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It was nearly evening, the group having switched into Hyrule's time earlier that day. They set up camp near a cave and forest that the resident traveler had deemed safe based on past experiences.
They mulled about the fire. Hyrule was sparking the flame while Wild was cooking as per usual.
Legend was leaning against a tree, picking a splinter out of his arm that he had unfortunately gotten from gathering wood earlier. Wind had helped him, the youngest member now smiling quietly as he looked through the mail he had received from his dear sister. Warriors was sitting atop his bedroll with his legs stretched out. Time was staring down at the blue ocarina he carried, deeply lost in memories as he gazed into the glimmering dark blue surface.
Things were... uneventful.
A few hours passed, the sun sinking below the horizon while the moon rose above them.
Though Time seemed to be asleep, his working eye was open. Unseeing, he stared upwards. The moon reflected in it and making the normally clear eye look just as milky and blind as his closed one.
"..... Hey, Warriors?"
Warriors stirred at the quiet call of his name, grunting. "Hmm?"
Wind's voice was a whisper, the youngest lying closer to the group's tactician. "I'm... It's nothing. Nothing. We should sleep."
He huddles closer into his bedroll, his letters in his hands. He was missing home, and Warriors could tell.
Silently, he unwound his scarf and then wrapped around the other's neck. "Go to sleep. We'll be back to the Great Sea soon." He grunted before laying back.
All was peaceful. A wolf with strange lighter markings prowled around the perimeter, occasionally taking the form of a man with a sword drawn.
Hours slowly ticked past and the wolfish young man eventually traded out for their smallest companion.
With a tiny yawn, Four stepped to the perimeter, taking watch. He was unaware of scaly faces and bright eyes watching him - some from the bushes and a few from the cave they had set up camp near to.
Within seconds, an axe spun through the air.
A thud, and the smallest of them all was crumpled on the floor.
A scaly hiss came from one of the creatures, a red-scaled face and body emerging from the bushes.
"Hhhheroo…"
More beasts quietly crept out of hiding, orange bipedal alligator-like beings creeping into view. The red one's eyes flicked back and forth over the group, crouching slightly as it sniffed the air.
"... Get thhhe wolfff." It hissed, eerily quiet, a forked tongue snaking over jagged teeth.
An orange one stepped over to Twilight, raised his axe, and with the base of its handle knocked him on the back of the head.
Flinching, Twilight awoke, but before he could shout for the others another hard bash from the axe hit him across the back of the head, knocking him out cold.
Meanwhile, the red one was stalking through the camp, sniffing near each hero.
"Thisssss... Thisss one will do...." It pointed to a smaller bedroll, before catching brown hair in another one.
Its eyes widened in delight.
"The hhhhero... Take them bothhh."
The red one stepped back. It watched as its subordinates clasped their hands over the mouths of both Wind and Hyrule, tearing strips of cloth free from their bedrolls and using them to gag the heroes.
Of course, they both woke. Wind released a high pitched whine of terror, never having seen these creatures before. Hyrule paled, immediately kicking and trying to break free. Both were silenced and stilled by hard hits to the back of their heads.
The group of Daira slinking back into the caves from which they came with the heroes dragged behind them. Their wrists and ankles tied so tight they were already starting to chafe.
Silence ruled over the camp even as day broke.
With Four unconscious, no one was woken for the next shift. The axe had smacked him near the back base of his head, dangerously close to the nape and spine but thankfully had missed. However, he was sporting a nasty gash on his shoulder from the spinning blade. Both he and Twilight would both be suffering concussions from the force of the Daira's blows.
Time was the first to stir, ever the early riser. His eye blinked closed and then open, regaining his vision as the morning sun stretched shadows of trees over their camp.
He didn't like the silence he heard.
There was always someone on watch, sounds of movement or quiet rustling in the morning.
Time quickly sat up and immediately grabbed his sword as he saw the state that the camp was in-
Hyrule and Wind's bedrolls’ ripped and torn, their respective heroes missing. Twilight splayed at an odd angle and Four on the ground with an unfamiliar axe beside him-
And blood.
There was blood around the blacksmith.
"WAKE UP- EVERYONE. WAKE. UP."
Immediately there was chaos.
Warriors scrambled up, snapping awake as quickly as one could while being pulled away from sleep's embrace. He had his weapon up almost as quickly as he had stood, paling as he took in the scene. It seemed that Legend had done the very same, as there was a furious cuss behind him from this era’s past hero.
"No no no- What happened?! Where are- Twilight??? Four?!"
Sky, with the Master Sword in his hands, didn't know who to go to first. He glanced between the two unconscious teenagers before running to Four. The sight of blood had drawn his attention and helped him make his urgent decision.
