#tulilad

Kelly was getting increasingly bored, but also worried. "Tulilad. Hey..."

"Hrmmm... hey, sexy mama..." Tulilad was still feeling the effects of the drug that Morowa used to make him pass out cold. He looked over at Kelly, eyes still glazed over slightly. That lopsided grin was on his face as he winked at her. "You're absolutely beautiful... do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah... I do. It's you dummy." Kelly hated this. She told them not to touch him, yet the drug still lasted. "Can you just wake up fully? Please?"

"Really?" Tulilad looked surprised and then whistled. "Hot damn, I hit the jackpot. Have I... have I asked you to marry me yet? If I haven't, then I need to do that."

"Oh goddess, this is pure comedy gold, sister, are you listening?"

"Aw, I think it's rather sweet."

"That drug of yours really is something."

"I designed it to make someone pass out, I think I might have used a little too much."

“You did. And I told you I wanted time together to think about it. Tulilad. I don’t know.... When we make it out of here, I want us to get married. I love you.”

"I love you too, you sexy lady you... urgh... why am I tied up? I wanna kiss you and hug you and lick you all over---"

"Pfffttt, well he's not a shy thing anymore now, is he?"

"Maybe you can make more straightforward drugs with aphrodisiacs now."

“If I was closer I’d kiss you. If I wasn’t in chains I’d rock your five foot world.” Kelly ignored the chatty sisters. She had no clue if she’d die here. The Captain wanted every moment with Tulilad she could.

"You rock my world every single day, what are you talking about?" Tulilad mumbled in his drugged haze. "I mean just last night we did it... 3, 4... 7 times!"

"Whoa, now that's a man that can keep up with a woman." Morowa giggled. "7 times in one night?"

"It's how they use that dick, not necessarily how big it is... but size doesn't hurt." Negasi started laughing. "What do you think, Red?"

"Darling, darling, incubus like myself do everything, you know that." Red Lover took out his fan and waved air at his face like he was an innocent. "I'll never reveal my secrets."

"We're going to get out of here. I promise." Kelly smiled, but her mind was racing. Despite the 'care' these 'people' provided, the Captain was certain that their fate would be sealed soon enough.

Miranda herself was about to lose it, her mind playing tricks on her in the dark, the real monsters only amplifying her fear. "Monsters. Monsters everywhere. The catacombs have to be destroyed."

"Are you tormenting the captives, my pretty ladies?" Bonegrinder's voice asked from the dark, only the tip of his tail visible. "You know we need this safe and sound to bring the undead filth."

"Now why would I ever do that?" Red Lover played innocent. "I have no idea of what you speak of, Master."

"We all know you'd keep the man as a pet and the woman as a lover given the chance." Morowa rolled her eyes at Red Lover's attempt. "You're the worst of us all when it comes to that."

"I can't help it if they love me, it's in my nature." Red Lover shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't keep pets, Red, you know that's against Bonegrinder's rules. Too much attachment." Bonegrinder flicked his tail, not yet totally visible. "Do you intend to challenge this old snake over it?"

"Heavens, no... but can't a man fantasize?"

Miranda yelled out, gripping a piece of stone to hit anyone that got too close. Bonegrinder's appearance immediately made her hysterical. "GO AWAY YOU SERPENT! GO AWAY!"

Kelly struggled against her chains. This wasn't good. "Miranda! Calm down! I need you to calm down!"

"I don't think this one appreciates snakes, Master." Sterling Silver gestured to the hysterical elf. "Then again, no one really likes monsters."

"That and he threatened to eat her if she didn't behave." Red Lover reminded the blacksmith. "I don't think she liked that too much."

"Don't worry, sweetie, he's not going to eat you." Morowa patted Miranda's blanket covered form.

"Well, at least not right now." Negasi shrugged. "You've been good. Don't spoil it."

"Quit antagonizing the girl." Black Shadow ordered gruffly. "Master's here. He'll decide what he wants to do with her."

"You all are children," Bonegrinder finally slithered out of the shadows. What little light there was, reflected off his massive form. He dwarfed all the other monsters in the room by size. Though there was no mistaking it; the maliciousness rolled off the monster in waves. The insanity was obvious, as was the cruelty. "Though that is why Bonegrinder is here; to keep you all safe and well... but the ones who disobey, yes, yes... are such good snacks."

Miranda lashed out at Morowa, smashing her hand with the rock she had sneaked. Even in her state of lunacy, her skills to thief items for herself was masterful. "DIE YOU MONSTER!!!"

As soon as Miranda hit Morowa with the rock, Bonegrinder's movement was lightning fast. He had the elf hanging upside down by one leg, bringing her up to his leering face.

"That was very, very... naughty."

Miranda stared deep into his unnatural eyes. Gods. He was a demon. A literal demon torn from her night terrors. As these teeth gleamed, she started to whimper, hyperventilating. "N-no. N-not like this."

As Kelly was about to give up all hope, and the Dark Elf let her tears of agonizing terror stream down, a moblin staggered into the room, holding his severed hand close to his chest as blood leaked on the floor. "M-master! H-he's here! The undead is making his way through the catacombs! He's cutting down anyone who can't get out of his way in time."

"Naughty children will be eaten by the snake if they don't behave." Bonegrinder hissed at Miranda, very irate at the fact that she hit Morowa. "Didn't my precious children explain this to you?" When the moblin announced Klinge in the catacombs, the Anagari set Miranda down on the floor. "Very well... this old snake will deal with the undead. Make sure all the other entrances are sealed off and keep him from advancing onto those who are innocents and cannot fight."

"We're on it." Sterling Silver hopped up from his place.

"Do you need us with you?" Black Shadow asked. "We will fight for you."

"No... Bonegrinder can handle this."

Kelly thanked the goddesses for this change of news. "Tulilad. We're getting out of here. Just hold on a little longer."

~

Klinge had cut down one or two men, but most others had scattered. They were simply drones for Bonegrinder, either fleeing the best they could or leading him into a trap. Regardless, Klinge knew he'd face that monster soon. Perhaps more. Steadily, he continued deeper into the catacombs.

Bonegrinder waited in a section of the catacombs he knew Klinge would cross. It had an advantage for the snake monster with high ceilings and plenty of exits if needed be. Yet, another reason he chose this spot was because of the very weak floor. Underneath, there were only a few stable columns. He could easily squeeze through a hole and escape. The undead commander might not be so lucky. So, he waited...

Klinge took a few steps into the room. It was large, with many pillars to hide around. The darkness closed in, the air feeling more cold. The undead silently popped a single green magic motion into his mouth. A few breathes of the air, he relaxed his breathing. Who would make the first strike. Klinge felt the blade in his sheath. He didn't often have a need for sheath's, but for this special case, a weapon that was dangerous to Bonegrinder was also dangerous to him. He took another step, on guard the whole way. Another step, he felt the ground beneath him had an echo. There was a hollowness below him. Another step, he felt the grip of his sword...

"You know this snake is very old, but he still has decent hearing." Bonegrinder's taunting voice echoed from the open room. "If you're worried about the humans, don't be. They're still alive. Though it is high time that you and Bonegrinder talk and arrive to an understanding."

Klinge started to zero in on where the sound was coming from. "I'm old too. And you should know I truly only find respect for others in one way. So come out. And face me monster to monster."

"Hehehehe... did Bonegrinder give you the impression he is not here?" The Anagari was on the ceiling, the many coils resting on ledges. "Now, Commander... Klinge... yes, that is what my loyal Lynel called you. Shall we discuss?"

Klinge's eyes rested with a silent fury. "We shall."

Wiping around, Klinge took out his bow and fired his secret weapon towards Bonegrinder's location. Silver arrows. Hopefully Bonegrinder's ego would have him tank the first double shot. Silver always held an advantage over the forces of darkness when light was unavailable. Using light would kill Klinge outright, but silver could be safely contained. All he had to do was endure its poison and not have it be used against him.

Bonegrinder's coils were able to spread out quick enough to avoid the arrows.

"Tsk, arrows against a snake? Want to pin this snake down and chop off his head? No, no, that's too easy for a creature like you." The Anagari did not like the fact that the arrows were so deep into the foundation. "Are you going to bargain for your humans or not?"

“Here’s my first bargain. Release my people. Leave Hyrule. And I will allow all of you to live.”

"Not so much as a bargain as an order, commander." Bonegrinder chuckled darkly. "You could barely defeat my good and loyal Lynel. What makes you think you could get rid of all of us?"

Technically speaking, Klinge didn't defeat the Lynel. He was grateful that Bonegrinder, for all his horror, fought him alone. "Cut off the head of the snake, the body dies." Klinge ducked low and zipped around, firing two more arrows.

"Oh, you're really naive to believe that." Bonegrinder actually laughed, amused by the commander's harshness. "Whether the snake has its head or not, the body still moves. My precious children will still be here, still have their resources, still be a scourge upon the above world..." The Anagari decided enough was enough and wanted to get to the point. His tail slithered out of the darkness, catching Klinge's leg and lifted him upward. "If you don't want that to happen, then you better rethink your plan, commander. The only reason these criminals are not raiding the above world right now is simply because they fear this snake. So here's a bargain for you," He jerked Klinge so fast, so his coils were wrapped around his legs and arms. "Heheheh... the pretty prince was once in this position and bargained. Yet, this time, Bonegrinder offers you this... keep your people out of the way, and Bonegrinder will keep providing information to the pretty prince... can you behave, undead filth?"

Klinge smirked behind his helmet. He laid out his trap and Bonegrinder took it. Using the extra boost of magic from the potion, he transformed from his regular suit of armour to a specialized silver Iron Knuckle suit. He could endure in a silver suit for perhaps four, maybe five minutes. It held ancient Gerudo inscriptions of light, enchanting the outside of the armour to ward of darkness. With his coil wrapped around Klinge, it started to burn like the sun. "I reject your offer."

"...? Oh? It's burning." Bonegrinder could see the smoke from his scales, and the faint scent of burnt flesh. "Impressive tactic... but you see, there is one thing that you, commander, do not know." The Anagari waved his hand over the commander's helmet, the dark magic in his hand suddenly changing to light. It cracked and sparked in his hand wildly until the entire room was lit with white light. "We Echidnans have a certain... flexibility. Should Bonegrinder test it out on you?"

Damn it. Klinge was not prepared for this. Channeling upon his rage, he pushed against the coils enough to pry one hand free. He hoped for some sort of advantage by stabbing his silver short sword into Bonegrinder's face.

"Didn't you already try something like this?" Bonegrinder simply grinned at Klinge, not minding the sword lodged into his eye socket. "This proves you know very little of your opponent. Tsk, tsk, commander, what a blunder on your part. This old snake thought you were smarter than that."

"How about this?" Klinge let his final trick loose. His magic for teleporting weaponry was handy. It also stopped objects in motion in time until called upon again. Say for instance a stream of water moving, a fire flickering... or a bomb detonating. Klinge knew it was most likely suicide, but with the snap of his finger, he dropped a Goron Powder Keg bomb below the snake as he was lifted into the air. Klinge closed his one finger. "Zero."

With a massive explosion, the blast engulfed the two, the Kingpin taking most of the brunt. Klinge's silver armour saved him from catastrophic harm, especially from the fall the floor came undone beneath them. Debree came down around the undead as he coughed up blood. Klinge felt all his senses burn. How much time had passed in his haze? Did he fall unconscious? He honestly couldn’t tell. That had to do something. That had to ruin Bonegrinder's healing factor. The commander struggled to have his own pick him back up.

Klinge looked up at the at the floor he fell through. He had to find a way out. He had to go find where Kelly, Tulilad, and Miranda were. They needed him. No matter if that blast killed Bonegrinder or not, Klinge had to make sure he used the time to save his comrades. Slowly through all the pain, the Commander picked himself after he felt his muscle tissue connect in his legs, and started to climb out of the pit.

