? I heard stories of it doing that."

"You may be the man who must carry it, but it seems you do not have the most ancient of powers within you... Only those with a piece of the very Triforce itself can power the Master Sword."

"I... I see. Well... I thank you. I have what I need, and you've told me some very useful things. I would stay, but-"

"Yes, yes! Go! From what I've read, things should improve while you carry that blade. Please, don't worry for me. Go."

"Thank you, farewell." With that, Arash walked out of the open door leading back, and started on his way back to his men, who awaited his return.

So far this is awesome, Dave! I recently finished reading everything you had here. :]

It's a shame that neither of our fanfics seem to be getting much attention lately...

Hey, btw, I think you ought to make Arash a BA character. I can just see the epicness of a battle between him and Judo. It'd be your Hylian commander vs my Hylian commander! Wouldn't that be cool?

Ah, but that's right...both are commanders of the same army, pretty much. It'd make no sense. XD

Chapter Five:
Arash knew it was morning once he had passed through the main room; he could even see some light at the end of the tunnel entrance. He walked out feeling rather good for having acquired an ancient sword, but his joy turned to concern when he saw only three men and Hadley outside.

"Lad..."

"H-Hadley...? Where are two of my men?"

"I... I'm afraid they're lost to us, lad..." Arash hung his head in reverence for the lost men.

"How... did they...?"

"One was stabbed in the back by a Stalfos blade, while the other was... He was eaten partially by some freakish creature. It looked like a man, sorta, but..."

"Yellow eyes?"

"Yes, but how'd-"

"I ran into one inside there... Its scream paralyzed me for a moment. I would have been eaten were I any closer to it..." The men grouped together again, and set off back to the forest village.

"I see ya' found more than just an old sword there, lad." Hadley had noticed the jewel hanging from Arash's neck. Arash looked at it, and realized it wasn't glowing anymore.

"Yes... I was glowing before. I don't know why it isn't anymore."

"That's because it doesn't need to. That's called a Lightstone. They were originally thought to be rupees, but people found them to be even more common than green rupees, and very bright in dark places, so they used them at lights for houses, and ways to see in dark caves."

"Why have I never seen any before then?"

"Well, all I can really say is that people must'a been loosin' them everywhere. Less and less were used as time went on. I heard lots of stories from the older folk in Hyrule City, but never had I seen one up close."

"I see. Did you bury the men?"

"Aye." The rest of the walk to the village was silent. There wasn't anything more to be said, and no one felt like making even idle conversation.

It was some time later that they came back to the village. The tiny group was shocked to see the place in ruin. Little black rocks were littered everywhere in small, charred craters. Near each rock was a strange blue slime. One of the men approached it, but as he came very close, he could feel it giving off a good deal of heat. The substance glowed rather bright, and little trails of electricity ran along all over it. Arash ordered one of the other two mean to search for the children, while he ordered the first to step back. Whatever the slime was, Arash knew it couldn't be good. The grass around it was completely dead, and around that it was dying. Even the already dead wood that the slime touched was blackened, and charring just under it. The two men came back carry one child each, with the other following.

"Get them onto the horses. If they stay here, they may very well die. I will not have any more deaths on my conscious! Hurry!" The men scrambled to get two children on each horse, while the soldiers themselves carried the last three children. They all ran for the path to exit the forest, but one tripped on a branch on the ground, and landed directly over some of the slime. The child was thrown out of the way, but the man's face was directly in the stuff. He looked up, started to scream, then writhed around on the ground, trying to wipe it from his face, only to have it on his hands. Arash could see that the substance caused a very strong burning pain, and electrocuted whatever it touched. The steel armour they wore would only make things worse for whomever touched the stuff. There was little time to spare, and no way to save the man. Hadley jumped down, took up the child, and ran back to his horse. He had the two children behind him, and carried the other in one arm, while using his other arm to steer the horse. They ran and ran, even as some Skull Kids jumped into their path. Lanza and Hadley's horse both just plowed through them, and continued to clear the path for the soldiers behind, who were hardly slowed down, even carrying children. Eventually the group broke through the trees, but still ran for a time into the field. Once a sufficient distance from the forest, everyone collapsed, sprawled all over the grassy field. The two horses went off the rest a ways from the men, but still within sight. Arash took a glance at everyone. He'd left with six soldiers, only to return with two. But he was glad to see all the children present. As he lay his head back, he saw a black smudge in the sky. He flipped from his back to his belly, then stood up. The black smudge was smoke, and it come from a far way into the field. He ran to the top of the hill that blocked his vision, and once on top, squinted his eyes to see something at the heart of the smoke. It was a large black rock, covered in something that looked blue. From here Arash couldn't tell if he was seeing things or not.