Wild went straight to Twilight, soft cusses spilling out of his mouth as he propped his mentor's head into his lap and felt for injuries. A long bump, the size of an axe handle, adorned the back of his head. Wild's rising worry choked back his cursing.
Legend had spotted the axe that laid beside Four's unconscious body. Lifting it up and running his finger along the blade's edge, he scowled angrily. "Daira. In the camp. Hyrule told me about his, he..."
The young man went pale. He whipped around to stare at his successor's empty and ripped up bedroll.
".. Fucking shit- Great Din-" Legend dropped the axe onto the ground. He raked a hand through his hair and rubbed the other against the back of his neck, his fingers digging into his own skin hard enough to leave imprints in their wake. "The monsters here- They wanted the Hero.” He hissed. “Hyrule. And not- not for the Triforce, not really. Crap."
"What did they want him for?" Time's voice was quiet. Angry.
Wild and Sky were about to announce the existence of a pulse on both of their unconscious comrades but had been silenced by the sound of the elder hero.
"They wanted him for his blood. And I suppose any of Hylia's chosen heroes would suffice." Legend's head snapped back up. "We need to find them. Now. With their blood- Those monsters are going to try and resurrect Ganon."
Warrior's hand flew to his neck, where his scarf had once lain. It was still around his honorary little brother's neck.
"Our tracker's out cold. He still has a pulse. I can try to follow their tracks." Wild's voice was quiet. His stress had been mounting, but he would swallow it down for the sake of the others.
Always.
"Four has a pulse too!" Sky called from where he crouched, scooping the smaller hero into his arms. "He's injured. A gash in his shoulder. We can tie it up to staunch the bleeding but…” The Skyloftian's brow was creased with mounting worry. “Are we going to take them with us?"
Time turned to Legend. "You mentioned that they're after blood?"
"Yes.” Legend’s voice was firm but he was still shaking. “All of the monsters in this Hyrule are after the blood of the hero. I don't think it would be safe to bring wounded into danger, especially here."
"Agreed."
Time rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, slowly looking around at the remains of their group. Warriors is our best tactician. He thought. Legend knows these monsters. Sky is our best swordsman. Wild is our best tracker at the moment and his archery skills might come in handy... I don’t want to leave Twilight and Four defenseless but I don’t want to leave the others without any needed help. Bringing Twi and Four is going to be dangerous… Four is bleeding and that would attract attention. Twilight is out… Probably for a while. I can’t… I can’t leave them defenseless and I can’t bring them with us. I’ll… I can stay.
Time walked over to Sky, lifting Four out of his arms and shifting the smaller hero's weight into him. "You four go. I can defend these two until they wake up. Wild, lead the way. Legend, prepare them for what you know about these creatures. Sky, take up the rear with Warriors. Get going."
Time took another step back, watching as the four heroes nodded and assembled together as quickly as possible. There was no arguing, no banter, they had fellow heroes to save.
---
Hyrule awoke. His head was pounding, but that was nothing new. He'd been knocked around enough times to know what to expect. He groaned, the sound strangely muffled, and slowly blinked his eyes open as he tried to shake the lethargy off. He couldn't move. At least not nearly as well as normal. Blinking a few more times he managed to clear up his vision- and what he saw made him feel ill.
He was deep in a cave where a colony of Daira were residing - red and orange, all huddled in masses and talking quietly to each other or breaking out into small skirmishes. None seemed to have noticed Hyrule yet.
But that wasn't what caught his attention. His eyes were drawn a pedestal in the center of the room with a giant urn and a sealed lid sitting on top of it.
Frozen, Hyrule stared at it in dread as Wind stirred slightly beside him.
Hyrule couldn't move his eyes away from the urn, his fear draining the color from his skin. He knew what was inside that urn. He knew what these monsters wanted with him and Wind.
Wind, however, did not.
The younger hero stirred, his head lolling to the side and nestling into Warrior's scarf. His eyes shift, blinking open and squinting in the darkness. He stayed that way, dazed and confused, for only a few minutes as his memory of the night before returned. He froze as well, not daring to thrash, trying to silently grind his teeth through the gag in his mouth as he slowly looked around.
His heart was pounding. He mentally chalked up how many monsters there were but gave up after a full minute. In his silence he noticed Hyrule. Taking in his expression, Wind's own heart dropping in dread and fear at the realization that Hyrule was terrified.
"Mmm." Wind was trying to get the resident hero's attention.
