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Warriors repressed the urge to sigh.
He had known that splitting up was going to be difficult. He also had known that pairing up with Wild, especially, was going to be interesting, to say the least. But he hadn’t expected it to turn into babysitting.
Well, babysitting with a twist.
The Champion seemingly did not understand any of the dangers that this dungeon had to offer. He was far too curious for his own good, touching everything, wanting to explore each crook and cranny, and not watching for dangers. Dangers, which had not yet fully made themselves known, though bound to present themselves during one of Wild’s inattentive moments. They had already fought Moblins and Lizalfos, and there was no telling what else lay in wait for them.
Any conversation seemed to be fruitless as well, although that was because Wild’s mind was too preoccupied with his new surroundings to fully process what Warriors was saying. At least, that’s what Warriors would assume, zoning back into the other standing over a cluster of mushrooms glowing an eerie green color.
“Do you think they’re edible?”
Warriors raised an eyebrow.
Wild placed the Sheikah Slate back on his hip, “Because the Slate has no connection to tell me otherwise.”
“Please do not touch the glowing fungus, Champion.”
“Maybe I’ll grab them on the way back up,” He muttered with a shrug, seeming to talk more to answer his own question rather than Warriors’ response.
This was fine. Just keep walking forward.
Which they did, following long hallways and winding staircases that only became more foreboding as nothing jumped out at them. Over an hour ticked by with nothing to show for it other than a sense of dread. The Captain kept a hand on the hilt of his blade. So far, there had been no puzzles to solve, the only trouble coming in the form of monsters and traps- So where was it all hiding?
Even the Champion seemed to have sobered up, staying near his side rather than veering to and fro. The air itself felt thick and tense. It was like the dungeon was holding its breath. Near the end of the stairway they had been spiraling down, the walls began to open up, leading to what looked like a large, spacious room. Finally, the Boss Room.
The two Heroes exchanged a silent glance, then stepped through the archway.
Several flickering torches lined the circular chamber, their light dancing on the stone walls. The room itself was massive, nearly as tall as it was wide. Nothing else was in sight. They continued walking forward; perhaps something would activate once they hit the middle of the room. Their footsteps bounced off the walls. Gingerly, he stepped on a decorated tile that had to have been the keystone, waiting for it to sink down.
They waited, but nothing moved. No monsters suddenly appeared. The tension that Warriors felt in his chest only tightened. This wasn’t right.
Still as wary, the two broke off from each other, scanning around the room for any sign of something that was off. Something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Or at the very least, something that should be there, but wasn’t.
“Isn’t this where a big scary monster man is supposed to be?” Wild finally asked, breaking the heavy silence.
“Yes.” But instead, there was nothing. “Maybe this was just a dead end,” He tried, not believing an explanation as simple as that. What were they missing?
The chamber remained eerily quiet as they continued their search. Warriors felt very aware of every little sound he made- whether it was his boots on the tile, or his chainmail shifting, it all felt too loud. Comparatively, the Champion moved without a sound, only releasing an occasional ‘hmm’ to break up the silence.
It was maddening. The walls were smooth, the tiles firm. The room was simply… empty.
“Captain, should we go back and look for the others?” Wild asked, having come to the same conclusion.
He sighed. “Yes, it looks like this way was just a diversion. Perhaps one of the others will have found something. Lead the way.”
While his mind continued screaming ‘danger,’ they couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Especially if another group had come across the boss monster. Maybe this time he would be a little more patient with Wild’s inquisitive drive- But still no eating strange fungus.
Wild paused at the archway, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. In between the rocks sat a portcullis, being further proof that something was supposed to be here. Or at least, had once been. Call him paranoid, but Warriors couldn’t shake the feeling that made him want to stay. He wanted to figure this chamber out. Solve the mystery. But unlike the Champion, he wouldn’t let his curiosity overtake him. The logic was clear: Nothing was here, so they should leave.
The sudden snap was the only warning he had before the gate dropped down. Instinct made him fall back, rather than dive forward, and the portcullis landed with a ‘CRASH.’
And with it, the torches on the wall snuffed out, leaving the chamber in darkness.
Lovely.
There had been a trap after all.
The atmosphere once again intensified, however, Warriors remained the only thing in the room.
“Sorry,” The Champion started, standing sheepishly on the other side of the lattice gate. The torches beyond were still lit, untouched by whatever had put the others out. “There was a tile on the ground. It was right before the staircase.”