"And where..." Bonegrinder was damaged from the blast, yet not dead. His body was kept together by ancient shaman magic from the land of Omisha. There was no pain, no blood, not even a scratch on his unearthly form as the pieces simply stitched back together as if there was an invisible thread. Half of the monster's head was missing and he was still moving! Bonegrinder was in every sense a monster. How could one defeat a creature that could not be killed? What way was there to win? It seemed only Bonegrinder knew such a secret. "Do you think you're going so soon? How rude! Leaving in the middle of a conversation."

Klinge looked in awe and disbelief. Bonegrinder truly was immortal against Klinge. Snapping his arm back into place, Klinge stopped running from this. Boldly, he faced the monster that rose above him. "I can't kill you...." The undead removed the remainder of his helmet, as it was already blown off down the middle, missing its left side. His undead features were ugly compared to the snake, but it was clear here who was the real monster.

"You fool yourself thinking your dark magic makes you beyond redemption, undead commander, but this old snake... eheheheheheh... has done far worse with the deadly strings of dark and light." Bonegrinder was laughing more like a maniac as his long body slithered closer and closer to Klinge. "Don't you see, commander? Bonegrinder was been around for so long, he remembers, yes, he remembers, he remembers it all, through lifetimes of bloodshed, over and over and over, these pathetic humans can never get along for long!" The rumors preceded the monster's reputation of not only being fearsome, but also insane. "Voices and faces and the noise, the screaming never stops. You think 700 years is a lifetime of horror? Woe is you, commander, who has seen only one of Bonegrinder's. Shall he show you what all he remembers?"

With a single black nail, the Anagari dug it into Klinge's forehead. The flashbacks started. The fighting where he lost Cipher. Ganondorf as Xanatos, the two of them as kids playing innocently. The lifetimes before that, where Ganondorf and Zelda were at constant war. There was so much death, fire, and blood. The faces and bodies piled up higher and higher as the years flooded the commander's mine. In one lifetime, there was Link, approaching the snake, having just defeated Ganondorf. He was weakened, covered in blood, and a sad, desolate look was in his eyes.

"Tell me, the snake who sees all... does it ever end? I'm so tired... so tired of fighting. I just want to sleep and forget."

Once the visions finished tormenting the commander, Bonegrinder was there, raised on his coils, his laughter unable to stop as his clawed hands hid his face partly, those red eyes looking wild. "We are the Anagari, we live forever until the end of the world, for time has no meaning to us! No meaning, no meaning, it's all one big blur! One big red smear of blood and death... don't you see now, commander? Time has no effect on Bonegrinder... he will be here long, so long after you waste away! HA HA HA! Monsters, they call us monsters... hehehehe..."

Klinge’s yellow tainted eyes locked with Bonegrinder's red eyes. For a moment of terrifying union ship, Klinge found a sickening companionship. It was nothing but death and carnage. It never ended. Never grew old like they did. For a single moment, Klinge almost let himself go into the insanity....

With a light smile though, he saw how he could make it out of this void of madness alive. "I understand you Bonegrinder.... if this were any other time, if you had found me years ago.... I'd have accepted the escape of death from this never ending cycle. This psychotic cycle of misery of death. Only you had the misfortune of finding me now. I can't kill something like you, not with my power, but I can make you bargain with me fairly, because I can do one thing." Klinge's pupils widened as he looked insanity in the eyes. "I can take away your family all over again."

"Hehehehe, you are a hellspawn who rebuilds its flesh over and over until time eventually takes you, burns you all away." Bonegrinder traced a single claw down the side of Klinge's cheek. "Though Bonegrinder knows they all will die and he will be here. Their deaths does not concern him, but while they are here, yes, yes, his precious children, they will be cared for... but who's to say that Bonegrinder will not go after the ones you care for, commander?" He chuckled. "The tiny queen, the children of the king and queen, the two captains, the little elf, and... perhaps that sweet babe. What was she called again? Right, right... 'Unruly Ukuri'."

"Because, like me, you would not be able to stomach their loss. Those you hold close. Make a home for. Your mind would snap and the last of your soul would truly be gone. You know this. And if you threatened them... forces far grander than I would end you..." Klinge could think of three woman capable of doing the task. Not to mention Ganon's true fury. "Listen to my terms, or with my final breath, I destroy all their lives... all the monsters and freaks you gather to call a family... and everything you created to find meaning in your life."

"Hehehe, you think they won't fight? Ooooh, that's right, you haven't seen my precious children, have you?" Bonegrinder flicked his tail in delight. "An introduction then! They're always listening... aren't you, sneaky White Fog?"

"As if we were going to let you take on this brat by yourself." The spider lady hung upside down from the ceiling, her frame as large as the Anagari's, but was still too small compared to him. "He boasts like a kid."

"And my beautiful Blue Haze?"

"I told you he'd sense we were here." The scorpion-lady appeared next from a tunnel, her multiple legs skittering across the floor.

"Rather him know than be in need of help, sweet thing." Red Lover simply walked out into the light beside of Hades. "Isn't that right, pussy cat?"

"I still vote you should off them all just to send a message to that palace brat." Sterling Silver huffed as he crossed his arms, standing beside the Lynel. "It wouldn't even be a fight, it'd be a glorious slaughter."

"You're too eager for bloodshed, Silver. We do as our master commands." Black Shadow appeared beside of Blue Haze. "We take care of each other."

Sheer-Khan watched the fight intently from start to finish. More so, he listened to the spirit and philosophy of Bonegrinder and Klinge. He had his own thoughts on the matter, his eyes glowing in the dark. His glow held a similar aura and shine to his Master and the Darknut. So in a sense, he felt a kinship with both. The other lackeys words insulted his ears, his growl indicating his frustration. "You insult Bonegrinder with your words, as well as Klinge."

Klinge tilted his head over, blinking in surprise at the monster... standing up for him? His silver armour vanished, leaving the undead in light chainmail, as his body couldn't take the poison the silver gave him.

"Whatever, pussy cat, you have your thoughts, we have our own." Red Lover fanned himself once more. "And it was their idea, not mine."

"You see, what Hyrule lacks, and what we have, commander... is unity." Bonegrinder slithered over to his brood. "The Hylians hate your Gerudo king and despise his Lorleidian queen. Without a unity... it will easily collapse. Now, Klinge, as you can see... the answer is very obvious here."

"Yeah, you can do shit about us. The only reason Beongrinder hasn't obliterated you---"

"Hush, Silver."

"... grr... fine, Black, fine."

"Bonegrinder and his precious ones are not going anywhere. He will gladly keep supplying the pretty prince with information that has plots against the crown. However, you and yours will need to leave the catacombs."

"I want to hear his bargain." Sheer-Khan crossed his arms.

"As you wish, my loyal friend... commander? Be so kind to repeat your words."

Klinge nodded. "In return for me not immediately not blowing land above our heads and crushing us all, and having no retaliation from those chosen by the gods, I will end my campaign against you. I can't... stop this." Klinge felt some of his spirit leave him by admitting defeat, but he had to swallow his pride in order to protect those close to him. "In exchange, you follow a few 'guidelines'. Free my companions. The damage you've done to them might be irreversible, but you can free them now. Second. Cease your whispers so loudly in my castle. I will not have you spread more nightmares to the children and staff. I can't stop you from speaking with Ralnor, but you have to do so more discreetly. Third, take your business outside of the capital. If there is to be unity, there must be peace and safety for all in the heart of Hyrule. Castle town has to be off limits. There are plenty of other towns and settlements to set up business. Kakariko Village, Hateno Village, Tarrey Town, and Lurelin Village. That last one is a tropical port for the love of Din. Do this, and I will make sure better security is put in place so that unwanted trespasser never enter the catacombs again." Klinge heaved up some blood, looking back up at Bonegrinder with his eyes growing more and more bloodshot.

Sheer-Khan nodded to his master. "He held far more honour by coming alone to fight you. As well as creativity." Turning to his companions, he growled. "A war with Hyrule, would be apocalyptic for us. Our society will survive and prosper for eons if we remain in the shadows. And you dishonour his warrior pride with throwing petty insults like children."

"Your threats don't scare us, commander, we've been through hell and back. The likes of one filthy undead will never frighten us." Silver snorted. "You'll never be able to stop us."

"Hush, you're making pussycat mad." Red whacked Silver with his fan. "Behave."

"You want to protect your little pets, understandable." Bonegrinder thought over Klinge's words. The commander wanted his friends back, he could do that. He wanted him to stop slithering around the castle, but he would not do that. Whispering more so quietly was doable, but it was so much fun seeing the maids jump. The third, however, was not within his power. "You want us gone, commander, yet as you know, there are no catacombs in those cities. Just here, where my precious ones can live safely. We will stay, yet our business as you put it will cause no harm to the citizens here. They will never know we are present. We live in the darkness and we stay in the darkness."

Sheer-Khan growled and grabbed Silver by the neck, squeezing enough to shut him up for the rest of the groups mercy. "Your tongue has disgusted our ears long enough for today. One undead can't stop us. It is everyone else who can."

Klinge barely nodded to Bonegrinder. "Just... as long.... as I don't hear anyone complain about a terror whispering in my town or my castle... I promise that I will keep those from coming down on you, if you stay away from us..."

"Very well... do you wish to collect your pets now?" Bonegrinder gestured for Klinge to follow him. "Blue might have drugged the short male a little too much, so do not be surprised if he's a little... loose tongued."

Silver was a dirty fighter and slammed his metal clad fist into the side of Sheer-Khan's fist, growling at the Lynel.

"You don't tell me what to do... 'pussycat'." Silver shoved at the Lynel to get out of his way and followed after the huge snake with the rest of the Echidnans.

Sheer-Khan smacked Silver like an older sibling upside the head as he walked by for acting like a brat. The monsters let Klinge drag himself bloody to find the three by himself, but not too far behind. "I-I'm here."

Miranda didn't sense the monsters, but was terrified to see Klinge's face. "NO! Not any more! I can't take this anymore!"

Realizing her terror at his features, Klinge placed a helmet to hide his head. "Miranda. Calm down. I'm going to take you to safety."

Kelly let relief wash over her. "You did it. I knew you'd do it."

Walking over to her, Klinge released her and Tulilad from their chains. "Can both of you walk?"

"See? Your precious pets are unharmed, like Bonegrinder said. Though that one..." The snake gestured to Miranda with a frown. "Will be a problem. Ralnor warned her not to pursue the catacombs and she did listen. If she talks, it will cause trouble for us all."

Klinge held Miranda close enough so she didn't hear Bonegrinder. The commander simply nodded in bitter sadness. Would he have to kill her? She was only 18 years of age...

Kelly slapped Tulilad awake. Her fear was getting to her more deeply now. Klinge didn't kill Bonegrinder. So why were they allowed to leave? "Come on you handsome man, we're leaving."

"Oooh, why did you slap me?" Tulilad sulked at Kelly, and then wriggled his eyebrows at her. It was obvious he was still a little goofy from the drug. "Rough and dirty... I like it, I can do that."

"Blue and White will show you out of the catacombs," Bonegrinder motioned for Morowa and Negasi to show their captives and the undead commander the quickest way to the surface. "Though, you will find a way to keep her quiet, commander."

Klinge looked to Bonegrinder, his eyes burning with a silent anger. Cradling Miranda, he held her close enough to keep her sight and hearing closed off. "I hope to never see you again."

"Oh, commander, you will not see Bonegrinder, but he will see you." The old snake laughed as the scorpion and spider sisters led him down the dark tunnel with his subordinates in tow. "He has eyes everywhere."

As Morowa and Negasi escorted Klinge, Tulilad, Kelly, and Miranda through the catacombs, the two massive Echidnans halted at a ladder leading up to a busy street.

"Ta, ta, sharky lady." Negasi giggled as she patted Kelly's head and then scuttled back into the shadows.

"Give him a day and he'll be back to normal, but he'll have a raging headache." Morowa told the half breed with a chuckle. "Farewell for now."

Then the sisters were gone.

At the castle, Kelly kept a very good poker face as men approached and asked where in the blazes she and Tulilad had been. She wanted nothing more than to sleep and think about her life choices.

