Warning: some adult content

Disclaimer: I don’t own Zelda or any other Nintendo franchise (although that would be awesome). I also don’t own any thesauruses (at least I think I don’t) so excuse me if I repeat myself a bit.

Important: this follows on directly from dreams so please read it before you read this.

 

Overview: Part two of my demons of Hyrule trilogy. The hylians return to Hyrule to fight for their freedom.

 

The Demonkin

 

Link was asleep but this time there were no dreams or visions or whatever they were, just peaceful sleep brought on by the rocking of the s. s. Hyrule. They had been sailing for nearly 3 days now, the food was already running low and fights kept breaking out. Link had done calculations, there were 55 refugees on board and the ship was stocked for 5 days with 25 people therefore there was only enough food for two more meals. There were no hunters or fishermen on board but as there were no animals on the islands they passed and no fish in the sea it didn’t matter.

Impa was on the command deck, helping the captain to steer. She had done the same calculations as Link and had stopped eating. She was already feeling weary but she did not show it, standing tall and getting on with her duties. She had also advised anyone who could to spend time watching for land or ships so they could barter for food.

 

The fourth day begun and Impa forced everyone to skip breakfast, she knew that if they didn’t eat and if the wind was in the right direction then they could possibly make it. But when it was time for lunch she had to return the food because by the time they asked they couldn’t see any sign of merongaret. She ate with them but she didn’t savour the food, to her it was just nourishment. Then she cast a spell on everyone so that they fell asleep. She would leave this spell on until morning. She and link were the only hylians awake and they sat and talked as they kept watch.

 

At dawn the rest of the hylians awoke to find that they were nearing an island, but they didn’t know what island is was. They held out against hunger and managed to stay awake until a boat came from the island. They held hope that this boat was their salvation but as it got closer hunger claimed them and they passed out one by one. Only Link was awake when the boat arrived, there were four people on it and they had food. He was suddenly knocked sideways and everything went black.

 

Impa woke up and saw that she was in a cage, she smiled, she was in a jail, but it wasn’t that which she was happy about; it was the large plate of macaroni cheese in front of her. She literally shovelled the pasta into her mouth and then sat back and belched. Then she remembered the boat, was she at merongaret or somewhere else? Right now she didn’t care she just wanted to find the rest of her shipmates. She heard the rattle of a key and a door opened in the wall and a man in a hooded cloak stepped in. He unlocked her cell and opened the door.

“Would you please come with me, the rest of your friends are this way” he mumbled and led her out of the room. He led her down a long passageway and into a large room, a dining room. There was a table running from one end to the other and around it sat about half of the Hylians. Across the room in the far wall was a giant stained glass window depicting an ancient battle between demons and men. “ Would you please sit and eat, you will need your strength if you are going to leave spungwit”

“What is spungwit?” Impa quizzed, even though she desperately wanted food.

“ This is the great island nation of spungwit, now if you don’t mind I must return to my duties. You will learn more when we meet with the council later”. The man turned and walked out the door.

Impa walked to the table where most of the others were sitting, stuffing their faces with more macaroni cheese. Impa sat down and joined them.

 

 

The hours passed by in the dining room as the remaining Hylians were gathered in the room and they each ate their fill. Link and the palace guards had still not returned as the sun set in the great stained glass window and this worried Impa, they were the only able bodied men and would be needed if they’re hosts were not as pleasant as they were acting. Impa once again looked from face to face of her people and felt fear. If this was all that was left of Hyrule then they needed to find a new home, 49 men women and children was not enough to take back an entire country.

 

Link sat up, gazed around his cell and called out to Zaron the Commander of the once mighty palace guards of which there now numbered 5. “Anything new?”

“ They took Captain Haskell about an hour ago but he still hasn’t returned” Zaron called back. They had been fed but they were chained to the wall, clearly they’re hosts feared them even in they’re weakened states. “ The old man was here a minute ago as well, he was looking intently at your left hand, care to explain?”

“If the mark of the triforce has started glowing, it means that Zelda has taken the final piece of the triforce for herself, Ganondorf is finally dead, she’ll come after me next”. Link felt sad at this, the time would come when she would come for him, he knew it, what he didn’t know was what he would do when the time came.