The pair were chained around a large stalagmite near one wall of the cave. The young man shifted slightly, trying to get closer to Hyrule. He pauses after his movement, listening and staring forwards, eyes darting over the forms of the Daira before shifting a tiny bit once more.
"Mmm!"
Trying to catch the gag on his canines, he continued to gnash his teeth. He nudged his knees against Hyrule's. He couldn't have him panic right now. They could get out of here, they could.
They had to.
Hyrule had barely noticed the nudge. All the moisture in his mouth was gone. His hands were trembling in the tight ropes that bound them. His heart thudded dully in his ears.
He wasn't ready for this. He didn't have a weapon. All he had was his magic, and that wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough. Not for this.
He wished he was a real hero.
He wished he wasn't afraid of the feeling of a single drop of blood dripping off of his thumb from his rubbed-raw wrists.
He couldn't stop his breathing from becoming a little shorter, trying so hard to rub away the blood on the back of his traveler's tunic. He silently started to panic, realizing that he was bleeding. The scent would attract the monster’s attention... and bring their demise much sooner.
The sight of Ganon's urn blurred. Hyrule's throat tightened as his small and frantic efforts to wipe away his blood only made him bleed more. The coarse rope rubbed over his wrists, a burning ache starting to wind their way up his arms.
Wind watched with wide eyes, his jaw working slightly as he tried to bump up against Hyrule and pull his attention away. For the most part he was unsuccessful, looking around rapidly with only his eyes before turning slightly, grabbing Hyrule's arm with his bound hands-
But it was too late.
As quiet as the pair were, the smell of the heroes' blood had caught the attention of the Daira...
Including the red leader.
The lead Daira stalked his way over to them, his split tongue sliding over forked teeth as he spoke.
"Hhhello... Hhhhero. It'sss good to sssee thhhat you have awoken." It spoke proudly, a grin on his horrid maw as he crouched down low enough to be face level.
Hyrule leaned back, the gag in his mouth prevented him from saying any of his spells’ incantations. Beside him, Wind glared at the monster and gritted his teeth. The pirate was making headway, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.
"You know whhhat I'm hhhhere for." the Daira hissed, reaching forward and grabbing Hyrule by the cheeks.
Its claws punctured the hero's tan skin, causing drops of red to bleed free. They left tracks down his face like morbidly red tears.
Wind saw his companion freeze up again. A worried scowl adorned the pirate's face before he made a snappy decision-
In one fluid motion he leaned back and, lifting his legs off the floor, gave the Daira a swift two-footed kick right in the face.
The red monster had not been expecting that. The kick caused it to stumble back and have to regain his balance. Its claws ripped across Hyrule's cheeks, leaving long gashes across his face with one deep one on his right cheek and four more shallow ones on his left - each one slowly dripping blood.
The Daira had a new target now though, and stalked back up to Wind with malicious intent.
"I shhhould have expected you to be jussst assss defiant asss thhhe Hhhhero." The monster snarled, grabbing Wind's hair and pulling his head back, pressing the sailor's aching head against the damp stone. "Perhhhapssss you shhhould be thhhe firssst to die."
"M-MM!! MM!"
Hyrule sprung into motion. His teeth pressing against his gag as he started to thrash, doing his very best to push himself up but was stopped by the chains and a scaly red hand pressing against the top of his head - pressing him down and putting pressure on his skull and spine.
The Daira's clawed fingers had a grip on both of their heads, pressing them both down against the rock.
"I ssssupposse you bothhh volunteer thhhen."
---
Wild followed the tracks left behind by the lizard hybrids, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. They had already ruled out two tunnels- one of which was strangely underneath a bush - and were on their way to a third. Near the back, Sky had his sword in his hands and desperately attempted to communicate with Fi, soft whispers leaving his mouth as he questioned about the dowsing. Could it work? Could it help?
It had to.
They were running out of time.
They could feel it, all of them, a pull in their chests that urged them to hurry - but in which direction?
Warriors vigilantly eyed the area around them, sword at the ready. He felt naked and unsure without the weight of his scarf around his neck. He could only hope that it was serving some good purpose around Wind's neck.
Legend was quiet, following closely after Wild with a bow and arrows at the ready, going over everything he knew about this timeline's Daira from what his successor had told him.
Both red and orange Daira carry axes, red ones constantly throw them and oranges don't, reds are more powerful and are usually only seen in graveyards, orange are seen in caves-
His thoughts were interrupted as Wild let out a soft gasp.
"I think I've got the right tracks."
"You do?!" Sky was the first to answer, rushing up beside Wild and staring down at the ground. He was able to discern the existence of tracks, but nothing past that.