Klinge saw Ralnor, Zarazu, and Covarog start to approach from the end of the hall when Miranda started to freak out. She held Klinge by the arms, shaking in panic. "Klinge! We have to tell them! We have to tell everyone. About Bonegrinder, about Ralnor, about all the monsters. The horrible, terrible monsters! They're in the dark Klinge! We have to stop them! W-w-we can find a way! We can find some sort of spell or or or, bring the land mass down on top of them! We can help find justice against those fiends! Yes, yes, yes we can! You and me!"

"Miranda... I couldn't kill them all. And you aren't well."

"What? No. No I'm just scared."

Klinge felt something in his heart actually break. Physically, he cared little about himself. He didn't care if he died or lived. But this emotional connection he was about to sever was something he cherished. This poor girl he thought he could mold, turned mad because he taught her to do the right thing, and to follow him into darkness. "Miranda. The Prince isn't evil."

"YES! YES HE IS! He allied himself with monsters! He was ok with letting me die! Klinge, there are monsters! MONSTERS IN THE WALLS! W-WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT!"

"Good gracious, Klinge, what is wrong with her?" Covarog was the first to speak. The small elf's shrieking about monsters and his brother the king feel uneasy. He glanced at Klinge and then to the two captain guards. "What is going on?"

"It seems the girl is obviously mentally disturbed." Ralnor said bluntly, his stoic face not even batting an eye. "She is either hallucinating or having delusions due to trauma of some sort."

"Is everyone unharmed at least? Do you need to see a doctor?" Zarazu asked them with worry on her features. "You were gone for so long, we were all concerned."

"I'm the doctor of love!!!" Tulilad proclaimed as he leaned against Kelly.

"... has he been drinking?" Covarog asked Klinge, never having seen Tulilad act like so.

"I think he's bee drugged, I do not smell alcohol." Ralnor stated plainly.

Kelly placed her hand over Tulilad's face. She kept up the lie for Klinge, never realizing until now just how bad a man Ralnor grew up into. And to think he was such a good kid. "A crime syndicate wanted to blackmail you my monarchs by sending assassins to kidnap myself and the King of Love here. They took Miranda and... did things to her. I can't imagine why anyone would want to bring ill light on her. I'm sorry for our failure, but Klinge was able to rescue us after a major struggle."

Miranda started to break down further, tears streaming down her face and she pounded her fists on Klinge's chest. "You have to believe me. W-why are you defending him? There are monsters, there are. I-I'm n-not crazy. I'm just scared. I want to go h-home."

Klinge held Miranda like she was his child, slowly petting her back. "I'm so sorry Miranda. I'm going to make sure you get help. Everything will be ok."

"I'll take Tulilad to the medical bay to get treatment." Zarazu offered and then looked at Kelly. "Will you help me get him there?"

"I expect a full report on this criminal gang you have here, Klinge." Covarog was none the wiser about what was happening. Evidently Ralnor kept him in the dark about the entire operation with Bonegrinder. He trusted his brother, despite knowing that sometimes Ralnor could be a bit cruel. "I don't want anything like this happening again. From now on, guards, captains, anyone of military rank will always be in pairs and reporting their stationed location. We will have a complete registry of who is stationed where every day."

"Good idea, brother." Ralnor then added. "And as far as orders go?"

"Orders will be followed without question. We do not want to get anyone mixed up in a mess like this again."

Kelly smiled, shaking her head. "I can take him just fine your highness. I think Commander Klinge needs your help more than I do."

Klinge felt the sting in Ralnor's words. The Prince wanted his brothers approval to hold complete order over the commander. All the undead could do was nod. "Of course Covarog."

"It's for the safety of all our soldiers and guards, Klinge." Covarog sighed heavily at the thought of having to impose this on the commander. "I am sorry, but I won't risk losing you or our best captains. I hope you understand."

"Perhaps it is time for Klinge to shift his focus more on protection rather than eroding away at the pests outside the castle, brother." Ralnor suggested as he placed a hand on Zarazu's shoulder. His aim was to keep Klinge near the palace as much as possible so he would not be interfering in the prince's dealings with lesser evils. The best way to do that was to plant an idea in his elder brother's head. "Your wife will need a constant protector once pregnant and you are not able to be with her at all hours of the day. It will be good for her to have someone watching her back, just in case."

"That... actually is not a bad idea." Covarog liked the sound of his wife having a guardian when he could not be there. "Klinge could still be commander of the soldiers, yet he does not have to deal with matters that our law enforcers can take care of outside the castle. It will be less stressful for him, and certainly take a great deal of worry off my shoulders as well."

"You and Zarazu are trying for a child," Ralnor just had to place the icing on the cake. "You and I both know, as well as Klinge does, that some of our... nobility... do not fancy a mixed heir on throne."

"Whoa, whoa, Klinge protecting me?" Zarazu had to interject. "I cannot ask him to do that, he has too much to do already! Besides, I can manage, I have all this time."

"We will lessen his duties then." Covarog was adamant about this. "Ralnor has a point, my love. Will you please consent to this? For me?"

"I..." Zarazu glanced at Klinge. "... all right. As long as Klinge agrees."

Klinge saw Ralnor's game, feeling his heart sink further now that his nephew was manipulating him, manipulating his family to hold advantage over the commander. Klinge's voice held a malice at first, "Ralnor. You-" The commander reeled in his hurt, taking a breath to calm himself. There was a distinct pain that the prince could pick up. Klinge had suffered so many personal kinds of defeat this day. And his nephew's actions was the straw that broke his spirit. "…I will. Zarazu will have my full attention. But first..." He looked down to Miranda, the girl having stopped talking, only able to cry quietly from exhaustion. "I'm getting her the help she needs. For if anything happens to her...I'll make sure I find any more collaborators of the syndicate that harmed her. And I will end them... Zarazu, will you help me take her to the Tarrey Hospital?" It was a far away asylum in Tarrey Town, a couple miles walk from the ocean, with beautiful scenery around. More so, it would take her far away from Bonegrinder and Ralnor.

"Of course." Zarazu then asked. "Would you like Ba'puu to fly us there? Or would it be better to take a horse? I don't want to startle the poor dear further."

"Yes, Tarrey Hospital has an excellent program there to help the girl get back to normal." Ralnor then spun on his heel. "Come, brother. We have a meeting with the Zoran royalty about a new shipping route to avoid damage to coral near the shore."

"Oh, shit, that's right." Covarog groaned in annoyance. "I'm sorry, love, we'll eat lunch after the meeting?"

"I'll wait on you." Zarazu smiled at her king. "But keep me waiting too long, and I'll eat all your dessert."

"You better not!" Covarog called as he chased after his brother.

Giggling quietly, the queen then turned to Klinge.

Klinge clearly was not well, his spirit needing its pieces to be picked back up. He shouted one last quip to Ralnor. "Prince... perhaps its best you get your office soundproofed. Wouldn't want your wordplay to continue to frighten the staff."

"Do not worry, commander... I'll frighten the poor maids no more." Ralnor chuckled with a sly smirk as he continued walking beside of his brother.

Klinge drooped his head, mumming under his breathe silently. "Did I make you this way? How did I fail you...”

"Hm? I didn't catch that, Klinge?" Zarazu thought he was saying something to her. "Did you say horses or Ba'puu?"

"Horses. I don't want to scare Miranda anymore then she needs to be. Can you take her? I need a moment to catch my breath."

"Yes, I can." Zarazu took the tiny elf from Klinge for a moment, absolutely shocked when the girl held onto her like she was a lifeline. "Shh, shh, it's okay. There's no monsters here, nothing will hurt you now." It would be good to distract her. "Let's talk about nice things now, perhaps a good story. There was once a cute, baby dragon who was so chubby, he had to waddle instead of walk when he followed his human..." She proceeded to tell the elf amusing tales of Ba'puu when he was a hatchling to keep her mind off any potential nightmares.

Klinge held himself against the wall, holding his hands to his head. The undead's breathing grew ragged as he felt his spirit decompose. His body couldn't make him cry. He would never feel tears again. But he knew the emotions. He knew the pain. He had lost outright against Bonegrinder. Had his mind toyed with. Miranda had been turned into a husk of her innocent self. Ralnor, the boy he thought he had been protecting, was just a different breed of monster. Klinge had truly and utterly failed.

~

Later in the evening, Ralnor was finishing a few documents for the Zoran royal family when he heard a familiar voice.

"Pretty prince, pretty prince, that commander of yours is rather infuriating... but does he keep his word?"

"Yes, he does, Bonegrinder," Ralnor placed the documents into a neat stack on the corner of his desk for tomorrow. "He shall not be troubling you anymore."

"Good, good..." The snake then asked the prince. "And what if the little elf talks?"

"She's at Tarrey Hospital if you want to sneak in there and eat her then." Ralnor frowned, not wishing to give the elf another thought. "She disobeyed my orders. Usually my spies are met with death if they think to disobey me or worse if I feel like it. Though if you wish to take care of the problem, I won't object."

"Cold and cruel as ever, pretty prince. Bonegrinder is curious as to what made you this way..."

“No! Monsters in the dark! Monsters! Please, please don’t go! I don’t want to be left alone. Please Mr. Boveir. P-please.” The tears streamed down her eyes as she refused to let go of him. Klinge crushed the door handle subconsciously and walked away. He brought her into this mess. He allowed her to be taken by that monster.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here, okay?" Doctor Boveir assured the terrified elf. "Look, I'm here tonight, along with three other nurses, all right? There's no monsters in the dark. Look around." He gestured to the medical bay, lit by candle light. "Now, you have multiple broken bones and you need to rest from your healing session."

Miranda sniffed, slowly letting go. “I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She tucked herself into bed, the tears only making her more tired.

"Now, now, there's no need to apologize." Doctor Boveir patted Miranda's head. "We all get scared sometimes. It's normal. Close those eyes, and try to sleep. If you need me, I'll be right here." Once the elf appeared to have drifted off into an exhausted slumber, the doctor placed another blanket on the sheets to keep her warm.

Only Miranda wasn’t talking to him. She lied in bed, staying awake for a while listening a praying she didn’t hear anything.

Doctor Boveir was doing his usual rounds and checking on patients. The darkness hid most due to the lack of light. Though Bonegrinder had his way of moving around Hyrule castle without being seen.

"Tiny snack... little elf... if you do not behave, you will lose more than just your life." Bonegrinder's voice came from within the wall behind her bed. "Would you like for the monster to go after your mother? Your friends? Eat them while you watch? You were warned not to traverse into the catacombs, but you did not listen. Tsk, tsk, stupid little elf..."

Miranda grew bug eyed, holding the sheets close to her and over her head. “No! Please. I-I’m sorry! I never should have gone near you. Please don’t hurt me or my mother. I’ll do whatever you ask. Please, please go away. Please I’m sorry.”

"Do you think apologizing is enough for what you did?" Bonegrinder scoffed. "You have alerted the undead commander to not only Bonegrinder's presence but those of the others in the catacombs. All because of your insistence when the prince ordered you to let it go... silly elf, don't you see now that the pretty prince was trying to protect you? And here, you doubted him, went behind his back to the undead tool. If he comes after Bonegrinder, those in Bonegrinder's home... then you will be the first to die, you stupid girl." The snake threatened. "Warn your commander to stay put or you will meet more monsters who Bonegrinder will gladly share your flesh with."

“No! NO! PLEASE MR BONEGRINDER!!! IM SORRY!!!” Miranda started to frantically scream and cry again. “This silly, stupid elf is yours! Please just don’t hurt me or my mother! PLEASE!!! Oh god have mercy, PLEASE!!!!!”

Doctor Boveir heard Miranda's frantic cries and rushed over to the elf.

"Miranda, Miranda, calm down! It's was just a bad dream, you're here, you're safe!" The doctor motioned for the nurses to come over to the bed as well. "There's no... no bone-monster here! There's nothing here! It was just a nightmare, there's no such thing as monsters."