A hooded figure walked in and took link by the arms, leading him down a passage. Zaron was unshackled and lead off after them.

 

The Dining Hall, three days later

The hylians sat around the great table discussing the nature of their hosts. Many of them had been taken away and shown things beyond they’re wildest dreams, great visions of the past and future, fierce battles and peaceful fields, demons and angels, premonitions of great weapons of war and small glimpses of the peace that would follow. They now regarded they’re hosts as magical oracles but each time they pressed on them for answers they’re hosts would give them no answers.

The room was alive with voices praising or shaming they’re hosts when the door was flung open and a hooded man in a golden robe walked slowly into the room. The Hylians stared silently at the man, he seemed to hunch as he walked giving them the impression of an elderly man. He sat in a vacant seat and slowly pulled off his hood. The hylians gazed at his face both old and young at the same time as he scanned them, his gaze stopped on Impa.

“ People of Hyrule, I am Jhil, king of spungwit and master of all who reside within its borders. I address you like this because I know of the great threat to your country and wish to see it returned to its rightful owners. Please appoint a member of your people to speak for you at a council I shall be holding after this discussion”.

They instantly turned to Impa. “I accept this invitation on behalf of the people of Hyrule.” Impa said. She was hurried out the room and down a set of corridors, into a circular room with a large round table in the centre, around which sat Link, Zaron and four hooded figures.

Link noticed Impa and rose, hugging her gently as she took a seat to his left. “How are our people holding up?” he asked.

“They’re well, our hosts are treating us well”.

Link lowered his voice to a whisper, “I don’t trust them Impa, they took Captain Haskell nearly four days ago and he hasn’t returned”. He looked over at one of the hooded figures, “that man in the green cloak took Zaron and I from our cell last night and used some kind of magic on us, I can’t remember anything after that”.

The king’s voice boomed around the room, “ Impa and Link of Hyrule, we are the council of Spungwit and we wish for peace between our two nations, that is why we have a gift for you, a gift that will help you in your struggle against the demons that have taken your home from you. I am Jhil King of spungwit, let me introduce the rest of the council”.

He pointed to the figure in green, “This is Jarl our psychic and high mage”. The man in blue was Barden the chief engineer and when he removed his hood they were shocked that he had metal eyes. The man in silver was Ira; the prophet who had first looked into the future and seen the Hylians predicament almost 15 years ago, and the man in red was Haron, their greatest warrior, shown clearly by the immense sword and shield that lay against the wall behind him.

Once Jhil had finished Link asked the question that had been on all of their minds, “Why haven’t you tried to warn us if you have known for 15 years that our country would be invaded?”

Jhil looked at link as if his question didn’t make sense, “do you not realise where you are?”

“To be honest…no”, Said Impa.

“You are in the great abyss, a dimension outside of space and time, this island and the sea surrounding it are all that exist here, this is where we were banished thousands of years ago”.

“What do you mean banished?”

“We are the Demonkin of Chronos, the great devourer and first lord of hell, at least we were until we betrayed all demon-kind and turned to good. The Great Devourer banished us to this realm to live like the humans we sympathised with, for all eternity… that is until ten weeks ago when a split appeared and we could leave our dimension for 15minutes before being sucked back, then you arrived.

“You’re good demons?” Zaron spoke for the first time and all heads turned towards him, “So the legends are true, you still exist”.

“Yes and we are the gift that I spoke of, all 135 000 Demonkin are now yours to command, we can leave the same way you entered and return at the exact same time you entered”. This was Haron.

Suddenly the table over which they were talking disappeared along with many of the other furnishings of the room, leaving Link, Haron and Jhil with sore bottoms. This was followed by a series of rumbling echoes as the building that they were in started to crumble.

Jarl called out over the grating sounds, “we must leave through the rift before it re-seals, we have fifteen minutes. Link you gather the other hylians and come with me to the storage rooms to collect supplies and the rest of you gather the army, arm them and head to the docks!”

They set off out of the room and headed to they’re tasks and within 5 minutes all of the hylians, Demonkin and various animals such as horses and camels were aboard the great fleet of fifty ships and twelve rafts, heading towards the black rift in the middle of the horizon. It was closing slowly as various objects passed back into they’re original dimension but the fleet would be through long before it closed.