"Lad? What is it?" Hadley saw Arash looking over the hill, and walked up beside him.

"Hadley.... Let the men rest a bit, but you get them back as soon as you can! Do you hear me? As soon as you can! I'm going to check that thing out. You take them the long way if you have to, but don't follow me, and don't go near there!" Arash firmly gave his orders to Hadley, the ran onto Lanza, slapping her sides to get her to go fast right from the start. "Hurry, hurry!" Arash was pushing Lanza as fast as she could go, but it would still be some time before he would be there. After a few more minutes, Arash slowed Lanza a bit, for her own sake, but kept a steady pace.

By the time Arash arrived at the large rock, he could see the bodies of dead soldier littered everywhere. Today was the day that large groups of the Royal Army would march through the field as a workout. Arash assumed only that the rock had crashed into them while they marched. The ground around the rock was burning, and letting off a good deal of smoke. Finally Arash saw it... The blue, glowing slime. It ran in veins through the rock, and had crawled out of the crater the rock sat in like a living creature. Arash heard something coming from the other side of the rock, and witnessed someone running on horseback to Castle City. The smoke obscured his vision, so he gave pursuit to see who was running.

He arrived at the gates some time later, but had lost sight of the stranger. The decision was made to see the king instead. There was little chance he'd find whomever had been running, so he found it best to inform the king of his findings in the Lost Woods. He got to the castle as as fast as he could, and barged in, running to the king.

"Ah, Arash, you've returned. News?" Nodel was sitting on his throne, turned completely towards the window at his side.

"Yes, I do have news. First off, I found what you wanted me to get: the Master Sword." Arash paused to catch his breath for a moment. "Also... Something landed in the field, and several pieces of it crashed into the forest. Inside of these black rocks is some sort of blue slime... One of my men... He tripped, and landed in it. It caused him immense pain, and seemed to be burning him, even though it was not on fire, nor did it act like magma. I have no clue-"

"How many men returned?"

"Just me, Hadley, and two others... We encountered heavy resistance in the forest, as well as the slime... I'm sorry."

"I have well over 120,000 men in my service. The loss of four men is nothing to worry about, underling."

"We evacuated the people living in the forest. They-"

"You what!? Those are demons, you fool! Tell me you have not brought them here!"

"These are no demons. These are indeed children. We did encounter some of the demons, however. Both stories are true. Demons and a race of children live in the forest. Hadley is returning with them and the other two men. I ordered him to take the long way around because the large rock in the field was in their way."

"Leave me now. I would like for you to search for something else. It is unfortunate, but our enemy has it. I need you to find a special shield that is made of a magical material. It can reflect any magic known to our mages."

"Alright... Who should I take?"

"For this one, I'd recommend you work alone. You'll need to be stealthy."

"Yes, if you say so."

"Yes indeed I do! And if you question my authority much more than you have, I'll be forced to punish you accordingly! I have little patience for a man like like you, Arash. Watch yourself, lest you be cast down by the goddesses themselves!" Arash bowed, turned from the king, and left to catch up with Hadley. He had all intentions of disregarding King Nodel's recommendation. Hadley was a well of information, and Arash wasn't about to just leave that behind.

----- ----- -----

"Hadley! there you are!" Arash was riding Lanza along the pat that he'd ordered Hadley to take, hoping to catch up to him.

"Aye. What was that thing, lad?"

"A very, very large version of those black rocks we found back in the forest village. It crashed into a mass of soldiers that were out marching..."

"...I see..."

"Hadley, I need you. Get those children back, then meet me at the Great Tree south of here. We need to acquire another item. King's orders again."