Wild nodded. "Yes- and keep your voice down. See here... It looks like there were two bodies dragged in... this direction." He trailed his fingers through a pair of wide and faint divots in the road, pointing out the near-total absence of fallen sticks and leaves. "Let's go."
Immediately the wild hero led the other three along the trail left behind by the monsters and their unconscious friends, starting to notice more and more patterns - the sign of tails, sliding slowly over the ground. Definitely not like the lizard people he was familiar with, then. His lizalfos often had their tails curled up.
What he wasn't expecting the size of the cave that the tracks vanished into.
The entrance was actually smaller than what they expected, and by judging based on what Legend knew, only one Daira would be able to fit through at a time.
Making note of this for later use, Warriors stepped inside first.
There was a faint blue light from the Sheikah Slate then a gentle crackling sound as Wild traded out his normal sword for a flaming blade. He used it to light up the area, swinging it back and forth slowly to reveal any cracks or passages in the walls before looking down and following whatever trail was left behind in the dust. He had to crouch down low to see it at times, finding the silence of the caves uncomfortable and bleak while the others were in danger.
His eyes narrow as he continued to follow the trail with Warriors, Legend, and Sky keeping close behind.
Not one of them spoke a word, every eye darting around and watching warily for any sign of a blade or scaly hide.
After an eternity of searching in silence, a faint and guttural scream echoed through the caves. They couldn't tell if it was Hylian, or beast. Immediately they turned in that direction, sharing a quick nod and hurrying down that way as quickly as possible.
The sound had been too far away to tell if it was one of their own yet a second scream followed the first that sounded a lot more... familiar.
Within minutes the four heroes managed to navigate through the tunnels, the dark cave slowly grow brighter with every turn due to occasional torches or lanterns scattered inside. The sound of commotion faded.
Wild focused back on the trail yet kept running. He stopped in his tracks as he saw a scaly orange tail slide across the floor farther ahead. This tunnel seemed to lead to a much bigger chamber ahead... This must be it.
Wild led the way forwards, his own skin paling as he caught a glimpse of the interior.
Hyrule was crumpled on the floor, one arm at an awkward angle with blood slowly leaking from his wrists and cheeks as he struggled to heave himself up. It seemed like he had been pulled out of the chains and thrown to the side.
Wind, meanwhile, was on his knees with his back against another wall, the gag he had worked his teeth through on the ground as the boy spat out scales and blood. The pirate had bitten the Daira's nose and nearly gotten the front of it clean off.
The red leader was furious. It strode towards the small pirate and grabbed the scarf wrapped around his neck. Without a word it lifted him up, Wind's furious retorts dying morphing into gagging noises as his windpipe was suddenly cut off.
Legend couldn’t stomach the sight of one of the others suffocating. Immediately, he notched an arrow, taking a step to the side and aiming for the leader's hand - and released.
---
Wind's vision was quickly blurring, unable to fight back as he was still tied at his hands and ankles. He was dead weight. Dead weight, and being suffocated by his honorary big brother's scarf. A few pained tears rolled down over his cheeks as his struggles weakened. The edges of his vision began to darken before a narrow blur of motion flew over his vision-
And then he could breathe again.
Wind was dropped onto the floor, crumpling down onto his knees with his torso tilted forward. His head pressed into the ground as he rapidly gasped for air. Roars of furious pain sounded above him but right now he didn't care, he needed to breathe.
Warriors leaped into action, running forwards with a furious battle cry, his sword raised and ready to cut down their foes.
Warriors stepped over Hyrule, careful not to further injure the hero, letting loose another furious cry as he cut into the nearest orange Daira. He sent its head sailing over the crowd, continuing on with a spin attack to damage all the surrounding monsters. He kept moving with every step forward, swinging his blade with every intention to end the foul beings' lives.
Sky joined the fray immediately after the war hero, his own sword glowing ethereally in the dim cavern light even as its surface was sullied with monster blood. He wasn't showing off, yet he was clearly a master of his work. His blade danced in the firelight with every jab and he expertly swung past the creatures' attempted blocks.
They had the element of surprise with most of the Daira not prepared for battle. Many tried to rush for their weapons but Wild was on them in an instant. His fiery blade swung through the air, slicing through scales and cauterizing the wounds instantly - leaving burning blisters and charred flesh.
Arrows flew through the air as the whole cavern descended into chaos. They found their mark, ending the lives of the monsters - retribution for those who kidnapped their friends while they slept. The monsters fell with startled jolts as the arrows embedded themselves into flesh and bone. The creatures stood back up again yet considerably weaker.
The Daira were regrouping, raising their axes and fighting back against the heroes. The creatures were divided into smaller groups now, using their tails and teeth just as much as their swinging blades.