As the ships drew close they could see a ship stuck in the rift, now too big to pass through, and the head ship in the fleet sighted it for the cannons but when they fired the shots were sucked up by the great crack in the sky. The journey was over, nothing short of a miracle could move that ship and the rift would be too small for they’re crafts by the time the ship would be crushed by the shimmering yet dark portal.

Death sat above the rift on his great flying steed and marvelled at his own genius, what the fleet of ships didn’t know was that there was no ship blocking the way, he was tricking them. They’re souls were ripe for harvest and when the rift closed he could begin his work, for the abyss would soon crumble and die in its efforts to repair itself. He could then return to his own dimension through a portal, job done, and relax. Then he noticed something, a young man was staring up at him sword in hand and scowling. How could the young man see him? He was supposed to be invisible, this was bad news. If the man could see him then the man could change the lives of the others and death would go home without the souls. Death remembered the last time this had happened, he had spent years trying to find one person and millions of people had lived longer than they were supposed to, it was a vicious cycle. Luckily he had branched out since then but it would still tie him up for a while.

Jarl walked over to link as he stared up into the sky. “What are you looking at link?” he asked.

“There’s a dark creature up there but I cant tell what it is.” Link answered.

“You see him too?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“The creature above us is almighty death, only those who possess a fraction of the power of the triforce can see him, and there are so few left who can, he used to appear every time someone dies but now he only seems to appear when a great number of souls are to be taken. If what I think is correct then we are doomed”, as he said this tears trickled from the sides of his aged eyes. “I am an old demon nearly 400 years old, I do not have much life left in me but I will be able of body until the day I die, I just hoped that we would make it out so that I could die with real sunlight on my face”.

“I have an idea”.

“What is it?”

 

Death was perplexed, the ship was still and until now he had thought that they had accepted death but now the young man who had been staring at him was slowly rising towards him. Within a minute the man had reached his height and was standing on a platform of pure magical energy, sword drawn and glaring at him.

“Are you death?”

The man seemed to be asking a question that was quite pointless, what else would he be, he was almost offended. He answered in a voice so grim that it sent shivers down Links spine. “I am he”

“I am here to barter with you”.

“There will be no bartering death is inescapable”.

“We don’t wish to escape death only to prolong our lives for a few days, a week at the maximum”.

“And what would be the benefit of this…arrangement?”

“We could finish our quest to free the people of Hyrule and you would not only get our souls at the end of this quest but the souls of those we kill along the way”.

“Your proposition is interesting to say the least…but I must decline”.

“Why?”

“I have no assurances that you would keep your side of the bargain”.

“What would you need as an assurance?”

“You!”

Link was taken aback. “What do you mean me!”

“I would need at least partial control of you and the ability to look through your eyes at all times”.

“Ok but you cant just take control of me at random times, you will have to give warning, do we have a deal?”

Death took a large scroll from underneath his robe and handed it to link, along with a quill. “We have a contract then, you prolong your lives slightly and I take all of your souls at the end of this period, as well as partial control of your body until this point”.

Link signed the scroll and handed it back to death. “Agreed”

“Very well, I will see you within the week, until then you will be protected by my magic and will be un-killable”. With this death vanished along with the false boat and link dropped to the ships deck once again.

“I trust it went well?” jarl asked.

“ We were all set to die here, but death has given us all a week of immortality”.

“A week?”

“Yes, but now we must set sail as quickly as possible as we have little time”.

With this the procession of ships once again began moving and slowly passed through the vortex.

 

 

Two miles off the Hylian coast

Zara was fishing when it happened, there was a terrific flash of light and suddenly a fleet of ships erupted from the air, she counted at least fifty, maybe more. It appeared to her, that it was crewed by demons and humans; she looked on in awe as a small raft approached her dinghy.

“Who are you girl”, said the new demonic form of Jhil as he picked her off her little boat and dropped her into his.

“I am Zara of Hyrule”, she spoke timidly, surely this was another rival demon tribe, on its way to Hyrule to take it for themselves.

“I am king Jhil of the Demonkin of Chronos, we are here to take back Hyrule for you”. As he spoke link appeared at the side of the raft.

“Hey Zara, long time no see”, he said jokingly, “ what’s new?”