"Aye, lad, will do fer ya. Gimme at least a day, though. I must attend to my family, and make sure these children are safe. Needless to say, it'll also take quite a while fer me to get to the Great Tree." Arash nodded to Hadley and the men, then shot off to the south. He was heading for a tree just on Hyrule's side of the border between them and Selack. The tree had some mystical powers that healed wounded men who'd been injured in battle. As such, it was a common retreat point for the Hylians. The tree was leafless, light green all over, and looked like a fifty-metre kauri tree. It was a good place to wait for Hadley because it would allow him to relax, and get some peaceful sleep. The Selkish feared the powers of the tree, and so avoided it completely, leaving it for any Hylian to find safety at. Arash came up to it's trunk after finally arriving, and dismounted Lanza, who he allowed to roam around the area. He took a look over her as he lay against the tree. She was light gray over most of her body, but her lower legs and rump were spotted with white. Her mane and tail were completely black, as was her muzzle. She was a beautiful horse, very obedient, and he felt as though she'd be quite loyal. For this time now, Arash was happy. He let his thoughts wander, and he slowly drifted to sleep, images of Sugar Plum Fairies dancing in his head.

Chapter Six:
"Shi hes selta?" Arash heard a voice near him. He kept his eyes closed, but listened carefully.

"Ey beldish ke."

"Stel gers jimf tishge gedr hok!"

"Kesh, weght! Stel gree phag hes wast!" Whoever was talking was speaking Selkish. Arash had heard it many times before during battles with them in the past. He never had a chance to learn their language, however, so was left only to guess at their intentions.

"Aren't the Selkish afraid of this tree?" Arash was confused as to why there were Selkish near him by this "safe" tree.

"Gheshk, Deska gedr Ey hils nolt yalt. Wesk bredi, Deska." The next thing Arash knew, he was being picked up, and tossed onto his stomach. He was pinned down by two men while another disarmed him. He struggled as much as he could, but the men were too strong for him. "Hven'e prodg yalt nipkid undes hwe! Stel wesk yalt ovdes, Greldan. Ook, ton, keay... Hwe!" Suddenly Arash was flipped over, dragged to the tree, and slammed up against it. The Selkish man that wasn't holding him came up and looked him right in the face. "Hylian man. What seek?" The man clearly had limited knowledge of how to speak Hylian, but it was apparent that he was asking Arash what he was looking for.

"Stel hoskt gink yalt gedr kles." One of the men holding Arash seemed to want to do something with him, based on the tone in his voice.

"Kesh! Kesh! Nadc lefgan!" The Slekish turned back to Arash. "What seek? You by border. You seek. What seek?" The man was very demanding, yet seemed like he could wait for an answer, being in no apparent hurry.

"I'm not sure exactly. You have it. I want it. Simple."

"You seek defence? No defence!"

"Defence...? Umm... Alright, if you say so. Get these guys off me."

"No."

"Okay look, you're about to get the snot beat out of you in a second here if you don't let me go. Understand?"

"No."

"Fine. Say goodbye to your snot." Arash used the support from the men holding him to pull his legs up high, and kick the other man in the face. He reeled back, holding his face in his hands, but only became angered by this. He pulled a scimitar from his side sheath, and brought it to Arash's neck.

"What seek!?"

"Didn't we just clear that up?" Just as Arash finished, he heard hooves off in the distance. With his Hylian ears, he could hear it a good while before the Selkish men, who's faces were covered in a black cloth, thus blocking their ears. Only their eyes and noses could be seen through a black net-like cloth that covered them. "Hadley must be here. No doubt he can help me out... I need some right now." The man was clearly very upset now, unlike before, and pulled his weapon away. He turned, re-sheathed the sword, then spun around and socked Arash in his face. His nose slowly began to bleed from the impact, but it was only a small bit. "Look now, you guys should just leave. If you want to chat, we'll be there in a while."

"We?"

"Yes," Arash nodded to the side Hadley was coming from. "We. Meet my friend, Hadley." Hadley had seen two of the Selkish men from behind the tree while still a good distance away, and pushed his horse to get there faster. He came up beside the left man and took off his right arm and shoulder with his longsword. The man fell to the ground screaming, and covered in blood. Arash used his free arm to punch the other Selkish man, who still held onto him, in the face, thus freeing himself. He then kicked the man's shin, bringing him down. Arash pulled out the man's scimitar while moving around him, then jammed it into his heart from his back. The final man pulled his scimitar and rushed at Arash, who blocked his swipe with the scimitar. Hadley had gone around to grab Arash's weapons. He took them up, then ran at the Selkish man. The collision threw the man man a good distance to the side, giving Hadley the chance to hand Arash his swords. As the man got up, he started to chuckle to himself. He whipped out a horn, and blew it hard. From this short distance, the sound was painfully loud to Hadley and Arash, forcing them to cover their ears.