Warriors rolled his eyes. Yes, it was an accident, but after being on high alert the entire time, the trigger should have been out of place. He got to his feet and brushed himself off. “Great. Alright, let's figure out how to open this back up.”
“I wonder if I can use magnesis on it.” Wild muttered, pulling out his Slate. Luckily, that thing had been useful so far, so what in Hyrule ‘magnesis’ meant would remain unquestioned.
The Champion, however, had no time to navigate his device. Warriors froze as something shifted. Below him.
The floor creaked, and the ground dropped below him.
Wild yelled.
Gravity took hold as Warriors tumbled into the darkness-
Only to land back on the tiled ground a dozen feet below. For the second time in just as many minutes, he scrambled to his feet, his body aching from the landing.
A soft light filled the room, the space identical to the chamber it had been above. A dozen sconces hung on the walls, fires ignited on their own, lighting up the torches one by one until the room was once again lit. One bigger and brighter hung above the large opening that sat in the wall.
Whatever lay inside began to move, awakened by the clatter of noise. Golden eyes peered out at him.
From above, the Champion continued yelling, attempting to break down the gate by banging something against it.
The creature crept out. Slowly. Deliberately. It knew that its new prey had nowhere to run- It had no reason to hurry. The soft light of the torches reflected off obsidian scales. A deep grumbling echoed from the walls.
Now, only a few feet in front of him: Stood a dragon.
It towered over him, nearly twice his height, if not taller, its wings awkwardly flapping as it lacked the necessary space in the archway of the chamber to properly intimidate him. The beautiful obsidian scales faded into a pale ash as they continued to its underbelly and chin- the scales at the elbows of its arms were longer and sharper, designed to help with both combat and self-defense, followed by claws at the ends of its hands and feet. From the end of its square jaw, ivory fangs were bared in warning.
This wasn’t anything he had experience fighting. Give him a Moblin, Lizalfos, or even another Hylian, and he would not be bested. Even Volga, the dragon knight he had fought years ago, had easily become an enemy that he could predict. But a literal dragon was an animal, primal and ancient; there would be nothing spurring it on other than instinct.
He tightened his grip on his shield, then hesitated for only a moment before unsheathing his sword- It was obvious that the creature simply wanted him to flee, but now his only exit was being blocked by it. There was no other choice now but to fight and hope he could evade it long enough for help to come.
Whether the dragon had come to the same conclusion or because he was now clearly armed, Warriors didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. It attacked.
In such an enclosed space, it would be difficult for either of them to navigate a battle, though it would help him keep an eye on his opponent. Warriors managed to dive out of the way as it lunged forward, a grumble emitting from its chest as it did.
He arched his blade over his head and swung at its back, but his sword harmlessly scraped off its scales. All he received for his efforts was a shock up his arm- These scales would not be cut through so easily.
“Captain!?” Wild’s voice cried out, “Hold on, I’ll get this gate open!”
“No! Get out of here, now!” Warriors commanded. It would be of no use if Wild got stuck down here as well. There might be a chance he could get himself out, but adding the Champion in the mix made things too unpredictable, especially if Wild tried once again to fight something that he had no business beating.
Any reply from Wild was drowned out by the dragon’s roar, the sound rumbling his bones; black smoke poured from its jaw and nostrils as it lunged again. Warriors moved out of the way, though the dragon caught the edge of his shield and pushed him further away. A clawed hand followed shortly after swiping at the shield he once again blocked with. The shriek of metal scraping against them echoed up the chamber. The sheer force of the blow brought him down to his knees, his other arm now screaming in protest from the blow, his shield scarred from the powerful claws.
In case Warriors needed to know just how raw a power this beast held, that was it. After one hit, he knew that his shield wouldn’t last through another one, and he himself would not fare much better. And with the sheer amount of pain from it, it was possible his shield-arm was even broken. He had to think smarter than an animal, but how?
He darted away from its head, expecting it to turn and follow a moving target. It did not.
Instead, the dragon twisted the other way, its tail swinging toward him too swiftly for him to dodge. It slammed into him and threw him into the wall.
Stars swam in his vision. The back of his head screamed in pain. It moved again, taking advantage of his disorientation to pin him to the ground. A cry escaped him as talons dug into his dominant shoulder, piercing through his chainmail like butter.
The dragon shrieked, the sound grating against his ears. Its weight shifted forward, pressing down onto him. The talons sank in further. Warriors clenched his jaw in response. He could barely feel his fingers at this point, let alone the sword that he tried vainly to hold on to.