“Link!!” Zara jumped at him and knocked both of them into the water, squeezing him tightly.

“Take it easy Zara! Were still in mortal peril here” link laughed as they dragged themselves back onto the raft. “I guess you missed me”

“Thank goodness you’re here, the demons have us working non-stop to build some great tower… I don’t know what its for but they’ve had us hauling some kind of machinery up to the top…were not even allowed to rest now”.

“Well you will soon, were going to attack first thing in the morning, there is nothing on this earth that can stop us”.

“Ok what shall I tell the slaves”

Jhil spoke up “find any weapons you can and join us in battle if we give the signal, we may need you, until then stay at the slave camps”.

“Ok I must go now, or the demons will come looking for me, goodbye Link, Your majesty… good luck”. With this she jumped onto her dinghy and started paddling back to shore.

Link and Jhil paddled back to the fleet and everyone headed to bed, needing the rest for tomorrows ordeal. Only link stayed up, he had taken the post of unofficial watchman. By the morning all of the Demonkin would have reverted into they’re magnificent 12foot demon form, they’re skin would turn fiery red then become scales and wings would sprout from they’re backs, then they’re horns would jut out from they’re heads and finally they would be themselves again.

 

Impa awoke just before sunrise as usual, she went through her usual morning exercises and then went up to the lookout post to see link. She had known he was up there, he never had been able to sleep before battles, it was one of his few flaws, he was too restless. She sat next to him and realised she was shivering. He looked at her and said, “Impa you’re cold, here have my blanket”, he unwrapped his blanket and put it round Impa. Then she wrapped it around him as well. They sat there like that for an hour, talking about what they were going to do after the battle. Then all of a sudden they’re faces turned towards each other and they kissed silently. At that moment the battle horn rang out across the fleet and they parted ways, to do they’re bit before the battle.

Link was running about on deck as they sailed towards the coastline close to Yanella. Most of the demons were strapping crude steel armour to they’re bodies, grabbing swords or bows and then rising up to circle above the fleet, The older demons had the job of controlling the ships and were busying themselves loading the cannons. The hylians had also crafted armour for themselves; it was made of adamantium and was light but also strong. All 55 of the hylians, armed with a great enchanted swords, were on a smaller raft and were sailing further ahead with Jhil above them, as a scout party.

As the fleet approached the shore a great volley of cannonballs was sent streaming towards them and the s.s.Hyrule sank slowly into the depths. The captain of the flagship gave the order and the fronts of the allies’ ships creaked open. There was a deafening roar as the cannons inside fired, throwing cannonballs the size of a house towards the shore, obliterating all the buildings and carrying on into the woods, leaving great steaming trails of destruction. At this the allied army swarmed forwards and charged the shore. The hylian raft reached the shore; they climbed out and with a great cry charged towards the hellish hoard.

The two armies met on the beach and the sand was soon stained red with blood. The dead lay trampled by enemy and friend as demon killed demon and the evil demons retreated from the immortal allies. They were driven slowly back until, after four hours, they turned and fled back to the dark palace. The allies followed.

 

Three days later, four days of immortality left.

They were marching between Death Mountain and the Charain Mountain, home of the fire elementals, towards what was formerly Kikarico village, now backed by thousands of freed slaves. They had taken most of southeast Hyrule, but in the process they had destroyed a large part of Hyrule. All the way from Yanella to Kikarico was now a barren wasteland populated by only the mountains and fire elementals, and there was nothing they could do about it. The good news was that once they had taken back Kikarico the dark palace was the next place for them to attack.

Link was walking ahead of the march, they had a long march ahead and they would probably arrive at noon. Link noticed as he walked that there was a sign ahead, he ran up and read it.

“Kikarico “Slave Camp” is about ten miles away, get ready people!” he shouted as Jarl landed beside him. Link knew that jarl would report this to the rest of the men, women children and demons in the march. Jarl flew back and Link then continued marching towards Kikarico.

Impa caught up with him about a minute after and they started chatting, they had kissed on the ship and since then had decided to start dating after the war, even though she was nearly 10 years older. She knew that he still loved Zelda in some way but he had loved her in a different way since he had seen her with deity.