"Lad, that's a call for back up!"

"I know, I know! Let's get out of here!" The two ran for their horses, quickly mounting and running into the desert. Arash used his sword to strike the man down as he passed him. Before long the two encountered a few riders. They were dressed in black, just like the other men, and rode on white horses. Two had scimitars, while a third man carried a bow. Arash thought it odd that he used a normal bow, rather than a shortbow. "Hadley, you get the hussars, while I can the archer here."

"Aye, as you say, lad!" They broke off to attack their targets. Arash came up on the archer, and got his shield ready. The archer was faster than the hussars, and Arash was faster than Hadley. The two sides were evenly matched, even with two Selkish attacking Hadley. The archer fired a shot at Arash, but missed. He pulled another arrow out quickly, aimed, and fired again, but Arash blocked the shot with his shield. He caught up with the archer, and took a slash at him. He was just a bit too far behind, and his strike only cut through the man's clothes. The archer took advantage of the close range, and quickly shot Arash right in his left leg. At first he didn't even notice, but once he felt the cold blood run down his leg, he became completely aware of what happened.

During this time, Hadley had been taking on both hussars. The first was easily taken down as Hadley had the advantage of his longsword's range over that of the rider's scimitar, but the other man cam too close for Hadley. In close combat his longsword was too awkward to use. Because of this, he switched to his secondary weapon: a small, one-handed warhammer. He slammed it into the man's side, forcing him to back off for a moment to recover. However, Hadley chased him down, and smashed it into his head when he got close, killing the man instantly.

"Hadley! You free for a moment?"

"Aye, lad!" Arash broke off pursuit of the man as Hadley came up behind him. The archer fired and struck Hadley's side, but the giant barely flinched. He came up near the man, and tossed his warhammer at him. It collided with the archer's back, and threw him off his horse. Arash came up, took his sword, and stabbed him through the heart while leaning down. Both he and Hadley broke off the ends of the arrows so they would not be in the way, though Arash would no doubt be hindered.

"Hadley, that arrow is right in your side... Didn't that hurt you?"

"That it did, lad, but it's not more to me than splinter. I may go a little slow, but I won't hinder ya, lad."

"Haha, I'll be the one slowing us. I've got an arrow right in my leg, remember? Hadley, you get your warhammer back, and I think I'll take this bow. It's no regular bow... Look at the design on it, and look at the quality." After the two picked up the weapons, they started to head off towards the closest Selkish fortress. Arash had fought in these deserts before and knew his way to a few fortresses, unlike Hadley, so he took the lead.

It was a seemingly long while before the two found a short stone structure, barely sticking out of the sand. They looked around and around it, but found no way in from any side. Arash peered over the top, and located what appeared to be a hatch. "Hadley, I've got something, look." Hadley rode up the the edge of the structure and looked over at the hatch.

"A way in, I'd think."

"Yes. The wind is blowing West, so let's put the horses on the Eastern side of here, then we will enter." Following the command, Hadley put his horse alongside Lanza on the East end of the structure, to avoid the easy winds. The two men pulled themselves up onto the building, then came over to the hatch. Hadley opened it up, while Arash peered in. There were lit candles, so there was clearly going to be someone inside keeping guard. He climbed down the ladder that led in, slowly looked around before calling in Hadley, and proceeding through the hallway. At the end was a decently sized room with a long rug in the middle, from one end to the other. Candles lined the room, and even the six pillars near the sides of the room. The entire place was made up of slightly worn, tan-colored bricks, and the light was more of an orange color, like a desert on fire. The two walked to a metal-lined wooden door, then followed through it into another room, this one looking much like the last. However, in the room, the two center pillars were replaced with two statues which looked like armoured gargoyles that each carried a large warhammer, and small shield. Arash came to the door at the end of the room, but bars suddenly came down over it.