He lay trapped, pinned like an insect.
“Captain, please, say something!”
At the sound of Wild’s voice once again, the dragon’s eyes shifted above. He had a second of distraction- he needed to move, but how?
As the pain in his arm continued to burn, a thought struck him. Letting desperation and instinct take him for the moment, Warriors bucked. His legs kicked out to strike the creature’s neck. The dragon pulled away in response, releasing him just long enough for him to roll out from under its talons. His precious, royal blue scarf went with it, disappearing underfoot. The creature darted forward in the attempt to recapture its enemy, powerful jaws snapping the space Warriors’ head had occupied only a second ago.
There was no time to recoup or regain his bearings. Stumbling to his feet, left with nothing but the torn shield as his sword lay abandoned beneath the dragon. Without his weapon, this had truly become a game of cat and mouse, and usually, the cat won. The dragon began its pursuit anew.
Warriors slid under its foreleg as it slashed at him, narrowly dodging the talons. But then he noticed- the ashen colored scales that covered the creature’s underside were rounder in shape and duller in appearance, not catching the torchlight in the same way the darker scales on the rest of it did. His brain processed the information, gears turning. Maybe if he could just-
The edge of a wing knocked him off his feet. Warriors scowled. Due to the tightness of the chamber, he’d forgotten to watch out for those. There was no time to try and regather his thoughts; however, as talons sank into his thigh. Instead of simply piercing, the claws moved, slicing through skin and muscle. Hot blood pooled around him immediately. In vain, he cried out as the dragon dragged him toward itself. It seemed well and truly pissed, now.
It huffed, the thick smoke rising with resentment from its slightly agape maw. Warriors had to remind himself to breathe. Not that it was easy to, with the heat of the creature’s breath settling over him.
Cycling through his options didn’t bring much comfort: his paths out of here were becoming less and less numerous, his chances of survival dwindling with each second.
But, Link hadn’t won a war threatening the balance of time and space to die at the hands of an animal. As majestic and legendary as it was- It was still a wild creature.
Though he knew it might worsen his arm (what did it matter?), he moved. Since he couldn’t kick out like he had before, he brought his shield-arm around and struck the dragon in the nose. It gave the reaction he was hoping for- it ‘snorted,’ instinctively pulling its snout back.
Then, he saw his opportunity.
His sword lay right there, just out of reach.
Warriors lunged for it, feeling the claws still embedded in his leg fully tear through what was left. His fingers tightened around the hilt perfectly, the metal made and molded just for him.
Saying his leg hurt as he made to stand was a severe understatement. He couldn’t even look down at it for fear of emptying his stomach. But something carried him forward; Determination. Resolve. Courage, perhaps. He wasn’t sure- it didn't truly matter. He stood. This was his last chance to change the outcome of this meeting, as short and unjust as it was. This creature had been wrongfully trapped down here; it only fought to live. However, so did he.
Both now had some opportunity to die with honor.
Warriors raised his blade as the dragon advanced with its final attack- One of them would not make it another minute in this world.
Gaze fixed upon the pale, matte scales along its neck, he stood firm as metal met the scales.
This time, the blade didn’t simply slide off as it had the first time he’d struck. It cut. The sword pierced past the dusky scales and into flesh, deeper-deeper before meeting what must’ve been bone or dragon anatomy. Regardless, he released the sword and pulled away. But had one strike been enough?
The dragon roared again, its sound rumbling deeper to Warriors’ bones. A mixture of pure rage and pain cried out from the creature as it stumbled away from him, its movements quickly becoming sloppy and lethargic.
Warriors watched carefully. Hoping, praying, it would lay down and die.
It’s eyes -which burned the same color as the torchlights- narrowed into hateful slits. Even as it continued rearing away from him, slinking closer and closer to the ground, its eyes stayed pinned on him.
It curled up on the dungeon floor, nursing its head and neck where his sword still sat. A shaky exhale slowly left the creature. It did not not breathe again. Those piercing eyes finally fell closed.
The world started to spin. The torchlights seemed to glow brighter, striking his vision. Adrenaline used up, Warriors sunk ungracefully to the ground. He’d been hit hard.
Right arm, possibly fractured, maybe broken. Left arm, bleeding profusely from three puncture wounds in his shoulder. Left leg, absolutely massacred. Muscles, ligaments; torn and sliced through- it would be a miracle to walk again without a limp. He’d certainly hit his head on the stone when he’d been thrown against the wall. That would explain the dizziness. And then a plethora of other, smaller injuries. Bruises. Whatever.