“HE’S IN THE WALLS!!! OH GOD IM SORRY!!! PLEASE! I HAVE TO TELL RALNOR AND KLINGE I WAS WRONG!!! HE’S GOING TO EAT ME!!! CANT YOU HEAR HIM?!?!” Miranda frantically pushed against the doctors.

"Doctor, she must be hallucinating from the pain or the medication."

"Administer a stronger sedative and have a volunteer sit with her." Doctor Boveir ordered. "The girl is troubled mentally. We need to keep an eye on her." He then said with a frown. "And I need to have a talk with Commander Klinge about what happened. We cannot help until we know."

“NO! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE ME!” Miranda bit one of the doctors hands as she attempted to run away. “Mother! I have to see my mother!”

Seeing Klinge watching from the end of the hallway she screamed at him. “Please don’t go after him! PLEASE!!!”

Her cries of lunacy and panic practically woke the castle. Klinge was glad he was wearing a helmet, because he couldn’t bear to look her in the eye. “I’ll end him....”

"Oh good goddesses, someone sedate her, now!" Doctor Boveir had to pry the girl's mouth away from his hand and the nurse quickly gave her a shot to put her to sleep. Shaking his head, he was pissed that the girl was acting so erratic and speaking of monsters. What if she had some sort of poison in her system? What if it was a dangerous gas that she breathed? He had no answers and no idea how to treat her. "Commander Klinge!" Normally, Doctor Boveir was a calm guy and it took a lot to get him angry. "I want... no, I need some damn answers, right now! The girl is out of her mind! What happened?!"

Klinge stayed calm, a little bit of spite in his voice. “You can ask Prince Ralnor, though I’m sure he will simply tell you she’s insane. I think the King and Queen would love to know the truth as much as you.”

"... I don't have time for your mind games." The doctor dismissed Klinge's statement with a huff. "Speaking of monsters in the walls. It's bad enough the maids say the castle is haunted and now you're in on this prattle too. I don't know what this girl saw or what the devil happened when you two went into that tunnel of madness, and I have a feeling I'm not going to get a proper answer. Until she is completely better, both physically and mentally, she is not to return to her work. Is that clear?"

“And she won’t be better until I deal with her monster. You can tell the Prince, the King, and the Queen I no longer take their orders until the matter is dealt with. Now go take care of your patients doctor. Before you receive something far more strong than a bite from me.” Klinge wagged a finger of warning at the doctor before walking to Tulilaid and Kelly, who had arrived to investigate the commotion. “Captains. I have a special assignment for you.”

“Yes, Commander Klinge?”

Tulilad quickly brushed back his hair and tried to wipe off any lipstick evidence on his face that might have been left there by Kelly. Clearing his throat, he stood up straight and faced his superior. “What assignment?”

“….I need you to go on a grocery run. Cake needs a casing. Might be rats in the wall. The Queen wants to take a cruise ship out to sea.”

Kelly kept a straight face, with only a flinch of concern. This was special code used only for emergency situations. Klinge handed Tulilad as list. “I’m taking a holiday. Be good.”

Oh shit. Grocery run was a vital hush hush mission. The cake needing a casing was a VIP needing protection. Her eyes studied her surroundings. Rats meant a spy or something listening in. And the cruise ship meant taking a garrison to take someone far away from Hyrule for their own good. Klinge was really laying it on them. But it was the vacation that worried Kelly. It meant Klinge was going rogue on his own. Who knew how long. She and Tulilad had to get somewhere private and read the note.

~

The Undead filth was becoming a thorn in his side. The criminal heads, his ‘Hive’ as he called it, were bringing him multiple complaints. Evidently, this commander was declaring war on him and his brood for what happened. This was nothing new to the Anagari. Sooner or later, there would be a mistake. Then, he could take advantage of the situation. A man with revenge on his mind was liable to act irrationally. The second prince could not control the undead like a puppet, despite Bonegrinder’s insistence that he be kept on a leash. Still, it was not Ralnor’s fault that Klinge would not behave. The prince was too soft to use necromancy magic to keep the bag of rotted flesh under his thumb. So Bonegrinder waited patiently, listening and watching… until every person was in place.

As the Hive gathered, Sheer-Kahn trotted in. He was an old and ancient creature. With four hooves he walked with a clack of every step. His upper body had two powerful arms for carrying his weapons of choice, a massive sharpened club and a bow that shot arrows the size of small tortoises. His main was silvery white, with a grey body. He was a Lynel.

In times much older, he might have been King here. But Hyrule’s darkest corners now held creatures far more adaptive then him. As powerful as he was, not even he could move an immovable object. He took his place and waited patiently. Here, his code name was Hades. For if anyone sought death by angering his master, he’d send them to the Underworld.

“Sheer-Kahn… my loyal friend, my trusted warrior.” Bonegrinder motioned for the Lynel to come into his personal chambers. He had the deeper sections of the catacombs suited for living. No one under his command wanted anything more than they needed. Every need and want was catered to within reasonable request. One thing was for sure, Bonegrinder took care of those who were loyal to him. Certain areas were nothing short of luxurious, despite being underground. The Anagari took a slow inhale of his pipe and let the smoke float out of his nostrils. “The undead filth has been a thorn in our garden for quite some time now, hasn’t he?”

Sheer-Kahn nodded. “More so now that he has discovered your presence. He’s always taken care to destroy the criminal element that has been created by you, even if only unintentional and previously unknown to your presence,  simply because it is ‘the right thing to do’. Now he’s targeting the infrastructure himself.”

“He doesn’t realize that what we do effects not just our brood, but those under us, those we take care of, the rejects no one wants.” Bonegrinder’s underground empire was ran to benefit some of Hyrule’s most unfortunate. Those who had nowhere else to go, came to the Hive for a home. However, Bonegrinder ran the underground organization like a tight ship. There was no room for error. A threat to him was threat to all under his command. If Klinge wanted to play dirty, then he could do so as well. “This old snake won’t have the others suffering because of it. The three he keeps close to him… the half breed, the kid elf, and the small guard. We need to bring them here.”

“They are in the heart of the castle. That could prove to be difficult.” Sheer-Kahn took a bow. “But nothing is below me. What would you have me do?”

“If the little elf is taken… the others will follow.” Bonegrinder slithered up to Sheer-Kahn, his claws holding up the Lynel’s chin. “You are strength and might incarnate, trusted friend. Nothing you put your mind to will ever fail. Though it is not unnecessary to ask for help when it is needed.” He then gestured to the figures in the dark. “Morowa and Negasi will accompany you if you wish it?”

Sheer-Kahn thought it over. Klinge needed to be distracted and taken away from the castle. Hades’ existence could not be made publicly known to the general population, so he couldn’t enter the castle, but he could take Klinge’s attention away. “Will you listen to my plan my friend?”

However, at the moment, the twins were so excited at the news of having a little brother. The party was full of people and they were loving all the excitement. Running up to Malik, the pair giggled as they hid from their mother behind his legs, wrapping themselves in his cape.

"Uncle Malik, hide us!"

"Yeah, we play'in hide and seek!"

Malik looked down at the kids and smiled. A genuine smile now that he was human again. It was great to see such enthusiasm and wonder in them. He wondered how long it would take Asakonigei to produce them a healthy child, a few months at most. "Alright kids, take cover."

Zarazu's belly was not as big as it was with the twins, but it was still large enough to get in the way. She walked through the crowd with Covarog at her side, looking for the twins. Of course, it was rather obvious that the two had taken up residence in Malik's cape.

"I don't suppose you've seen two mischievous little twins, have you, Uncle Malik?" Covarog inquired with a chuckle. "Someone is in trouble for eating dessert first."

"Yes, two pieces of chocolate cake, no less." Zarazu added as she rubbed her belly. Zahirog was really active tonight and if he did not stop kicking her, she'd have to go pee. Again. "They took the cook's words in the literal sense. 'Life is full of uncertain events, so eat dessert first'."

"It was Lui-Lui's idea." Turagor said from in the cape.

"Was not! It was Chef Hardi's idea!" Luimaya argued with her brother.

“I have no idea where they are." He then gives Zarazu a sharp finger to her nose. "You young lady should be the one who should be in trouble. Do not think you have been cleaver enough to escape my watchful eye. You have dining yourself on chocolate strawberries and stealing scoops of ice cream before dinner has been presented. I don't know where Luimaya and Turagor are, but you have set a terrible example for them."

"I have no clue what you are referring to, Uncle Malik, I could never be such a bad example when it comes to oh so delicious desserts." Zarazu denied it with a sneaky grin. "Besides, that chocolate is really good when you have someone to... lick it off of." She purred at Covarog who blushed.

"I guess there are some things with pregnancy that never change." Covarog ran his hand down his face. Reaching down to unwrap the twins from Malik's cape, he put both of them on his shoulders. "You two need to finish your vegetables."

"But I don't like turnip greens!"

"It looks like puke."

"Luimaya!"

"What, Mama? It does!"

Malik looked at her. He still came off a little cold with his helmet on, but he had a strong care behind his voice. Highly commanding, but wise and fair. "Luimaya. You want to be a powerful Queen correct?"

"Yeah, of course! I wanna be a good queen like Mama!" Luimaya grinned brightly. "Be nice to everybody and make lotsa friends!"

That's very good to hear. Do you think you'll be able to protect them?"

"I hope so." Luimaya nodded her head. "I wanna."

"I'll help!" Turagor told his sister. "And Mama, and Papa, and Ba'puu, and Muri'gana, and Cara'sec, and Uncle Malik too!

"Well you won't be able to. You want to know why?"

"Why not?" Luimaya huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "I can do et!"

Zarazu tried to keep her giggles to a minimum at her daughter's stiff upper lip, as did Covarog.

"Well, you won't have the body for it. Because you never took care of it."

"... I dun understand." The three year old scratched her head. "What do you mean?"

"Don't fall for et, Lui-Lui, they just want us to eat that nasty stuff."

"Vegetables hold vitamins. You know that energy boost you get when you eat those carrots you like? It fuels your body, keeps you healthy. It makes you a better fighter. Even if it doesn't feel good, it's worth it. Healthy body equals a healthy warrior. You want be big and strong right?"

"Yeah..." Luimaya stated slowly, knowing that the old tale of eating vegetables to get strong never failed with adults.

"... can't we just eat corn instead of the turnips?" Turagor asked his mother with a crunched nose. "Anything but the turnips."

"You need to eat a few bites since the chef fixed it special for everyone." Zarazu poked Turagor in the stomach, causing her son to giggle. "Even Uncle Malik has to eat turnip greens."

"...they're awful."

The twins giggled like mad at the tone of distaste in Uncle Malik's voice. So it was true! Even adults did not like some vegetables!

"Why don't we all go sit and have some dinner? I want you fed and in bed before it gets too late." Zarazu told her children. "Come, Malik. I think Asa already has you a plate."

Malik took his seat beside his wife. This was a time for celebration. He was cautious though. The last time a celebration was made the party got out of hand. That's why Tulilad and Kelly did a perimeter sweep of the entire area, checking every balcony and the patting down guests for weapons.

"No means no asshole! I don't care if it's a decoration piece; you aren't going to bring that sword in." Kelly yelled her ass off at one of the guests. She would not fail Zarazu, Covarog, and Klinge again when it came to the security of this party. Why did every celebration need to be attacked? That demon Teufel showing up, the first time Zarazu was pregnant, or her damn bloody wedding.

Zarazu and Covarog had the uttermost faith in Kelly and Tulilad to keep any harm from coming to their family. As the twins sat beside their mother, the waiters served the elegant dishes to all the visitors. It seemed that most of the nobles had excepted the reality of Covarog and Zarazu being on the throne. Luimaya was to be the next queen or her brother the next king if she decided she did not want the title. Though, there were still a few that detested the family.

"I think soon enough you'll have a little one to entertain you, yes, Asa?" Zarazu questioned.

"Indeed." Asa replied with a smile. "It's nice that Zahirog will have someone to play with."