"Lad? Ye should look behind yerself for a moment..." Arash turned to see both statues were walking towards them. Hadley pulled out his own warhammer, which was severely dwarfed by the statue's hammers, and threw it at the left statue. The hammer merely bounced off, and fell to the ground. The statue slammed Hadley aside like he was a simply a stick, then picked up Arash by the neck, and threw him to the other side of the room. Both men were knocked out from the blows for some hours.

----- ----- -----

Arash slowly began to regain his consciousness, hearing some strange kind of fast-paced music. He opened his eyes to see what was going on, but by the time he'd focused his vision the music had stopped. What he could see was a ceiling that was high above him, and covered in thin, colorful, cloth sheets. He turned his head to the side and saw simply a wall with a candle on it right next to him. Turning the other way, he clearly saw six guards, all dressed similarly to the men he'd encountered in the desert. In the center of the room, a fair distance away, sat a man, dressed in loose, black clothing. He also wore a dark grey robe, gold-lined gauntlets, and black metal boots. His hair was also black, but very well kept, and his beard came down to a small point on the left side of his face. Sitting on his head was a small golden crown, lined with emeralds, and a sapphire on every point. The throne he sat on was also gold, and had soft, scarlet cushions on the seat and back, while green velvet covered the tops of the throne's arms. Around the throne, as well as sitting on the steps that led to it, were many women, dressed colorfully, each also wearing a cloth like the ones on the ceiling, as well as a few men, who clearly weren't guards, but servants.

"Welcome, warrior, to my throne room. Would you care for a drink?" Without giving time for a response, the man clapped his hands, and one of the servant men ran off. "Now then... I am King Darisu. Maybe you've heard of me?" Arash sat himself up, waited a moment, then looked at Darisu.

"No... I haven't. You are the Selkish king, I presume?"

"Yes, that is the case. Only a few weeks ago I became king of this great land, when the previous one, King Senivash IV died in his sleep. His heart finally failed him, and now he rests peacefully with our god, Lazar."

"Your god? What do you mean?" Darisu laughed to himself when Arash asked the question.

"I know well of your beliefs of the three goddesses whom you say created Hyrule. Let's just say that my people don't see eye-to-eye with yours on such matters." Arash wanted to hear more, but prefered to know what exactly was going on.

"Why have you brought me here? And... and where's my partner?" The servant came back at this time, carrying a platter with two golden goblets on it. He handed one to Darisu, then came over to Arash, and handed him the other. Arash took it, and thanked the man before he took the platter back.

"I've brought you here to speak with you. You fight in the name of King Nodel of Hyrule, yes?"

"I do, though by no choice of my own."

"I have received troubling news relating to him."

"What!? What do you mean? Is he dead?" Darisu stood up and walked down the steps, coming over near Arash.

"No, he is not dead. Yet. But he been... changed. He's not exactly who he was anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means he's changed, as have his desires. My sources have told me that he has sent out several hundred platoons, all of whom are supposed to be coming into my lands within the next few days."

"But I- I was just there. He was himself, and he could have sent no such orders!"

"My information is very up-to-date, Arash." Arash shot up off of the chaise lounge he'd been set on, and walked right up to Darisu's face.

"How do you know my name?" Darisu stepped away a chuckled a little.

"You're a little better known that you seem to think. You've done a lot for your lands, and you've actually made quite a name for yourself. In fact, many of us respect your abilities."

"Fine, but what about my partner? Where is he?"

"Ah yes, the big man. He refused to tell us his name." Darisu ordered two of his guards to go retrieve Hadley, then walked back to his throne. During the conversation he'd been sipping his wine, but now finished it. He held out the empty goblet, and one of the servants took it away. Arash himself had hardly had any of his wine. He set the goblet down on a small table near the chaise lounge, then sat down again. Everyone waited in complete silence.

Minutes later the guards returned with Hadley, and were accompanied by two more servants, both carrying the Hylian's weapons. Hadley was sat down next to Arash, and their weapons were laid in front of them. Hadley whispered to Arash after the servants stepped away.

"Lad, what's going on 'ere?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest." Arash rose and looked over his weapons. He picked up the bow and turned to Darisu. "This is a very fine bow. It's not standard for your men, especially those on horseback. Where did it come from?"