The red leader retreated back to nurse his injured hand, blood dripping from the arrow embedded in the soft flesh between his thumb and palm. With a roar it grabbed the arrow and ripped it out. Then with narrow eyes, it scanned the battlefield.
It spotted its target.
The red leader beckoned to one of the orange Daira, hissing quietly under its breath. The smaller monster nodded and ran off to one of the groups, rallying them together and storming Warriors with furious screeches and loud cries of anger. Unnoticed in the chaotic fray, the red leader slipped by.
Sky was gradually encircled by the orange Daira. He kept his breathing and movements even as he swerved - but he knew his weakness. A black and red blur slid between the swordsman and an incoming axe, pushing him aside and blocking the blow with a shield before the blade lodged itself in his shoulder.
"HOLD ON!" Legend cried, offering his shield arm to Sky, who promptly took it.
Using the mixed power of both his Fire Rod and his Pegasus Boots, Legend spun around to surround them in a ring of fire. Catching on to the idea, Sky let go and stood amongst the inferno, raising his sword high above his head for a skyward strike then turning on his heel into a spin attack, taking down many of the beasts around them.
Wild was making his way to Wind, his fiery blade flickering out every now and then but he kept going, eventually reaching the young pirate and going into a defensive position.
All of them were so occupied, so focused on each task that they didn't see the red leader until he was already dangerously close to the urn... with a struggling, panicking Hyrule under his arm.
"NO!"
Warrior's shout was deafening, the young man cutting through enemies as quickly as possible even as the monsters retreated to defend their leader.
Hyrule saw the large urn ahead of him and screamed again, writhing in the Daira's grip. His arm was on fire, the appendage broken, but he twisted and fought like a madman. 'Rule was already panicking at the sight of his blood dripping off of his cheeks and from his hands, leaning his head away from the urn as much as he could as he was brought closer.
Warriors frantically ran through his arsenal in his head, eyes darting as he sheathed his sword and bolted forward. He tugged on a pair of metal gauntlets from his belt and a huge ball and chain came from seemingly nowhere, vicious spikes protruding from the metal. He knew the risks of using this weapon in an enclosed space like this, but Hylia was he ready to take them if it meant preventing the death of his friend and another resurrection of Ganon. With a war cry bordering on a scream of rage he spun, swinging the metal ball into the air and using his strength and momentum to whip it back to the ground. There was a resounding thud and a myriad of sickening crushing sounds. Half of the Daira remaining were vanquished.
Wild at this point wasn't even focused on Warriors’ physics breaking attack but instead was focused on both defending Wind and trying to save Hyrule. He swapped to a bow immediately, notching an arrow and launching it at the leader.
The young man's eyes widened with worry. He knew what that urn was from whispered stories late at night during watch, told with nothing but quiet fear in the brunet's voice.
Hyrule could not get closer to it. They couldn't let it happen.
The resident hero was panicking, his struggles falling limp as the leader's clawed hand dug into his shoulder and lifted him into the air. More blood dripped from his shoulder, the pale claws digging into his flesh.
Unconsciously, Hyrule counted every drop he could see and feel.
He was a failure.
He couldn't defend Wind.
He couldn't stop Ganon's second rising.
He couldn't even defend himself.
He was a true failure.
A metal ball swung into view as a vicious cry from Warriors filled the room as he started to spin, crushing Daira left and right. He kept going, in full control of his revolutions, eyes narrowed in hate and fury as he shifted towards the leader.
And with a single revolution, he shattered the urn.
Ashes flew everywhere.
The sound of shattering pottery was followed only by silence.
The heroes stared, astounded, while the monsters froze in their places with fear and fury as they watched the ashes of their overlord settle onto the ground.
With a snarl of anger the red leader pulled Hyrule up and clawed down his chest and stomach, leaving jagged wounds that immediately started to bleed…
And tossed the hero into the ashes.
A strangled scream left Hyrule's throat as the young hero struggled to push himself up and get free. He was covered in the ashes of his worst enemy, watching as his blood dripped into the dust and started to clot. Every piece of ash that his blood touched turned as dark as shadows and started to clump together. The ash started to move, the darkest pieces drawn towards Hyrule, seemingly wanting to finish the process.
"SKY! GUST BELLOWS! NOW!" Warriors cried.
Sky acted immediately and pulled out his bellows, always carrying what he thought he would need even for his laziness. He aimed it towards Hyrule and solidified his stance, the strange item sucking in air before pushing it out in a narrow and strong gust, sending the ashes flying- And nearly Hyrule as well.