Suddenly a group of black demons jumped down and advanced towards the march, but they took one look at the numbers behind link and Impa and ran away as fast as they could. The black demons did not get far when they were suddenly blocked by fire; a single fire elemental was hovering above them, then it was joined by a second, then a third and so on until the air above them liked like a firework had just gone off in front of them. Then the demons burst into flame and collapsed into piles of ashes, and a single fire elemental came to rest in front of Link.

“We are the fire elementals, we have followed you’re progress and we have decided to join you”, its voice was like a wavering candle flame and its body was humanoid but made of lava, they were a young race, created as slaves in the pits of hell for when dark palace rose, but they were a kind, good race. They had rebelled and fled to the Charain Mountain, where they had waited for the downfall of Fierce Deity.

“We are little in numbers but strong, all 400 of us are prepared to help you lay siege to the dark palace and destroy the dark creatures that have taken over this land”. The fire elementals then lowered to the ground and the march continued; the ranks bolstered.

At noon the allies rose over the crest of a hill and below them was Kikarico slave camp, much larger than it was as a village it now contained a large farm, three windmills and a large statue of Zelda and Deity kissing. They finished battle preparations and then the Demonkin charged down in a great red wave, followed by the people of Hyrule and the fire elementals. A great battle soon engulfed the entire village but the allies could not seem to do harm to the great demons that guarded the slaves and they had to retreat.

The leader of the fire elementals, Balazen called a meeting and when Link, Impa, Jhil and the rest of the council of spungwit were present he posed the all-important question. “How do we kill these great demons, they seem to be made from rocks”.

“You’re right but there’s no way to kill rocks, we cant even dent them, and the only way I can think of is to slowly wine away at them with pick axes”. Link said, he was extremely annoyed, as one of the rock demons had snapped his Biggorons sword in two.

“Well how about we melt them?” said a timid voice that nobody recognised. “I…my daddy used to be a smith…before he and mommy died” everybody looked around for the source of the voice and couldn’t spot it until Jarl turned round and they could see a small child clinging to the back of his horns.

Link looked at her and then asked, “what is you’re name little girl?”

“M…My names Siri…Siri Foren”

“Well Siri, I think you’re idea just might work”. Link smiled at her then turned to Balazen, “how hot can you make those rock demons?”

“We could melt them pretty easily…unless they’re protected by magic, then we would take hours just to melt one”. He looked worried at this thought.

“Well then we’ll just have to hope they’re not protected…but just in case we will get any mages together to back you up with anti-spell charms, how does that sound?”

“Very well, we shall try”

Soon the fire elementals soared above the slave camp, raining down sulphur down upon the rock demons, obliterating them without any resistance. In less than fifteen minutes the rock demons were piles of cooling sludge and the other evil demons were fleeing the camp pursued by the fire elementals, meanwhile the rest of the allied force were clearing out Kikarico and killing any left over enemies.

Many of the slaves had survived the fires and were making they’re way out towards the large camp beside the village. A number of makeshift beds had been built and the wounded and exhausted were being given priority. Meanwhile on the outskirts of the camp the demons and elementals were watching for any sign of enemies approaching.

Link and Impa climbed into the first bed they could find and started talking. Then Impa stood up and slowly started to striptease for Link. She slowly pulled her shirt off, revealing her magnificent breasts, and then dropped her pants. Link looked at her beautiful naked body as she crawled onto the bed, she started removing his clothes and soon he was naked. She then lay next to him and slowly he licked down her chest, she started groaning and writhing under his tongue. He then moved down and darted his tongue in and out of her wet pussy, and hearing her moans started going faster and faster until she ceased up in a screaming orgasm.

She then turned upside down and sucked his cock slowly as he rubbed and sucked her clit. She felt him tense and his sucking and rubbing get faster. Suddenly he came in her mouth and it dribbled down the side of her mouth as she swallowed it. Then they kissed passionately and Link tasted his salty cum in the back of her mouth.

Then she turned again and sat on his cock, feeling it stretch her pussy as he entered her. She raised herself up and down slowly and he gripped her hips, helping her up and down as she moaned and groaned. Soon she came again and feeling this link pushed faster and faster until she was in constant orgasm, then he shot his load inside her. They rolled off each other and lay there panting before passionately kissing and finally falling into a much-needed sleep.