"It was found hidden in a chest, resting in some Gerudo ruins. One of the Gerudo women that joined us directed us to its location. It's a special bow, that's for sure. It's very sturdy, and the string is far superior to any I've seen before."

"I see... But why have you brought me all my weapons?" Darisu stood again and waled just to the eds of the steps.

"Arash, your king isn't who he was... If you go back there, I can't be sure what he may do to you, especially if you don't have the Mirror Shield." Arash widened his eyes in surprise, but then frowned at himself. Of course he'd clearly be able to guess I'd be searching for that.

"I can't believe you. You're my sworn enemy, and even though you've shown great hospitality, I must be going."

"Fine, but if I'm right... You're welcome back here. Really, you wouldn't want to fight for a corrupted king, would you?"

"I already am..." Arash's words came out quiet, but they were still heard.

"But please, stay for a while more. It will be night soon, and then travel will become much easier. Plus, my dancers are about to come out. Would you care to watch?" Arash looked at Hadley, and shrugged his shoulders. Hadley didn't approve, but Arash was his superior.

"Alright, we'll stay until night, but then we fully intend on leaving, one way or another."

"As you wish." Darisu bowed respectfully to Arash, and he did the same for Darisu. Seconds after, three women came into the room wearing exotic dance clothing, nothing like Arash had ever seen. The fast-paced music Arash had heard earlier began to play again, and the woman started dancing. It was a very unique sight for Arash. They twisted and turned, bent themselves amazingly far, and moved with perfect grace, keeping time with the song. Arash and Hadley sat back, and enjoyed the show.

----- ----- -----

By the time the dance had finished, it was nearly night. The two were treated to royals baths before they collected their things, then were escorted through the fortress, and out the door. As they passed the statues, one of them turned its head, and glared at Arash. This sent shivers down his spine, but he turned away, and kept his gaze forward. When outside, they were taken to their horses, then set free. They ran as fast as they could back to the Hyrule Castle, both hoping Nodel wasn't changed like Darisu had said.


Hoping...

Chapter Seven:
Arash stood just outside the gates of Castle City. Even from here one could see thin black smoke, grey clouds, and a dark blue sky above the pitch black of the strange rock that crashed into the field not so long ago. It looked as though there was some sort of corruption spread through even the air near the rock, slowly but surely. This sent shivers through Arash, but he turned himself and his mind away from it, and marached into town, soon running to Hyrule Castle, rushing through it with Hadley at his side until he reached the doors leading into the king's chamber.

"Hadley, you stay out here." They nodded to one another, and Arash opened one of the large doors, closing it as soon as he entered the room. He immediatley bowed, and adressed Nodel. "My king, I have returned." There was a hint of placid worry in his voice, and yet still the usual, though now subtle, discontent hanging there.

"Ah, yes, Arash. You've... returned a bit late, haven't you?"

"Yes, well I wanted Hadley to accompany me-"

"Hrmph."

"-and there was an unexpected occurance..." Arash looked up at the king and gasped quietly. Every inch of skin, save for his eyes, nose and mouth, had been covered in bandages, and there seemed to be humps in several places. "K-King? What's-"

"I've come down with an illness of sorts. Think nothing of it, I shall be fine. Tell me now, what happened, and why are you not carrying the shield?"

"As Hadley and I entered the fortress, there were two living statues... They looked like gargoyals with armour and hammers." The king relaxed himself sideways on his throne.

"Armos Knights, most likely." Arash's eyes widened, and he stepped forward.

"You knew about them?" He was met with only silence. Frowning, he continued. "Regardless, they swiftly subdued both of us, leading to our capture. I was allowed to speak with their king."

"And what did you speak of?"

"Not much. He said... that he couldn't give me the shield, or more-so wouldn't. He released us... for reasons I don't know." Nodel almost seemed to leap from his chair, and came up to Arash with an unusual speed.

"Liar. I caught a Selkish spy just today! The coward told me that he knew something about me, and I would assume his king told you. You're no better than this man, Arash. A liar is not someone I'd want working for me, no matter his skills!" Suddenly his hand came up, and he slammed Arash to the ground in a single motion. He stepped over, picked up Arash, and carried him to the door, pinning him to it. "I will not tollerate your sublte insabordinations and lies and longer! Here are hereby discharged from the Royal Army of Hyrule, and condem you to exile from this kingdom and its allies!" He finished his statement by pulling Arash back, then tossing him right into, and through, the doors. Two gaurds rushed from inside the king's chamber, then carried Arash out. Hadley followed behind, asking what was going on, but reciving no answer.