"GET HIM- I'LL KEEP THE ASH AWAY!" Sky's voice was loud over the gusts of air coming from his item.
Legend dashed to help his successor.
Warriors turned, having seen a flash in the corner of his vision...
It was the leader with both axes raised and aiming precisely for the squirming hero's head as he fought his bonds.
Warriors took action, pulling on the chain of his weapon once more and twisting on his heel, sending the ball twisting into the air. He took a spinning step towards the red leader, and then another, before launching his weapon forward and twisting the chain mid-rotation so that its spikes spun madly. It hit its target dead-on, Daira bones snapping as the red leader was sent flying across the cavern.
It was no longer a problem, the monster's body broken and bloody in the corner of the cavern before it vanished in a poof of smoke.
Warriors thought that with no leader, the Daira would scatter. Yet, they didn't, only roaring in defiance as they brandished their axes.
Legend was on the floor beside Hyrule, using his sword to slice through Hyrule's bonds. He was trying to calm Rule down, the young man still writhing, harsh screams ripping out of his throat.
"Hyrule- Hyrule dammit it's off of you- Come on- Come on-"
Legend managed to cut through the ropes around his legs and then his wrists, nearly getting nailed in the chest by a kicking foot. Strangely though, Hyrule didn't clutch to his broken arm. Instead he dug his fingers into the gashes in his chest, curling up on his side and continuing to scream his head off.
To him, the wounds burned.
They felt like fire was licking inside them, sapping away at his life energy, the bleeding not slowing down...
Legend didn't know what to do, so he scooped Hyrule into his arms and started to back up from the ash. He was thoroughly disturbed as more and more of it seemed unaffected by the gusts, creeping across the ground in black dust and slowly molding into more of a slime-like texture. Hyrule was only making the bleeding worse as he dug into his wounds, voice shrill as he tried to get something, anything, out. By this point Legend was utterly pale, turning and dashing to the other side of the cave. He sat Hyrule down and grabbed his hands, pulling the bloody appendages away from the wounds and placing them on his shoulders.
"Hold on." Legend hissed.
He tore Hyrule's tunic apart- they could wash and fix it later- when he saw it.
Among the blood and flesh of the seeping wounds were black specks.
Ash had gotten inside.
"Potions- POTIONS! DOES ANYONE HAVE POTIONS?!"
Legend frantically rummaged through his bags, cursing at the amount of utter shit he had, shoving aside an empty bottle before seeing a small bottle of red, tucked in between his ring box and Moon Pearl. He grabbed it as quickly as possible, checking it before leaning forward, gingerly opening up one of the wounds and pouring the potion inside. Red mixed with red, potion indiscernible from blood. Legend's mouth and throat dried as Hyrule's screams still pierced his ears.
"Damn Hylia- Damn Ganon- Damn the gods-"
Wild was back in the fray, dodging wide attacks from Warrior's huge ball and chain, a spear in his hands as he rolled and jabbed at the Daira. Their numbers were dwindling, definitely, but the ones who were still living had not survived for no reason.
They were intelligent and strong.
Wind was back on his feet, bonds cut but weapons gone. He would have considered running in there and fighting tooth and nail had it not been for the fact that his neck burned whenever he took a breath.
Sky was very slowly taking steps back, extremely wary of the ash-turning-dark-substance, keeping as much as he could away from Hyrule and Legend. He noticed that the transition between the grey ash to the black tar-like substance was slowing, keeping the gust forwards and focused on the stuff he was trying to ward away.
The ashes needed more blood, and whatever semblance of a mindless entity existed in the stuff had sensed exactly what it wanted surrounding and inside Hyrule.
While the majority of the ash was outside of Hyrule's body and making an effort to get to him, some was already inside. Already with the blood it needed, it wormed within the wounds and burned away any clotting, the pain of it all being the cause of Hyrule's screaming.
Legend hated it. He hated the sound of it and he was seeing the black specks move. Ever since he started using the potion against Hyrule's wound he had heard that his successor's screams had quieted just slightly... But he could tell that the potions weren't helping. Not yet. He pulled his hand away and corked what was left, wincing hard as Hyrule's voice pitched higher in a pained scream.
Similarly, a wild yell echoed Hyrule from across the cave.
Most of the Daira had been dispatched, Warriors dealing with the rest while Wild whipped out glowing blue bombs and started to hurl them at the tar-like ashes. Wild was the source of the yelling, the young man reminded too much of Malice by these disgusting splotches of black on the floor.
The bombs shook the cavern, Wild having to skip back and keep his distance while his bombs were recharging- but that didn't mean he didn't take the chance to launch a bomb arrow or two and launch them at the dark ashes either. He was definitely having an impact on the substance, him and Sky together making sure that the dark stuff couldn't advance.