He deserved a quick rest after all that work.
Right?
The stones, rough as they were, felt cool to his warm skin. It would be quick- Sky and Wind were usually the ones who took advantage of their stops to take naps. Warriors would just take one this one time. A quick nap.
The amber glow grew behind his eyelids. When had he closed them?
Their treks were tiring. His brothers shouldn’t mind.
Before he slipped, he wondered where his scarf went. It would’ve made a good pillow.
Then, he slept.
⋟❋⋞
Voices echoed distantly.
It felt like an eternity before he opened his eyes.
But he did.
The sound of metal grating against stone reached his ears. That must’ve been the sound that roused him. He lifted a weary head to see himself still in the chamber room. It was darker than it had been; only one torch still burned.
“-rriors!”
He found the source of the noise. Figures moved beyond the portcullis that he had been shut off. Just too far to clearly identify- Not with his head pounding the way it was. He found his head back on the ground, eyes falling closed one again.
Where his vision failed, his heart succeeded, immediately recognizing the next voice that called out.
“Link!”
Perhaps his greatest desire at that moment was to call back to Wind, who had no right to sound so heartbroken. The words were followed by a near-wail, drowning out one of the others’ attempts to console him. Warriors wanted to reassure the sailor, as he had been for years now. But his voice refused. His eyelids felt stuck. So he huffed instead. Even that little movement felt rough.
Another creak of metal, “I’ve almost…” Wild grunted, his voice soft and weary. The harsh sounds of scraping and shifting grew harsher still, before coming to a stop. A handful of gasps came next.
“The dragon.” Four breathed.
He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that they spotted the creature first. It was huge. Majestic. Even in its death he wished to respect it. Surely they'd see him next? The thought filled him once again with resolve. He needed to grab their attention, just in case. He needed to move.
The dimness of the chamber helped him to squint his eyes open once more, trying to clear his gaze. His body still felt like lead. His muscles like fire. Bones like ice. It didn’t matter, he could make them out, in the same spot they’d been a moment ago. Time’s armor caught his eye first, its gold reflecting the torchlight. Something in his hands also shone gold, though Warriors couldn’t quite make it out. He almost looked as if he was frowning. The Champion stood beside him, bow in hand. The younger two were behind the older, Wind only visible by his bright blue shirt.
Finally, they were all looking back at him.
Warriors sighed in relief.
Until Wild and Time lifted their bows in unison, pulling back the drawstrings. Both arrows nocked and ready.
The captain looked hard at them. They weren’t going to shoot at him, were they? Of course not. That was ridiculous. But the dragon was dead, and so was any current danger.
Right?
From where he had collapsed, the beast should have been somewhere in front of him. Now, he realized, its body was nowhere in sight. His sword lay on the stones alone. As if the creature had disappeared into thin air. And unless he was going insane, or was perhaps more concussed than he realized, dragons shouldn’t vanish like monsters did.
Unless it had survived as well.
What a terrifying thought.
His focus moved back to the arrows; pointed straight at him. What was it that they were aiming at?
Warriors was finished with this nonsense. He had to shake them out of whatever stupor had gripped them. He made to push himself up, and to his surprise, felt no pain from his wounds. Weariness? Absolutely. But no pain. Knowing he wouldn’t like what he saw, but too curious to deny himself, he looked down at himself. He froze.
Instead of seeing his own body, broken and bruised as it had been- He saw deep, iridescent azure scales lining his body, fading into a soft blue that rivaled the sky as they ran down his chest. Where a warped shield had been strapped to his arm, there were only more scales, leading into hands that held sharp talons. A long, blue tail swayed lightly at the end of his body.
Furthermore, in case there had still been a glimmer of doubt, his eyes ran over the discolored skin and scales of his sword-hand. The burn scar Volga had inflicted him with.
Somehow, someway- Warriors had been turned into a dragon. Just like the one he’d slain.
His brothers watched from afar, only seeing a beast where their captain had been trapped. Now he could see their expressions: Rage. Despair. Resolve.
Were he in their place, Warriors would certainly have come to the conclusion that the dragon had taken the life of their brother. Though he did not blame them, he wished there was some way to clear things up.
But revenge would be all that remained.
That fact was confirmed as two arrows dug into his back.
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