Among the group of people that hated the royal family, almost none were about Baron Victor Von Zemalocke. He arrived at the party with his six year old son, Alexander Zemalocke. The boy looked around in awe at the castle. His father’s home was dashing, but this was an all-new level. He'd enjoy it more if his suit wasn't so tight. "Father. It itches."

"You want to be a man? A true Zemalocke one day? Then suck it in." He gave his son a quick pat on the back. "And straighten your spine. Remember where you are..."

Alexander nodded indifferently, the joy being sucked out. This was the home of the 'enemy' after all. "Of course father..."

Baron Zemalocke smiled as Kelly checked him. She didn't smile back. "I'll have to ask you to leave your rapier here sir."

"Ah, a Hylian woman who knows how to do her job. Respectful. Certainly better than your masters."

Kelly wanted to break this misogynistic pig in two. She hated the way he obviously eyed her. She took his sword and gave him a wide berth as he entered.

Zemalocke waited with his son to be greeted. Hopefully these dogs hadn't thrown common guest curtesy out the window as well.

After Luimaya and Turagor finished their dinner, Zarazu made sure their mouths were clean before taking the twins around with her husband to greet people. Of course, Malik was never too far and neither was Ralnor. Even Ganondorf and Zelda attended, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. When Zemalocke entered the room, Covarog groaned. He did not want to put up with this man.

"Who invited him?"

"You know he shows up regardless."

"I know, but still, I want to snap his neck each time I see him."

"Let's at least try to be civil, his son is with him."

"Alex!" Luimaya waved to the young boy with a big grin.

"It's funneh seeing him out of tutoring class." Turagor remarked.

Alexander smiled and waved timidly. He knew if he said hello his father would be displeased.

Zemalocke smiled like a snake when Covarog and Zarazu approached. "Evening your majesties. I hope everyone is having fun."

"As fun as they can, baron." Covarog replied without emotion, his face stoic. "Alexander."

"Well, why don't I take the children to get some hot chocolate?" Zarazu suggested, not wanting her children or little Alexander to see anything nasty between the adults. "Would you like hot chocolate, Alex? My sister makes it special for everyone with the cocoa beans she grows."

Alexander looks up to his father hopefully. Some hot chocolate would be splendid. "Father, may I?"

Zemalocke thought it over. He supposed it wouldn't hurt. "Very well. Save room for dinner. I won't have you stuffing yourself on desserts like some savage."

"Yes Father."

Alexander went with Zarazu, eager for the taste of coco.

As soon as Zarazu had the little children away from the scowling adults, she made sure to be kind to Alexander. Even though he was the son of the noble who detested her, a child was not responsible for the sins of the father. Setting out three cups, she tried to get Alexander to interact with her a little. Who knew what the boy was told by his father. Still, she would not hold it against him.

"Will you count out the marshmallows for me, Alex? Luimaya likes a lot while Turagor just wants a few. How many do you like?"

Covarog, on the other hand, was not in the mood to be pleasant around Zemalocke.

"It seems, baron, that my wife, who you love to address as a whore, witch, and savage, has more humanity in her than you do." The king narrowed his eyes at Zemalocke. "She dwells not on silly things like bloodline or race."

Alexander counts the marshmallows out. He doesn't fully look at Zarazu, intimated by her presence. "I don't eat marshmallows. Father says they are filled with nothing but filth. In fact, I'm only allowed chocolate on special occasions."

Zemalocke meanwhile looks at Covarog a little seriously now. "Let me put this into a term a simpleton like you can understand. Hyrule used to be a glorious river. Then it started to be filled with rocks. To 'people' like you these rocks are 'pretty' or 'special'. But these rocks are blocking the life supply of the river. Or how about buckets of vile toxins being dumped in this river? You are filth. You've always been filth."

"Oh? Well, you know why your father tells you that, right?" Zarazu simply smiled at the little boy as she poured the hot chocolate into cups for the children. Of course, she told them to be careful because it was hot and not to burn their tongues. She then bent down and whispered to Alexander with a small grin. "Because in reality, they're so very, very good and everyone wants to eat all of them and I'm sure doesn't want to share. Trust me, it is hard to share tasty marshmallows. I know, I love them."

"I'd prefer to be the rock. At least rocks can divert rivers to new places." Covarog told Zemalocke harshly. "But at least I'm not a beaver building a dam. You do that and the whole ecosystem can collapse. Though you would know nothing about that, Zemalocke. You and your kind will always be biased against anyone different than you. Though that's all right. Your era can die while me and my 'rocks' will create new paths for everyone to the drink from the river." He said in passing, very harshly. "You will stay away from my wife and children, or I will see to it that you pay the price, consequences or not. You have been warned." With that, he did not care to listen to another word of Zemalocke's, Malik following in close behind him. The king went to check on his family. "I trust my beloved saved her king some hot chocolate?"

"You can have some of mine, Papa!" Luimaya held up her tiny cup, a chocolate moustache on her upper lip. "Turagor and Alex says it's really, really *Blech*-excuse, me, good!"

Alexander was hesitant on eating his marshmallow at first. Father said junk food was a weakness. And weakness was to not be tolerated. When he saw how happy Turagor and Luimaya were he went with it. To his surprise it was pleasant. He enjoyed it until The King entered. Alexander wasn't sure what to think. Father had warned him that he was the devil and a...oh what was that word. He just starred at the King blankly, and it was apparent.

"You know, my husband enjoys marshmallows too from time to time, don't you?" Zarazu tried her best to lighten the situation a bit. "Even the fearsome fighter Malik likes marshmallows... well... only if his wife is eating them."

Covarog's face softened when his little girl offered her hot cocoa to him.

"That is very kind of you, Luimaya." Covarog bent down and only took a tiny sip from her cup, the white foam getting on his upper lip. "Hm... you only added, what? Ten marshmallows this time?"

"Thirteen!" Turagor snickered as he finished off his drink. "Alex has only had one."

"Oh? Well, we'll have to remedy that." Covarog offered the boy another marshmallow. "They're very good roasted too, believe it or not."

Alexander took a step away from Covarog. His father was absolutely clear. Pure blooded and half breeded Gerudo were to not be trusted. "No thank you sir."

Zarazu frowned slightly at Alexander's denial but she could not blame the boy for whatever hateful lies Zemalocke was telling him. Covarog thought the same, though, there was nothing to do to change the boy's mind if it was already made up about him. Putting the marshmallow into his wife's mouth, he then picked up both of the twins, placing one on each of his shoulders.

"Come, my dears. It is time for the announcement." He told his family. "You are welcome to come with us if you like, Alex."

Alexander nodded. "Yes sir." His father never gave him away piggy backs...

"Papa, toss me up high!" Luimaya begged her father. "So high I can touch the candle-liars!"

"Chandeliers." Covarog corrected his daughter.

"Nuh-uh, me first!" Turagor protested.

"We're at a party, maybe later, all right?"

"Hold my hand, dear Alex." Zarazu held out her fingers for the small boy. "I don't want people stepping on you so stay close."

Alexander was told by his mother to respect woman's wishes, and to never turn down a Queens hand. Meekly he took it. "Yes Mamm."

"You can call me Zarazu, sweetie." The queen escorted him over to the table, picking him up and sitting him in a chair across from Luimaya and Turagor. The rest of the children were there as well from Covarog's other siblings. All of them were busy chattering away at what their day had been like.

"May I have your attention, please?" Covarog inquired of the massive crowd as his wife stood by his side. "We are pleased to celebrate yet another prince joining the castle soon enough. I thank you all for being here, showing your support. I suggest a toast to the health of my unborn son."

Malik smiled broadly. Now that he was human, he actually fully felt the pride in him for Covarog. It was a splendid thing. When the crowd clapped, he clapped and cheered along with them.

Zemalocke just took a sip of his drink. "Smile now Covarog...."

As the visitors raised their glasses to toast to the unborn prince and declared their good wishes, Covarog's sip of his drink came to a halt when Turagor tugged on his father's cape. The king paused in his action, looking down at his son. His boy was holding up a piece of silverware.

"You didn't use the spoon, you didn't do it right." Turagor snickered. "You're supposa clink the glass with the spoon then talk."

"Well, I guess maybe next time you can remind me before I mess up, yes?" Covarog set down his drink and scooped up his son, tickling his belly. Turagor laughed and squirmed, trying to get away from the offending hand. "Though I think most of the time, people use a fork, don't they?"

"I couldn't find it, I think Lui-Lui stole mine."

"Well, we'll have to get you another one, won't we?"

Seeing that the newly imported juice was rather tasty, Zarazu decided it would not hurt if she took a sip of her husband's. She had the berry flavored one while he had one which resembled something like a citrus flavor, she guessed. Taking the glass, she brought it to her lips to try it.

Malik took his drink and smiled to his wife. "So. The emotional spectrum of fun is turning out to be highly enjoyable."

"It makes me look forward to when our own little one is here." Asakonigei held his hand with a tender sigh. "The young prince and our son will play together and grow up together... it's a nice thought, don't you---!!!"

The sound of a glass crashing against the tile floor captured everyone's attention. Zarazu looked like a ghost, suddenly as pale as a sheet. Her hands were shaking, the magic about her body swirling rapidly. It resembled something from a fireworks show. Abruptly, the magic burst in every which direction, freezing whatever liquid was in the room. There was a look of absolute sheer horror across the queen's face. It was an emotion that was rarely seen upon her features. Her knees hit the floor, hard, and she tossed up blood. She kept throwing up, gagging and chest heaving for air. The way her eyes suddenly sunk, her cheekbones, her flesh against bones was alarming. It appeared that she was turning into a corpse.

"ZARAZU!" Covarog was on the floor beside of his wife, trying not to lose control of his wits. What was happening with her?! Lorleidians were immune to poison because of their magic! He held her against him to keep her from collapsing on the ground. "Zarazu! What's wrong?! Tell me what's wrong!!!!" He nearly shook her because of his blind panic.

"M-My... m-magic---!" Zarazu continued to heave blood, splattering all over her dress and running down her chin and throat. "It... g-gone!!!"

Kelly sprung to action, waving her hands in the air. "DO NOT DRINK! I REPEAT! DO NOT DRINK!"

For those who hadn't complied. Those that did, and realized the poison wasn't in their brew kept going to stop the shock. Malik smacked the drink out of Asakonigei's hands and ran to Zarazu. "ZARAZU! Breath! Just breath!"

Zemalocke felt a kid on Christmas. He expected the King to be lying on the throne dying, but he received the better gift of Zarazu choking her final breaths. She and her baby would die. Alexander was in shock at what was happening when his father grabbed his hand and walked off. "Time to go." He couldn't stop the smile on his lips.

Most of the drinks were frozen from Zarazu's outburst of magic. The last thing she was thinking was she could not let her twins drink the same juice. As soon as the queen took that first sip, she knew something was wrong. She did not know which one Luimaya or Turagor had. So it was a manner of mind over body at that point. Coughing, Zarazu wheezed horribly, fighting for air. She had no idea how she was still alive. It had to be the work of the spirits magic, her being the queen of the Lorleidians, to endure this. With no magic, most Lorleidians died. Was it possible there was still some left in her? Either way, this was the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. It burned, it throbbed, it ached, and oh goddesses, it would not stop, it was constant. Her body jerked from the overwhelming agony, Covarog having to hold her tight. Eerily enough, it seemed her eyes were rolling into the back of her head.

"Zarazu! Zarazu, tell me what to do!" Covarog was in near tears, his heart hammering so loud he was sure that everyone could hear it. "Zarazu, I can't help you unless you tell me!!! Tell me, damn it!"

"Asa, take the twins out of here." Tulilad told her. "I'll take you to their chambers and keep you safe there with them."

After the initial seizing stopped, Zarazu fought to breathe.

"Th-The... baby..." She managed to say, her hand shakily holding her belly. "You... h-have to..."

"I have to what?!"

"G-Get... him out..."

Zemalocke snickered hearing that. It would kill their child this early for sure. Glorious! He made his way out grabbing his rapier. When he exchanged eye contact with Ralnor as the family went to assist Zarazu, the Baron had the fire of a demon in them.