Warriors spun where he was, having replaced his gauntlets, ball, and chain for his normal sword. He fought the last two remaining Daira, knocking away their efforts to hit him- Not that he had gotten out of this unscathed. He had deep dents in what armor he wore, and underneath his tunic his chainmail was dented. Small cracks and broken links hehe littered the under-armor. Four was going to be pissed.
He had a deep gash in one arm and one along his side where the chains broke and a Daira had gotten a lucky hit. He didn't dare to use a potion on himself right now, especially not when Hyrule's screams- now littered with sobs- still rang through the cavern.
A loud shout sounded above Hyrule, the tone clipped and focused. "I'M GOING TO TRY AND GET THE ASH OUT." Legend's face was set, sucking in a breath.
Legend was rummaging rapidly through his bag, his fire rod set down beside him as well as a sharp arrow and three more potions. He had them lined up beside him, picking through his rings rapidly and muttering to himself.
"The Protection Ring maybe? Maybe? That would... Yeah." He slipped the protection ring over one of Hyrule's fingers, working quickly. "Blue ring, too. Yes." He whispered, fitting that ring onto one of Hyrule's fingers as well, knowing what each and every ring did, shutting the box with a snap and setting it aside.
He put 'Rule's hands back onto his shoulders, letting his successor hold on as tightly as he wanted, sucking in a breath and heating up the tip of his arrow with his fire rod, aiming away from the other hero.
"I'm getting them out, hold still- Hold still."
Hyrule's screams were more like cries at this point, his fingers curling into the shoulders of Legend's tunic as tears dripped down his bloody cheeks. There were still bits of ash in his hair. As he fought to keep himself from curling up into a ball and clawing into his wounds, one of the ashen pieces brushed his cheek.
Immediately he screamed again, one hand flying to his face as he dug his fingers into his cuts, scrabbling at his face to get the darkening ash out. Sobbing, he dug it out with his fingernails and flung it away, shuddering away from the speck in terror. Blood was splattered across the ground, his blood, and his struggling was only making it worse. His hands were covered in the red, life-giving liquid, and he was shaking.
Legend cussed loudly through his teeth, grabbing his fire rod and setting the speck ablaze, the ground scorched with the power of the flames he summoned. As soon as Legend was sure that the little speck was dead he turned back to Hyrule.
Once more, he prepared the arrow and leaned forwards. Mentally, he counted.
One...
Two...
Three.
He dug the hot arrow tip in, aiming for the first black spot he could see. Legend scraped the metal against it, using the point of the arrow to dig it out and fling it away even if some of Hyrule's bloody flesh came with it. The black tar made a shrill sound that the hero had never heard the likes of before. A sob followed the movements, Hyrule shaking in his spot and hardly able to restrain himself from screaming at the feeling of the small piece of darkness being ripped from his wound.
Legend clenched his jaw, using his fire rod to burn the lone darkness away as another bomb shook the cavern. He repeated this process, feeling Hyrule's shaking growing both weaker and worse, but keeping himself focused on what he needed to do.
Once a wound was free of darkness, he poured a potion over it and watched as the blood from that one wound slowly stop.
Legend continued this cycle, even after the sounds of blades clashing and bombs exploding stopped in the cavern. The only thing heard now was the whoosh of flames from his fire rod and Hyrule's whimpers as he dug out each dark spot.
Unbeknownst to either hero, the others had gathered around and had started searching their own bags for things that could help. Wind, without his bags and weapons, sat down against the wall beside them and watched, nervous, as the final dark pieces of ash were flung aside and burned.
Hyrule slumped immediately, his bloody hands sliding off of Legend's shoulders where before they had been gripping so tight to bruise, and his forehead instead rested on top of one of his shoulders. He hadn't passed out yet, nor dead, just completely exhausted and weak from blood loss.
Wild crouched, flicking through his slate rapidly before pulling out and offering a palm-sized bottle, the liquid inside being some sort of maroon with a tag wrapped around the bottle's neck.
Warriors also held a potion, though this one seemed a bit more... Exotic. It was bright green and shimmered in the light.
Sky had a green fruit in his hands, looking unsure and nervous as he approached, rolling it between his palms.
Legend quietly took Wild's offered potion first, patting Hyrule's uninjured shoulder and leaning him back, uncorking the potion. It smelled a little strange, honestly kind of gross, but he tilted Hyrule's head back just slightly.
"Swallow this, okay?"