The chase of Hadley after the gaurds carrying Arash was a long one through all of Castle City, but eventually they reached the gates. They were opened, and Arash was thrown out into the field. Hadley tried to follow, but was held back by the two gaurds, as well as several extra soldiers. The gates closed loudly, and soon locked, preventing Arash from returning. He sighed loudly, and stood up. There was no way back now, so why fret about it. Luckily, he had left Lanza outside of the city just in case he was exiled... Foresight was useful. With no duty, and no mission to take up his time, he had a moment to really look her over.

The tall Akhal-Teke mare had an all black coat, with a natual metalic shine to it. She had nearly no mane at all, but rather a line of slightly longer hairs that were duller than the rest of her. Her tail has thin and long, but very well kept, and a duller black like the 'mane.' She was indeed a horse bred for endurance while supporting a rider, and Arash knew full well that she was fast. He walked right infront of her, and started stroking her nose. Strangely, her nose was light grey, as were her almond-shaped eyes. They really stood out, but gave her a more unique look... Though with how slim and sturdy she was, she already looked quite unique.

Arash looked once more at the massive gates, then turned away with some false regret, and went to mount Lanza. "From here on out... I'm on my own. No country, no allies even... Wait...
'Fine, but if I'm right... You're welcome back here.'
That's what he said, isn't it? Yes, something like that." He cursed under his breath, and turned Lanza towards Selack. "Right into the hands of my enemy..." As he rode away from the city, he bid it his farewell, but deep inside wanted to storm back inside, and stand against that 'king.'

----- ----- -----

"My king, he has come."

"Excelent! Have the guards escort him in." A man dressed in the black clothing of the Selkish elite had just informed Darisu of Arash's arrival at the fortress, and had left to have him escorted in. After a few minutes wait, Arash walked in, now dressed in green clothing and brown leather armour, with many steel rings sewn into the chestplate; this was a suit he'd kept with him in a pack on Lanza. "Arash, yes, welcome once again. I trust you were treated well?"

"I still can't fully trust your motives, but your word was true. The man's changed more than I had imagined."

"Yes, I understand... I have been your enemy for some time now. But please, you are an honored guest; sit yourself down." Darisu gestured Arash over to the chaise lounge he'd been resting on during his last visit. "Oh... Your friend is not with you?"

"No. Unlike me, he has not been exiled, and was held inside the city."

"Well then, I feel for you, but you are a strong man. I should hope the thought of possibly fighting him in the future will not cloud you judgement."

"F-fighting him?"

"Haha, yes Arash! You're woking for me now, as there's no turning back from this point on." Arash stood up, and looked at the entrance to the room. Three guards stood there, blocking the way out, while other entrances were blocked by a pair of gaurds each. "It looks as though you may be working for me against your will?"

"No... Nodel's been corrupted. I have a duty to my former country, and as such, I must take down this man, and place a better king in his place, for the good of Hyrule."

"Eeexcuse me, Arash. You seem to have forgotten my little conquest of your country."

"What? I thought you were fighting for regognition of your country."

"Arash... We are a people, a culture, and we have a land. This is our country, regardless of what others say. However, there will be one of two ends to this war: Either we get wiped clean out of this desert... or we conquer Hyrule City, and place a ruler loyal to this country there." Darisu spoke solemly, knowing full well this displeased Arash.

"...I understand, but it feels terrible to turn against the people that I've served for so long..." Darisu smiled in a kindly manner, and came to Arash, putting his hand around his shoulder.

"I will make you a promise: Hyrule City will not be sacked or plundered. However, I can not assure how damaging the seige would be to the city... You've got quite a stiff layout."

"Hm, heh, yes..." Arash burried his mind in thought for several minutes, knowing that helping Darisu would hopefully mean the end of Nodel, but it would also mean the loss of his country. He sighed as a sign of surrender. He'd been exiled... He kept forgetting that he didn't have a country anymore. He slowly knelt before Darisu, and bowed his head. "King Darisu of Selack, I pledge my allignence to you, and will serve under you as you should desire."