"What?!" Covarog could not believe his ears, yet missed the point. "You're in labor?!"

"N-No... get him o-out... th-the... n-no... magic..." Zarazu was barely able to keep conscious at this point. "S-Save... him..."

It was then Covarog was able to put two and two together, terror going across his features. She could not be suggesting what he thought. It was unthinkable.

"I can't let you be cut open! You'll die! You've already lost too much blood!"

"P-Please..." The queen's breath hitched, coughing up more dark blood, almost looking like black ooze now. There was so much of it. The metallic taste was in the air. She was not sure how much longer she could hold on now. The blackness was surrounding her. She was losing her fight to stay awake. "S-Save him..."

Malik shook Covarog. The King needed to act and face reality. "Covarog if we don't act now I will cut her open myself!!!"

Covarog swallowed hard. Lose Zarazu by cutting her open and save the baby? Save Zarazu by not cutting her open and lose the baby? Or lose them both, potentially? He did not want to even have to think about any of those possibilities. He was praying to the goddesses, to the spirits, any supernatural being that would listen to him. Hurriedly, he dashed down the hallway to the medical bay. It was a flurry from there. The doctors had to work fast or else, the baby could be in grave danger. Doctor Boveir dressed for surgery swiftly, all of Zarazu's clothes cut off and tossed aside. She was barely breathing as it was, the situation seemed dire. The cutting was less than graceful, cutting away at the muscle and fat, then the womb. Blood was dripping everywhere.

Malik stayed by Zarazu's side. He ordered Kelly and Tulilad to have over fifty guards to protect her location. Another assassination attempt. Why did you expect any different?!

Covarog was a mess. Drenched in his wife's blood, all the king could do was stand there, numbly, hoping for some sort of miracle. He could not imagine life without Zarazu. Raising the twins by himself? How could he not drown in sorrow? He needed her here, he couldn't lose her! He prayed so hard, for so long, it felt like an eternity before he heard one tiny cry of hope. The baby... the baby was here. His son was crying, not as loudly as newborns did, but he still heard him.

"Your son is here." Doctor Boveir handed the tiny, premature Zahirog to a nurse. "He'll get his care. I'm going to try to save Zarazu."

Malik nodded. "Hurry Doctor. The Fate of this kingdom hangs on you."

There were so many healers, doctors, and Dusas in one place. It was a madhouse. While Doctor Boveir did his best to disinfect and sew Zarazu back up, the healers worked on finding the source of poison and the Dusas tried to regulate it out of her blood and any which effected the newborn prince. Everyone in the med bay had a job and was going as fast as they possibly could to save the queen and treat her son. Ralnor was trying his best to get Covarog to snap out of the shock. The spy master had never seen his elder brother like this. Nothing scared Covarog. He was fearless. The king was shaking, the reality of the situation almost too much to comprehend. The thought of losing his wife was terrifying. He need her, he could not live without her. Mere minutes felt like days. He had to know, he wanted to know if Zarazu was going to live.

"Oh goddesses, please, please, please don't take her from me." Covarog mumbled over and over under his breath, huge tears leaking down his cheeks. "I need her, the twins need her, oh goddesses, please don't take her, don't let her die, please, please..."

"Zarazu is strong, Covarog, she'll pull through, I know she will." Ralnor tried to reassure his brother. "Please, pull yourself together."

Malik hated this burning feeling of worry. He had failed his Queen. He had failed his King. He had failed his kingdom by allowing this to happen.  And for Zarazu to possibly die from a poison was undignified. No honour in it for a brave woman like herself. He hated this feeling of guilt so much he decided to change it to what he knew best. Raw Wrath. Stomping his way around the doctors he glared down at Tulilad and Kelly. "I want to know exactly how this was allowed to happen."

"Zizi is already looking into what Zarazu drank. The juice was not the problem, there was some kind of poison in it." Tulilad reported what little he had managed to gather. "We noticed that the poison affected only a few people who could use magic, causing headache and nausea, though it killed a few Lorleidians. Whatever it was, this poison, it drains the magic. Lorleidians are alive, they live through magic. Once the magic is gone... they're dead."

Malik held is head in horror. His Asa. His dear, dear Asa. How close was she to drinking from her glass? It made him all the more enraged. "Suspects. I want them and I want them NOW! By the end of this I will have someone’s head."

"Yes, sir." Tulilad went to do as told. The guards around the castle and Ralnor's spies were looking into this matter as well. No one knew how the poison went undetected for so long. Hopefully, the Zemljas might be able to shed light on this rare poison if Ralnor did not know about it. "Just so you know, Asakonigei is with the twins. All of them are all right."

Malik took a deep sigh of relief. Taking off his helmet sweet was pouring down his face. "And the Queen. What is the condition of her and the newborn?"

"That I can answer." Doctor Boveir exited the med bay to the foyer. The queen's blood covered him from head to foot. There was even some on his face, smeared across his cheek. He looked as if he had stepped out from a horror book. Shutting the door behind him, this was the one time he showed weariness. Sighing, he leaned against the door and then slid down to the floor. Taking a breath, the good doctor removed his bloodied gloves and rubbed his forehead. "She's alive... for now. We'll have to see if she makes it through the night. If she does, then I might cling to hope. The queen is in critical condition... she lost so much blood, I'm surprised her heart is still beating." For once, he appeared defeated. "The son, the newborn... he's having trouble breathing. I don't know if it's due to being born a month too early or if it was the poison. Perhaps it is both."

Malik felt his anger rise to a boiling point. Not caring he smashed his hand through the wooden door. He had the power to pound through flesh and bone. "GOD DAMN IT!!!"

"... we need an antidote to the poison." Doctor Boveir tried to settle his nerves. "I don't know if one even exists. I have seen the effects of many poisons, but this... this is something I have never seen before." Pausing for a moment, he then said. "This... this is out of my hands."

Malik busted the door off its hinges with another punch. He whipped around to Ralnor. "If the Queen is destined to die, then we will avenge her. Ralnor, do you have any leads or ideas?"

"I suspect it was Zemalocke. My spies report than he has been planning something for quite some time. However, each time we... "persuaded" the suspects for information, none of them would budge." Ralnor told Malik with a frown. "The only indications we have are the nobles which have already been convicted of plotting against the throne. All of them were in circles with Zemalocke. It only makes sense that this was his doing. I suspect he had an inside man or woman in the kitchen to slip that in the juice. Since it did not affect anyone without magic, even if Zemalocke himself drank it, he would be safe." The prince grit his teeth together. "I believe his original target was Covarog, to weaken him and then finish off the blow at a later point. Zarazu just happened to take a sip from his cup..." He nearly shuddered. "Then again, it could have been he was targeting Zarazu and... and the twins."

Malik hated himself for not noticing. "So we have no evidence to use against him. NONE! AND HE GETS TO WALK FREE!?!"

"Maybe not necessarily so." Doctor Boveir had to give his own two cents. It was the only way he could help now. "If you could trace the poison back to him, then we would have enough evidence. I'm assuming since it is rare, he would have had to pay a very hefty price for it. Only a nobleman could have purchased it, and these poison makers, these merchants, love to have some dirt for blackmail."

"Perhaps....I still want to kill him now."

"I will continue to investigate with Tulilad and Kelly." Ralnor told Malik. "For now, we need you to stay and protect Covarog and Zarazu."

Malik slowed his breath to calm down. He needed to calm down. "Yes...yes that's important right now...and the children."

"Keep us updated on her condition and I'll keep you updated on any current information." Ralnor motioned for Kelly and Tulilad to follow him. "Stay strong for Covarog."

Doctor Boveir escorted Malik back into the med bay. Things had slowed. No longer were the healers rushing about like crazy and the Dusas were not exhausting themselves trying to find a cure. A nurse had brought Covarog a fresh set of clothes and a basin to wipe off all the blood. He was clean, but still looked so distraught. Holding Zarazu's hand, he clutched it tightly. The queen had the appearance of a corpse. Her bronze skin was so pale. Slight wheezing escaped from her mouth, moaning in her sleep.

Malik sat beside Covarog. Looking down at Zarazu and seeing her in this state was unbearable. It pained him to see her like this. Seeing Covarog so full of doubt and fear was just as terrible. "Boy...how are you holding up? You can talk to me."

"... they aren't sure if Zarazu will make it through the night." Covarog spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "Our son, our little Zahirog... he's having trouble breathing, though there's a chance he can get better." He took a shaky breath. "I can't lose her, Malik..."

Malik put his arm around Covarog and held him close. He hated to see him so defeated. "We won't. I promise you that."

"How can you be sure? I've... I've never seen her like this..." Covarog kissed Zarazu's knuckles. "Even when Vul'kar attacked her, she survived. But this?" He closed his eyes and held her hand to his face. "Goddesses..."

"Covarog...on the darkest days in the blackest nights, we must have hope. As long as you have it, it will burn bright. Zarazu needs us to believe in her." He gives his shoulder a pat. "I think it would be best if you were with your children. They need someone to comfort them. I will watch over Zarazu."

Covarog really did not want to leave Zarazu's side. He was afraid if he took his eyes off of her, even for a mere second, she might no longer be here. Yet, the king knew his twins were scared for their mother and wondering what was happening. He would have to explain the entire ordeal to them as delicately as he could. How could a three year old understand that someone wanted to kill their mother? Or try to kill them? Goddesses, Covarog was not sure how to handle this entirely.

"... you won't leave her side?"

Malik nodded simply enough. "Never."

"If something changes or she wakes, come get me immediately." Standing from his seat, Covarog kissed his wife's forehead. He had to swallow his emotions. If he lost his composure in front of the twins, it would only go downhill from there. The twins had to look to him for strength and he had comfort them. It was hard for him to leave, almost hesitating in the doorway. Exhaling slowly, the king finally left the room.

Malik down on the Queen and brush hair off her face. He didn't pray to them for often, having damned to hell in the past, but he hoped the gods would listen. He'd gather the Triforce if he had to save her. Zarazu didn't deserve to die. A woman like her was too pure. "Rest easy my friend. You can fight this."

~

Zarazu slept for nearly three days straight. The newborn, Zahirog, had the nurses taking care of him. Several times throughout the day, the entire family came in to check on the queen and the little boy. Covarog had to explain what happened to Zarazu to the twins. It was needless to say the twins were absolutely terrified of losing their mother. At least for now, Ganondorf and Zelda were keeping the twins occupied. At Doctor Boveir's insistence, Covarog finally went to sleep after staying awake for nearly three days straight. On either side of him, rested Luimaya and Turagor. Exhausted before all means, Covarog barely moved an inch. It was in the dead of morning, at nearly the crack of dawn, that Zarazu finally opened her eyes.

When she did Malik was on her like a hawk. Very, very gently he took her hand. "Zarazu? Are you feeling alright?"

The pain was still there. In a way, Zarazu was grateful for the discomfort. It allowed her to know she was still alive. She could not move and it hurt to breathe. Her midsection felt like it was on fire. Evidently, the good doctor removed Zahirog before any major damage could hurt him. The scariest sensation of all was not being able to feel her magic around her. It felt so foreign and left her feeling vulnerable. Her memories were fuzzy, but all she could recall was the blood and her magic suddenly disappearing. She did not even remember arriving to the med bay. How long had she been here?

"Malik...?" Zarazu sounded so weak. "Where's... my baby? Are the... twins... Covarog?"

"All alive."

The relief washed over Zarazu's pale face. Her family was all right. Zahirog was alive and well. Yet, the pain was not going away, not even subsiding a bit. Groaning, her eyes watered.

"It hurts... the doctor?"

"Don't move. Doctor Boveir had to cut out Zahirog. It was a long and painful process." Malik had a look of concern though on his face.

The queen could barely keep her eyes open or think to formulate speech. She was not sure if her last minute magic trick succeeded. If all the liquid did freeze... maybe she saved some the agony. Was her friend all right? The Kovina was pregnant.