 

Three days later

12 hours of immortality left

For the last three and a half days the allies had been busy, the newly liberated slaves had been trained and armed. Of the 15 000 only 200 had decided not to join the ranks of the archers and had been given battle armour, they would be coupled with the younger demons as reserves. Soon all 160 000 men, women, children, demons and elementals had gathered and were marching to a war that they knew few of them would survive. They marched onwards through the wasteland as the dark palace spires rose slowly from the horizon, it was beautiful, the kind of beauty that was wondrous and terrifying at the same time. Soon they reached the top of the hill and were shocked at what they saw; below them was an endless rippling sea of black demons, millions upon millions of them. Link halted his force and raised the master sword above his head.

“For Hyrule, for freedom!!!!” he screamed, he lowered his sword towards the enemy and as 140 000 hylians demons and elementals charged forwards, the first volley of arrows descended upon the black demons. Volley upon volley fell down upon the forces of evil as the two armies ran at each other until the black demons were running over they’re own dead and the armies clashed into one another.

The sounds of battle carried over the battlefield to where death was watching intently as thousands of harvestable souls rose into a mist above the battle, soon he would descend upon the battlefield and collect his bounty.

Link stood above a huge demon, his mouth a grim slash of determination and brought his sword down upon the vile beasts head, feeling satisfied as it turned to dust. Around him his army was fighting, winning, they’re immortality protecting them from the fatal wounds the dark forces bestowed on them. He knew that soon that would end, the end of they’re bargain was close; he could feel death sapping the strength from his men.

Then it happened. First one, then another of his battle brothers fell, they’re wounds suddenly affecting them, becoming sluggish and falling to easy blows. He saw jarl ripped apart in front of him and screamed with rage, he dived forwards and decapitated the blood soaked demon, turned on another and cut it in two, raised his sword to strike another, then stopped, he felt a cold feeling in his chest. Link looked down and saw a large sword through his stomach. He fell slowly as if in a dream and then the corners of his vision folded in and all he could see was darkness.

Death roared with rage as the hero’s soul burst forth into the mist, it wasn’t his time. He straddled his horse and galloped off towards the battle his scythe slicing the air in front of him. As he passed through the battle he sliced anything that was in the way and felt satisfaction as he obliterated the evil creatures. He stopped at links body and dismounted.

He placed his hand on links chest and the soul shot down and re-entered links body. Death then poured his very essence into the boy and contorted his body until link was a gruesome creation, half death, half-life; death had created the perfect warrior.

Link stood up and reached out to where his sword lay on the ground, then he paused and looked at his hand, it was just bone. He heard a voice inside his head and felt deaths presence, “I have returned you to life I have given you my power, my very essence, now finish what you have started link, kill the fierce deity!”

Link felt control of his body return and he reached out for the master sword. As he did he picked it up, it shifted and darkened as deaths power consumed it, the edge bluing and stretching, “the soul render is yours to control” death whispered as link lifted the mighty sword.

Link headed towards the castle, the dark sword cleaving through anything in his path, demons fell to a simple touch of the blade and the demons barricades turned to dust. He walked slowly up to the doors and swung the blade in a circle, the inside of the circle turned to dust and link stepped into the dark palace.

He was in a large hallway, in front of him were three doors, on each was a symbol, the left door had the symbol of the triforce, the right door had a carving of a bone and the middle door had a large circular medallion with a crack down the middle. It was clear to link that he would have to go into the side doors first and retrieve the medallion parts, deity had always liked riddles. But which should he go down first? “I would take the left door if I was you” death suggested.

“Why is that?” link called out into the air. “Because the door with a bone on needs a key…are you really a hero? You’re not as bright as I had expected” link slapped his head at his own stupidity and walked through the left door.

He stepped out into a dark room and pulled out the soul render, waving its glowing blade about in the hope it would light his way. The blade started glowing and the mark of the triforce glowed gold as the triforce passed its power into the sword and the room came into view. He was standing behind a large Dinalfols; it was facing the other way, looking across the room at another door. Link swiped the render down through its head and smiled as it fell, turned to dust and he stepped towards the other door. The room seemed to warp and bend as he reached the door and opened it.