The hero's voice was quiet, watching his successor nod slightly, tipping the potion into his mouth. As Legend eyed Hyrule's wounds, seeing them slowly start to knit back together, a cold potion touching his shoulder. Jerking slightly he looks up at Warriors, who seemed to have replaced his green potion for a sparkling yellow one.
"This one too... Yellow potions helped me quite a lot." Warrior's voice was soft as well.
A hush had fallen over the cavern that refused to be broken even as Sky stepped forward, a bottle of greenish-yellow liquid in his hands beside the fruit.
"These'll restore his energy, too... We should... We should get back to camp." Sky turned a bit, eyeing the cavern.
Wind hauled himself up, using the wall to support his weight. He reached up, tugging slightly at the scarf wrapped around his neck before making his way over to Warriors. He unwound the scarf from around his neck and shakily handed it to the taller hero. As he took the scarf away, though, a long bruise around his neck was revealed. The scarf had definitely left a physical imprint on the young man, his neck sore and overall just hurting to speak at the moment.
Legend was giving Hyrule the two extra potions as this happened, Sky at his side murmuring words of comfort while Wild stepped to the entrance of the cavern and took watch.
Warrior's eyes widened at the sight of Wind's neck, his own fingers trembling slightly as he took the scarf. He stared at the small pirate for about a second before pulling him into a hug, careful not to harm his neck any more than it already was.
"Let's get you two back home, Wind..." He whispered.
Wind sighed shakily and nodded as he both accepted and returned the hug.
After Hyrule had downed the rest of the potions, he certainly looked better but no one was taking any chances. Not after what they had just seen and experienced. Sky shared a look with Legend, both young men helping Hyrule to his feet before Legend scooped 'Rule into his arms, definitely not wanting him to use any more energy.
Hyrule was exhausted, even with the stamina potion running in his system, head lolling back slightly. He was left with some new scars, jagged ones across his chest, still pink and soft as the potions worked their magic.
Warriors took up Wind in his arms, giving the young pirate a swift look as he opened his mouth to protest. The message was clear: No talking, and I'm helping you back.
Wild waited for all the others to exit the cavern before knocking three bomb arrows and aiming at the ceiling of the cavern. He shooed the others on and waited until they were a safe distance away before bombing the cavern, causing the ceiling to cave in.
Immediately he turned and bolted, his voice picking up volume. "Go go go! Let's get out of here!"
"The fuck was that for?!" Warriors shouted back as he too picked up the pace, careful not to jostle Wind in his arms.
There was a loud rumbling sound behind them, Sky stumbling over a rock but Wild grabbed his arm and kept going.
"Because what do you think if anyone found those ashes huh?! Especially more of those mon-"
"Daira!"
"Daira, whatever they're called! But that would lead to hell- Why wouldn't I cause a cave-in?"
It was after that moment that Warriors gave up on questioning the blue-clad hero's actions, letting out a tiny sigh of his own as they bolted for the exit.
In a very Wild-like move, Sky stuffed the green fruit into his mouth as he ran.
Wild glanced back, seeing cracks run along the ceiling above them, spreading and branching out like lighting or tree branches. He pushed onwards, trying to pick up speed even as Sky stumbled behind him a bit- mirroring a scene from his memories. He swallows dryly, shoving that thought down. Now was not the time to think about his death.
Moments later he could see the entrance, the bright sunlight causing them all to wince and shrink back just for a moment before picking up speed once more. All of them, running, exited the cave systems only seconds before it lost all support and collapsed behind them. Gasping for breath, Sky fumbled for another stamina potion and drank it as his hands trembled slightly, doing his best to breathe evenly.
Warriors tucked Wind tightly into his chest, while Legend squinted at the sunlight. The red-clad hero held his successor carefully, knowing that he still needed rest and time to heal fully.
Wild stayed where he, pausing to let everyone catch their breath, getting a better look at everyone once they were out of the cave systems.
They were all a mess.
Wild looked like he hadn't bathed in a week, covered in soot and dust. They all were, really. Hyrule had it the worst though, his clothes stained with blood and dirt with bits of pottery stuck in his hair. Warrior's hair was ruined, Legend's hat was askew and if the seasoned hero wasn't wearing his red one could see the blood on him much more easily. Sky's once-white sailcloth was looking faintly of dirt and grey dust.
Wind was most likely the best off of them all, having been away from the fight for the most part. He just had the gross taste of scales and blood still in his mouth from when he bit the lead Daira's nose in half.
At the sight of the ragtag group Wild held back a smile full of nothing but relief, turning and leading the others back down the path whence they came, determined to get the injured help.
There must be a town nearby. If there was, they could finally get some rest.