"Asa...?"

Malik shakes his head, but still holds regret. "No, Asa's all right. It's regarding your newborn son. Because of the poison and birthing process, he is having trouble breathing. It's not good."

"Can I see... my boy?" Zarazu asked Malik as she tried to turn her head to look around the room. She did not see his basinet or hear him. It tugged at the queen's heartstrings that she had not even been able to see her newborn yet, much less hold him. Knowing he was ill only added to her guilt. If only she had not picked up that drink...

Malik nodded and patted her hand. "Hold on one second. Don't move." Malik went to the door and peaked through the slit. "Captain Kelly. I want you to acquire Covarog immediately. Bring the newborn."

Kelly's eyes widened. "The Queen! She's-"

"Now."

Kelly picked up the impatience in his voice and moved out. She arrived to Covarogs chambers and gave a knock. "My King. Are you there?"

Deep in dreamland, Covarog nearly jolted off the bed when he heard Kelly's voice. Groggily, he managed to maneuver out of the bed without waking the twins. For a moment, he feared the worst.

"Kelly? Is... is something wrong?"

Kelly kept her voice down as to not wake the children. "King Covarog, Queen Zarazu has awakened. She wants to see her newborn."

"She's awake?!" Covarog's eyes lit up, a spark of life returning to them. "Can you stay with the twins? I'll go to her now." Zarazu wanted to see Zahirog, of course. The first thing she would ask about was her newborn. He alerted the wet nurse and guards in the nursery. Taking his tiny son in his arms, he noticed Zahirog was sleeping soundly. His breathing still was not as well as the king would have liked, but his boy was a fighter. The doctors and healers both thought he would recover with time. Entering the med bay, Covarog felt hope and guilt combined. His wife, the other half of his soul, she looked so weak. It almost made him crumble to his knees.

Malik gave Covarog an understanding nod. He motions him to talk to her.

"Covarog...?" Zarazu heard the door creak slightly. It hurt to move, but she still tried to turn. More than anything, she just wanted to see her newborn son. She had to make sure he was all right. "My boy...?"

"I'm here, love, I'm here." Covarog walked to her, Zahirog cradled in one arm. His wife was awake... she was not well, but she was still here. "Our boy is alive. He's not breathing as well as we would love, but he's alive. He's a fighter, just like you."

"I... I want to hold him..." Zarazu looked at Malik. "Prop... me up."

Malik was hesitant, but very carefully lifted her up. "Covarog. Zahirog."

Zarazu gritted her teeth and tried to keep her groans of discomfort to a minimum as Malik moved her onto a stack of pillows. Her arms were shaking. Covarog carefully situated a couple of pillows under her arms before placing Zahirog into her hold. The queen, despite her weariness, managed to smile. Her little boy was here. His hair was darker than she expected it to be and his cheeks were puffy. Zarazu could tell his breathing was not exactly steady but he was here.

"He's... perfect..."

"Would you want to be left alone?"

"No... stay..." Zarazu told Malik as her fingers gently touched the little tuffs of hair on her son's head. Zahirog snuggled against her breasts for warmth. Covarog felt a bit of relief when the small boy yawned while his mother held him. The king sat on the bed beside his wife, brushing the strands of hair behind an ear. She looked at Covarog, her eyes so tired. "It's... not your fault... so don't... look like that."

"... I thought you were going to die." Covarog told his wife, voice shaking.

"You know... I won't leave you... that easily..."

"Ralnor and I are working around the  clock on finding the culprit. Although we have a damned idea who..." Malik settled into his seat. He was glad to see Zahirog alive and well and in his mother's arms.

"Malik..." Zarazu was starting to fall back into slumber. Her arms locked underneath Zahirog, just in case. It was a subconscious motion, a maternal instinct. The damage done to her body would surely have a long road to recovery. "Protect... my boy... my Covarog..."

"Zarazu, I'll be all right." Covarog whispered to her softly. "I'll be right here with you."

"I've been protecting him since before either of you were born. I won't stop now."

~

Zemalocke overlooked the view of his land with glee. He had never felt so much satisfaction in all his life. Zarazu was on the death doors and the King would soon follow. Probably slit his own neck or throw his sorry hide off the tallest tower out of grief. He never imagined this working as well as it did. It was marvelous! Sure he had to punish his son for being worried about those animals, but it was damn fine week. He hoped this high would never leave. Sipping his wine he waited patiently for the news of her passing.

Harry wondered why it was always his luck to deliver the news to Zemalocke. He did not necessary care for the man. Twisted and malicious, the baron would do everything in his power to make his enemies or the innocents miserable. Still, the baron employed him and paid his wages, however little it may be. Knocking on the office door, Harry decided it was best to get it over with now rather than later.

"Baron? I have some news for you."

Zemalocke smiled broadly, his eyes filled with fire. Sitting on his throne he swirls his wine. "Excellent! Tell me!"

"... the queen survived." Harry managed to say after gathering his wits. "As did her newborn. The doctors reacted quickly enough and cut her son out of her. Most did not think she was going to make it through the night but... she survived."

The happy fiery glee in Zemalocke's eyes turned to an icey glare. His grip on his glass tightened. No. No this wasn't supposed to be happening! He needed more information. "Give me more information. What is her condition."

"From the whispers in the castle, the queen is very weak." Harry elaborated. "She is bedridden and unable to care for herself presently, evidently looking like a corpse. Besides the usual blood loss and damage to her body, it seems her mind is still intact. The magic loss left her near dead but somehow she managed to hold on." He took another breath. "The security is up all around the castle. It's on lockdown currently."

Zemalocke took in the information. "I see. The Queen will be protected as of now to make a move on her....you said all that's left is her mind?"

"It's still too early to tell if her magic will return or if she will recover to her previous state." Harry told Zemalocke. "As of right now, the situation still looks dire. Doctor Boveir, the healers, and the Dusas are attending to her every hour. The twins are under constant guard as is the newborn. Even Lord Malik refuses to leave the queen's side for long. She has many allies."

"Then if her body is to die, her mind must first...."

"It will be very difficult to even get close to the queen now, baron." Harry informed Zemalocke with a frown. "Not to mention, since this incident occurred, no one is allowed to enter the castle. All political meetings have been moved to city hall."

Zemalocke rises, a sinister thought coming to mind. "Oh yes, the Queen is quite impossible to reach now. But her sisters aren't."

"Her sisters?" Harry repeated, a bit confused. "Zizi works in the royal gardens and has her own plantations for many herbal remedies and teas. Zolori is up in Glacier's Forge, an ambassador for the Lorleidians."

"I know. Imagine the grief it will give Zarazu when something happens to her sisters."

"Both of her sisters have magic, but I do not know how powerful." Harry admitted. "All I know is the younger one controls plants and the one in the North has fire at her fingertips."

"Get this savage what's coming to her."

"I'm going to go and get the next cart, Asa." Nubi'ahlus told his mistress. "Is there anything else you need before I go? I should be back shortly."

"I think we're getting low on titanium, see if the mine has any more available?"

"Sure thing! Be back soon!"

The men carefully tied every move. Commander Klinge was nowhere in sight and the pesky dragon was off to fetch another load of materials. Asakonigei had her back to them, engrossed in her work. She did not even have the time to react. Something hard hit her in the back of the head, stunning her, but not knocking her unconscious. It caused her to tumble over onto the ash covered floor. Blood started to pour down the side of her face from the gash. What had hit her? Yelping, Asakonigei's hands instantly went to whatever was pulling her up by the hair.

"You don't have your precious dragon or that filthy undead here to protect you now."

"Hold her the hell down." Tylion took a knife out, a little shaky, his good arm still shattered. "So you know why we are doing this, it’s bad enough you're a savage, but that bastard Klinge has taken an interest in you. He once gauged out my uncles eyes out with his fingers. Any pain I can cause him through hurting you the better. Now hold still or I'll cut you, hell, I might do so anyways you fucking cunt."

Disoriented, the Kovina tried to make sense of the situation. From what little she could gather, one of the racist bastards from last time hit her with a shovel or a rock. She was opting for the shovel. Asakonigei gritted her teeth as one of the men held her arms behind her back. The pain in her head was excruciating. The deep throbbing was making it rather difficult to concentrate, but she could make some sense of their words. So these idiots wanted to try to use her to get to Klinge? Well, there was no way in hell she was going to make it easy for them.

"You all must really have a death wish."

"Fuck you. Start with her hands, I'll work on that tongue of hers."

Struggling, the blade cut Asakonigei's cheek as she was able to get one wrist loose. It was all she needed to make these cretins pay. With one shove of her magic, the Kovina was able to use the metal on the men against them. The weapons flew every which way and suddenly, all of them were off of her. All of the bastards tumbled out of the forge, almost as if an invisible hand had pulled them. Groaning softly, Asakonigei stood, now covered in soot from the floor. Enraged, Asakonigei reached out and curved her wrist upward, yanking all the men to their feet.

"The Commander is not the only one you should fear." Asakonigei started to slowly make a fist with her hand, increasing the tightness of the metal. A few of the men screamed as a leg or an arm broke under the pressure. Singling out Tylion, the Kovina stood right in front of him, the grip around his throat steadily growing. "I may be a woman, but I could easily behead you right now. Maybe I could make an example, starting with you."

"You don't have the guts you bitch."

Tylion spat at her feet.

"Oh? I don't? Perhaps you're right, I should work my way up to it. Let's see... right ankle, calf, thigh..." Asakonigei curled her index into her palm. With a crunch, his right leg was shattered. She started naming the parts, breaking each as she went. "Left ankle, calf, thigh... oh no, look what I've done!" She laughed at him, not taking kindly to being a victim. No one messed with her and got off easily. The Kovina wanted them to remember exactly who these punks were messing with, until their deaths. "You won't be able to fight with two lame legs. You could probably still make a decent living begging... come on, now. Beg. Beg for me not to break your spine. I'm sure your life would be flat out miserable without being able to feel anything below your waist."

An arm grasped Asakonigei, tearing her focus off Tylion. Klinge was amazed by her power, but her torturing the men held serious consequences. He put both his hands on her shoulders firmly.

"That's enough, understand?"

"No, it's not enough!" Asakonigei shoved his hands off of her. Her magic crackled from anger, crushing Tylion's other arm painfully slow. "I want him to pay! I want all of them to pay!" She pointed to her head, the deep gash still oozing blood. "Don't think I don't know what they would have done to me if they succeeded in knocking me out!"

Klinge looked at the wound and her words rippled through him like shattering ice.

"I understand, you are angry, and they deserve this. However, that said, you can't torture these men because you have the power to do so. You'd be like-" Klinge realized it as he said it. She'd be like him. "Do you have any other witnesses of them attacking you?"

"Does it look like I give a shit?! I'm supposed to be the bigger person here? Fuck that!" Asakonigei snapped bitterly at Klinge, making sure the men were not going anywhere by slamming the metal into a wall. Stuck, Tylion and his lackeys were not able to move and would have one hell of a headache later. "And does it look like there are any potential witnesses? Hello, anyone out there? Hrm, I don't see anyone, do you?" The Kovina held out her hands, turning a circle as she did so. "They planned this, they planned to have me alone and they were going to get away with it if I didn't retaliate! Do you expect me to scream for help when I could have crushed all of them into a ball of scrap with their armor on? Do you expect me to be nice to an enemy?! Hell, no!" Ripping most of the weapons hanging from chains in the forge, the swords, daggers, and spears floated dangerously close to the troops' throats. "I want to hear them beg! I want to hear them scream, plead, and cry not to be mushed into a ball of grinded bones! I want an apology and I want it right fucking now!!!"

Tylion, through all his pain and anguish, still retained his twisted pride.

"You won't get one, you savage witch!"

Klinge knew there was limited options.

"Because you were alone they can fabricate any story they want. The nobles will have your head, taking their word over yours. You'd have to kill them to be safe, but even then you'd be labelled by the evidence of your magic." Klinge noticed something looking around. Walking over he picked up his reconstructed Great Sword. It was glorious, it's weight flawless and the additional designs extraordinary. It matched the arm she made for him perfectly.  "This is mine correct? The craftsmanship is most impressive."