He stepped out into a field and looked around, on the other side of the room was another door but there were no enemies in sight. He ran over to the door, turned the handle, pulled and nothing happened. Then a shock of electricity ran through him and he was sent flying back from the door. The field disappeared and was replaced by a large room and where the door stood was a hideous beast. It was tall and sinewy with claws longer than link was tall and eyes as red as blood. It was stooping under the low roof. Then it jerked its head up through the roof, roared and slashed the rest of the roof away, causing a smaller creature to fall from the room above, into its mouth.

It chewed vigorously before swallowing and roaring again, this time swiping at link, who only just managed to jump out the way. Link slashed at its right shoulder with the soul render and watched as the creatures arm dropped to the ground. The creature howled in agony and flailed its remaining arm as it rushed around the room. Then it ran into a wall and fell onto its knees weeping. Link ran forwards to give it a final blow but before he could reach it the creature spoke.

“Please…leave…me…alone…please…leave…Growler. Growler…will…give…you…his…shiny”. With this it stood up and shambled over towards link. Link got ready to kill Growler if he attacked but before it reached link it stopped and lowered its head. “Growler…gives…you…his…half…of…the…great…disk”.

Growler then raised his head, roared and slowly he faded away leaving a medallion half and a key on the floor. Link bent down to retrieve them and when he stood up there was a small girl standing next to a portal in the centre of the room. He walked cautiously towards her and knelt down.

“Hey are you ok little girl?”

“Where’s Growler? Where’s my puppy!” she demanded, looking at him with a scowl. Link was lost for words. “Did you kill my puppy?”

Link nodded slowly and then said, “Growler attacked me, I’m sorry, I had to stop it, he went away”. Link looked down at her with tears in his eyes.

“Will you take me with you to find him?” she asked.

“I will if you promise to be good”. Link said.

“Ok, i’m Lanayru, we can take this portal out of here, I use it all the time”. With that link and the Lanayru stepped into the blue light of the portal.

Link was now standing in front of the right door, key in hand, getting his nerve up enough to open the door. Finally he inserted the key and he and Lanayru walked inside.

They were in a small graveyard, there were Poes everywhere. “Lanayru, get behind that gravestone, I have to take care of these Poes”. Link ordered as he unsheathed the soul render and walked into the group of Poes, sword swinging. In less than fifteen seconds link had cleared the graveyard of Poes and the world swam as it changed into a small room with a door at the other end. Link got Lanayru and they stepped through the newly appeared door.

Once again they were standing in a graveyard, in the centre was another creature like Growler, except this one had been dead a long time. Link handed Lanayru his shield and headed toward the dead ‘doggy’. When he got close the ground rumbled and the bones grouped back into they’re original form, link finally recognised where he had seen it before, it was the skull-wolfos from one of his dreams.

A cold feeling of dread filled link as he gazed upon his nightmare incarnate. He ran at it and slashed it with the soul render, but the great sword just bounced off. The skull-wolfos reared up and swiped link from the air, throwing him into a gravestone. Link lay there as the skull-wolfos approached him, then he heard Lanayru scream and it moved off in her direction.

There was a splintering crash from behind link and then the skull-wolfos shot away from Lanayru. “YOU…WILL…NOT…HURT…GROWLERS…MISTRESS!!!” Growler screamed as he hurtled into the skull-wolfos, link sat up to watch as growler tore it apart and hurled the bones around the room. Growler then turned to Lanayru and picked her up in his one remaining arm.

“Link growler saved us!” Lanayru beamed. Lanayru then climbed down and approached link. She helped him up and handed him the other half of the medallion, “I had to get Growler back, i’m sorry I couldn’t just give it to you”.

“I understand Lanayru”. Link dusted himself off then approached Growler. “Growler, i’m really sorry about your arm” link apologised.

“That’s…ok…tiny…hero…growler...will…grow…new…arm” and at that Growler’s right shoulder rippled and a new arm emerged, “see…all…better”. Growler grinned. Link said goodbye to both of them and stepped into the portal.

 

Link was in front of the final door. He had finally done it, he held out the medallion halves and watched as the fused together and bound themselves to the door. Once again they split apart, this time in a perfect break as the seal on the door broke and the door opened. Link stepped in.