"HAHAHA, pleeaase, Arash! You're too much! We are not such a formal people as yours. A simple nod of the head would have been enough." Arash was both upset and surprised, but rose and nodded to Darisu. "Now then, take your time. Nodel's platoons will not be here for some time, so you can rest easy." His tone became more serious. "But are you sure you can battle those you were previously sworn to protect, Arash? I need to know you're not going to stall."

"I... You have my word that I shall fight without hinderance...!" Darisu smiled again, and nodded back to Arash before returning to his throne. He signalled for one of his servants to fetch something, and nodded to another.

"Arash, there's something you will have to be told. Now isn't the time, as it will certainly take up a great portion of your mind, and I can't have you being sidetracked right before a battle. Since it's as late as it is, drinks will be brought out, as will the dancers. After the show, you can go to some specially prepared quarters. One of the guards will take you." By the Darisu had finished, the drinks had been given to Arash, Darisu, and a woman in a smaller throne at Darisu's right. This woman wore a simple, maroon cloak that covered her completely, save for a golden mask depicting a feminine face. Arash would have inquired further about her, but Darisu caught him looking, and shook his head lightly. Obviously this was not the time to meet the woman, and besides, the dancers had come from the back, and the fast-paced music began to play for them. Arash reclined on the lounge, but could hardly watch the show... Not only was his mind occupied by the situation, but the journey back wore him down. He wanted to watch, but his body was against him now. Arash eventually excused himself at Darisu's approval, and was escorted to his room.

It was large. A bed large enough for at least four people was in the upper left of the room, covered in scarlet sheets, a long wooden dresser to its right, and on the other side of the room was a mirror angled in the corner. On the middle of the right wall was a long couch. It was covered with soft maroon cushions, dark green pillows, and had a green sheet along the back with golden designs of flowers and leaves. Finally, on the floor was a large red rug with a green center, and designs like those on the green sheet hanging from the couch. Other objects of decoration lined and hung from the walls, making for a very 'rich' feeling.

Arash was amazed at the room, and sat on the bed, facing the door. "Uhm... wow. Thank you, I'll be fine from here." The gaurds whom had escorted him closed the door, and stood outside at the walls. Arash romved his armour and stood back up to lay it neatly in the dresser. He took off his shirt and decided to place it in the same drawer. It felt good to get those off, and he could only imagine how soft the bed would be once he got under the sheets.

He'd just removed his belt when her heard the door being slowly opened. He peered behind himself and saw Darisu, along with two women, standing in the doorway. "Uhh... Yes?"

"I've brought you some company. You're clearly tired, so I brought Adah and Damali here for comfort." The look on Darisu's face made it clear that this was perfectly ordinary by his standards. Arash's face turned pink; this was unexpected for him. Darisu smiled again, and continued. "They can provide song, dance, massages, and warmth in bed. It gets very cold at night." Arash suddenly realized why the bed was so big.

"I-it's not nessesary, please."

"Oh come now. How can you refuse two beautiful women! They themselves asked to come, if it makes you feel any better."

"Not... really." An old expression crossed his mind. When on Death Mountain, do as the Gorons do... He gave in and accepted the offer. Darisu nodded, and left Arash alone with the women, clearly no older than seventeen or eighteen. He decided it'd be best to just leave his pants on, and rebuckled his belt. "So... Which one of you is which again?"

One of them, with long brown hair, and emerald green eyes stepped up. "I'm Damali, and this," she pointed over to the other girl, with shorter blonde hair, and brown eyes, "is Adah." Adah nodded and stepped up next to Arash. Both were dressed in two-piece pink and blue silk outfits, which also included veils. One could see through the cloth of the legs and arms, and the veils around their faces, which turned Arash's face more to red.

"Well," Arash started awkrawrdly. "I could use a massage. My back is cramped near the shoulders, and along the upper spine. Both girls took one of his arms and led him to the bed, where they had him lie down on his stomach, with his hands at his sides. Damali took a little bottle from the top of her clothing, and dipped some of its contents onto her hands, while Adah did the same. After replacing their bottles, they both started to slowly rub the oil over Arash's back, one of them on each side. Not much later into the massage, Arash felt like this night might not be so bad after all.