He was in the throne room, across the room fierce deity and Zelda sat on they’re thrones, slowly Zelda rose. “Well link we didn’t expect you to get this far, but you wont get any further, we both know you can’t kill me”. At this Zelda and deity both let out a small giggle.

They were right; link couldn’t kill his first love even if he did have Impa. “Link, you have to give me full control of you’re body, do it, I’ll do it for you”. Suddenly link lost all control of his body and felt death take over. He charged forwards and the soul render slid cleanly through her, she shook as she turned to dust, her last expression one of disbelief.

“NO!!” Deity screamed as he summoned his helix sword and charged for link. Link felt control return and tears come to his eyes even as he blocked and spun away from deity.

“It had to be done deity, she was evil, as are you!” link yelled, barely knowing what he was saying. He charged towards deity and swung down hard, deity blocked his attack and spun away, then back helix sword glowing red with anger, link blocked and flipped backwards then struck forwards again with a lightning fast stab. Deity leaned sideways and slashed back missing by millimetres, and then he jumped back and took flight, bursting through the great stained glass windows and into the night.

Link felt deaths power swell inside him once again and thin skeletal wings burst painfully from his back. He took flight and followed deity, spinning after deity into the night and slicing at Deity’s feet. They soared up for miles until they could no longer see the ongoing war beneath them and they soured up further still, into the belly of a great storm cloud. There they stopped and once again charged at each other as lightning struck the spots they had been seconds ago, they swung, blocked, parried and counter parried to no effect as the lightning rained down around them. They were locked in an intricate pattern, neither willing to give any ground, neither wanting to be struck by lightning. They spun and danced as they dodged both each other and the elements.

Then suddenly deity changed his tactic, he raised his sword into the air and let the lightning hit it, energising the great helix sword. Link knew what was coming but couldn’t stop it. Deity lowered his sword at Link and the lightning bolt arced out and through links chest.

Link fell from the air and felt himself getting closer to the ground, all the time he could hear deity laughing from above him. Link hit the ground at such a speed the dead bodies that covered the floor went everywhere and he was lying in a crater. He sat up and felt death realigning his bones, heard them crunch as they fused back together. He stood up and lifted the soul render from the ground. Link bent his legs then kicked off the ground, a sonic boom issuing from behind him. He flew up faster and faster he could see deity hovering above, looking into the distance. He kept going and raised the soul render above his head. He struck deity between the legs and continued through Deity’s entire body. He felt deaths contentment and watched as deity’s ashes fell down to the ground. He felt even more content as he watched the black demons turn to dust, and then he slowly returned to the surface.

As he touched down the black palace started to decay and crumble, spires falling in and the great brimstone walls collapsing in on each other. Link sheathed the soul render and felt deaths power leaving him. His flesh re-grew and his wings fell to the floor before turning to dust. Soon he looked just like himself, he could feel his own body again and death was standing before him. The entire of the world watched as the now visible figure of death knelt before link and link felt blood running out of his wounds. Link fell sideways and felt the world disappear. He was in darkness; his life was over, his job done, the hylian people could take care of themselves now. He felt his soul leave his body and felt no more.

Death rose and with a sweep of his scythe the souls of the deceased flooded into him, ready for the next world. He cast his eyes over the remaining army; many were terrified, as it should be. He nodded to them and mounted his steed, then galloped away fading from the visible spectrum, until the only sign he had been there at all was the soul render, still laying at links side.

 

One week later, new temple of time graveyard

Links casket was lowered into the ground, its glass roof giving the people of Hyrule a view of they’re dead hero. The render lay upon his chest, his dead hands clasped on the hilt. Slowly the last surviving sage, Durania, said a prayer and threw a handful of earth down upon the casket. Slowly the citizens of Hyrule walked up, paid they’re respects and threw some dirt down. Soon the grave was covered and still they came, laying flowers, small tokens and trinkets down upon and around the mound.

Impa had been buried the day before and her grave lay directly next to his, equally adorned. They would be together in death, as they didn’t have long together in life. Slowly the mourners left the graveyard, tomorrow would be a new era and there would be work to do.

Long after a small girl approached his grave and behind her sat a large wolfos, Growler. Tears fell from her eyes as she placed a posy of flowers upon the headstone. “Goodbye, daddy” Lanayru sobbed, before turning and walking slowly away.

 

Continued soon…