"Nobles or not, I don't care what they say or what they think! These men attacked me and I will have payment." Asakonigei spoke through a clenched jaw. A frustrated scowl left her mouth when Klinge picked up his reconstructed blade. Seriously?! He wanted to admire his great sword when there were more pressing matters at hand?! "Yes! Yes, that is yours! You really want to talk about that of all things now?!"

"There is nothing you can do I'm afraid. I, on the other hand." With a swift stroke Klinge swung his blade, and in one strike, sliced through the men like butter, cutting them each in half. The bodies dropped to the floor. A gasp of terror left Tylion's lips as his head came apart like a melon. The first blood on his sword was Hylian, how appropriate. Klinge turned back to Asakonigei, the blood dripping down the blade. "There is your payment."

Asakonigei jumped slightly when Klinge disposed of the men so swiftly. All of them, even Tylion, was dead, midsections dropping to the ground. The way he killed them, gutting them like fish, it was quite horrid, almost made her gag. Her mouth agape, the Kovina did not know what to think at first. The split open head nearly gave her pause, almost shocked her. At first, she wondered why he would do such a thing, especially for her. Then, her temper got the best of her. The commander had taken away her revenge, taken away her satisfaction.

"Why did you do that?!" Asakonigei demanded to know. "This was my fight, not yours!"

"I told you before, had you killed them, this kingdom would have torn you apart. Now me, what the hell is anyone going to do? I protected a Lorleidian woman from being assaulted. Zarazu and Covarog need me too much to make any punishments, and the rest of the men, including even those racist nobles fear me too much to make a move against me. These men are just a pebble in the long list of people I have disposed of in this kingdom and no one will miss them. I can have them labelled as traitorous scum, you would have martyred them. I saved your reputation. Tell me Asakonigei, have you even killed before? It's a path that you will taint you once you start. So if anything, you should be thanking me for saving your ass!"

"Oh, so killing someone automatically taints me? Of course I've killed before, you bonehead!" Asakonigei shouted at him, pushing him back with her hands. "You think Vul'kar was the first time I had to fight?! You think I'm some damn damsel in distress that can't defend herself?!" She stuck a finger in his face, face contorted and eyes full of fury. "I've fought pirates, serpents, demons, and all sorts of scum that crawled up onto Lorleidi! I've fought men who wouldn't take no for an answer who dared to put their hands on me! So you want a thank you? Fine, here it is! Thank you, Klinge! Thank you for making me look like some poor, defenseless woman!"

Tromping past him, Asakonigei headed to the gates. The Kovina needed time to think and to clean up. She was leaving the castle grounds to find a Dusa for a healing. That, and she really needed to cool her head before her anger got the best of her or else, Klinge might be plastered into a wall.

Klinge lost his composure, grabbing her by the arm and getting right in her face.

"You thick headed woman! Don't you understand your actions could have jeopardized the rest of your people here!? You, a Lorleidian, torturing Hylians. I. Just. Saved. You. From the scandal of the century." Klinge drove a finger at her on each word to drive in his point. "You aren't a defenseless damsel. Just a stubborn idiot!" Klinge let go off her throwing her a little away.

As the commander released her arm rather roughly, Asakonigei lost her balance and fell flat on her backside. An idiot for trying to defend herself? An idiot for torturing those who tortured others? The Kovina highly doubted her actions would have jeopardized the Lorleidians' standing here. Zarazu was the queen now, married to Covarog. At most, she probably would have gotten jail time if the Dusas used their magic to recall the scene from her memory. But when Klinge touched her? Now that got a rise out of her. Before she thought, Asakonigei slammed her hand on the ground, causing his suit of armor to make him do a face plant.

"Nigolagvna!" Asakonigei spat at him in Lorleidian, keeping him in place as she steadily rose to her feet. Making sure he would not move for a minute, she walked past him to the gates. The job in the forge would probably be forfeit but she was too hurt and too angry to care. "Finish your own damn sword."

Klinge slowly rose to his feet. Her power over his metal frame was secretly terrifying. It was eerily similar to how he was controlled by the necromancer known as Leere once. That loss of control over his own body put him at unease. He threw the sword at her forge and stormed off. He had to give a report on the bodies and have them be cleaned up.

~

Orders from the Dusas were to rest for three days. The wound was quite deep. Magic healed the majority of it, yet the healers were still iffy about it being on her head. Sutures were a necessity and she lost a bit of her hair so the doctors could do their job. At least once the hair grew back, no one would be able to see the nasty scar. During her recovery period, Queen Zarazu came to visit her with the newborn twins. It was nice to talk and catch up with an old friend. Of course, there were the typical questions about what happened at the forge with the Hylian men. Asakonigei kept it short and straight to the point. The troops tried to assault her and she retaliated, Klinge stepping in to help her when she was unable to do so. There was no big fuss from the nobles, so both the queen and the Kovina were grateful for that.

Surprisingly, work continued steadily in the forge. Asakonigei completed her daily tasks and did so without a peep from others. Yet, it appeared that her work was about to be interrupted. Captain Tulilad and Kelly were approaching her station.

"Need another blade, Captain Kelly? New suit of armor too tight, Captain Tulilad?"

"No, miss, we actually have a request." Captain Tulilad laid out a map for her to see. "This mine here, is rich in metals and ores that we need. The only problem is, it seems to be a hovel for monsters. We're going to have it cleared out but we need someone to access the quality of the metal. Since you're going to be using it, I figured you'd want to see it yourself."

Kelly took out a list of all the soldiers going along.

"After your incident, I made sure to have men I can trust go on this expedition with you. There's myself, you, 1st Lt. Karkas, Private's Newt and Robertson, 2nd Lt. Vasquez, and Commander Klinge."

Frowning at the mention of Klinge's name, Asakonigei's gaze turned downcast.

"I rather not." Asakonigei replied very quietly. "Just... let me go after the mine has been cleared. I might just get in the way."

"Please. We'd really appreciate your help. And as a Kovina you'd only help us complete our task tenfold." Kelly gave Asakonigei a warm smile.

Asakonigei sighed as Kelly politely requested her help. Seeing the new mine might help put things into perspective on how much she could produce over a period of time. Honestly, she did not mind aiding the captains, she just did not want to see Klinge.

"All right... I'll go." The Kovina put aside the blade to finish later. "Let's just get this over with quickly. I have more weapons to complete."

"Thank you." Kelly turned to Tulilad, a soft, but sneaky smile on her lips. "Think you can hold the fort while we're gone?"

"When have I ever made you doubt me?" Tulilad gasped, feigning hurt from her inquiry, but playfully. "You ladies go stir up some shit and have fun, yes?"

"I'll see you back in a couple nights. Keep the fires warm." Kelly turned to Asakonigei brushing her hair back in a flirtatious way. "Ready to go?"

~

Klinge rode on horseback, his black stead carrying him. He could tell Asakonigei was still furious with him. After her magic brought him to his knees he couldn't look at her without feeling some worry. He felt hurt by her actions, but he supposed him roughly handling her in his anger made her retaliation justified. These combined feelings of guilt and anger at her put a pit in his stomach. He couldn't find the proper words to apologize, so he rode ahead of the group.

The ride to the mine was awkward enough with its silence. Asakonigei had to give credit to Kelly for trying to stimulate conversation, but it never lasted long. Sitting in the back of the wagon, the Kovina had a cloak draped around her for a bit of warmth from the high winds. The mine was high in the mountains, not too far from a volcano. Yet, the lava should not pose any danger until eruption occurred. While she waited, Asakonigei looked over the list of possible metals. It seemed to have positive indications for Banthoraium. If so, then this could be a jackpot.

"It's a bit odd to have Banthoraium this close to the volcano." Asakonigei told Kelly. "It's usually found downward on the mountain, after the lava has hardened and such. Maybe this is a deposit from an eruption long ago."

Kelly nodded. "I suppose so. Think the lava will be a problem?"

"The mine's far enough from the heart of the volcano, but I think the heat will be the deciding factor here." Asakonigei knew the further down the mine went, the hotter the temperature. "If it's too hot, then we might have to have some Vatras guide away some of the heat."

"I see. Commander Klinge, think your armor can take the heat, sir?" When the Commander didn't respond, the awkward air only increased. Kelly turned to Asakonigei, trying to think of anything to break the tension in the air. "A-Asakonigei, have you meet a Goron yet? They live in the high mountains of Death Mountain and have the finest mines and forges. I think a Kovina like you would be highly intrigued by their culture."

"No, I haven't met a Goron, though with my work load, I doubt I'll have time to appreciate their culture on this trip." Asakonigei went through the scribbled notes on the mine. She was trying to calculate in her head whether or not that gases would be a risk. If there were any hazardous, surely living monsters would not be able to thrive there. Though, there was always the possibility of a collapse if the walls were not stable. There would be a checklist to go through if this mine was to open properly. "I'm not sure I like the specs on this mine, Captain Kelly. The metals are precious, yes, but the stability... it being this close to the mountain, one shake of the earth, and it might go in."

"That's why we brought you. You seem to be handle any metal without a thought." Kelly turned her head at Klinge's comment. He didn't turn around when he said it.

The Captain turned to Asakonigei with a light smile.

"We'll slay the beasts, get the metal, and be in and out."

"Good to know I'm useful for something." Asakonigei muttered under her breath as she rolled the parchment. "Let me know when we get there. Until then, I'm going to be reading." She climbed to the back of the wagon, still intent on being away from Klinge's presence.

When they reached the mine the soldiers split into two groups. Karkas would stay with the rest of the soldiers at the front, while Kelly, Asakonigei, and Klinge would enter the mine and slay the juvenile Dodongo that took over the mine.

Seeing the small beasts, Klinge summoned a mace.

"They are more vulnerable on their tails, but watch out for the fire they might spew. It's a slow charge, and their movements even slower, but those dinosaurs can be dangerous."

Klinge and Kelly took care of the lizards with quick precision. Kelly never forgot her apprenticeship under Klinge. It always felt good to fight alongside him. Together, they distracted the Dodongo's and executed them one by one. As the last lizard fell, Klinge turned to where Asakonigei was watching.

"Alright, you can come down now. We have a lot of material that needs to be moved up from the lower levels."

Klinge could feel the lava's heat nearby seeping into him. Made wearing the heavy armor slightly uncomfortable.

Asakonigei still did not feel comfortable with the location of the mine. The volcano was so close, too close for her likings. Yet, the captains were pressing the need for the metal for more weapons and armor. It was best to hurry. All it would take was one quick trip in and out and then back to the forge.

"Maybe... you should just let me take a peek first to make sure it’s safe." Asakonigei told the others, wishing she would have requested the aid of a Zemlja now. At least if something did go wrong, the Zemlja could keep the earth from crushing them.

"Very well. We should have dealt with all the dinosaurs, but if you see one I'm sure you can be more then able to take care of yourself."

Klinge gave a huff and crossed his arms.

Borrowing a torch from one of the soldiers, the Kovina figured there was no gas due to the lizards thriving well. With a snap of her fingers, the top of Klinge's helmet opened and then fell shut with a clank, just to irritate the commander. A small snicker left the Kovina's mouth as she stepped into the mine. Waving her hand in front of her face, she could feel the heat seeping up from the earth. It was definitely hot and not exactly hospitable.

"You little moxie shit." Klinge walked behind the Kovina, but kept his distance from her. Someone had to watch her back. As they entered the mine and started moving the material, Klinge noticed a large rock with two jewels on its upper sides. "Hey, do Kovina like to make jewelry?"

For the time, Asakonigei ignored the commander as she moved the metals out of the mine. The sparkling bits of Banthoraium alongside the other strong metals like titanium and tungsten flowed into separate wagons. The sparkling strands floated through the air in single file lines. It was easier to sort the metals now instead of later. Noticing the large gem stones, the Kovina used her magic to call it into the air. Diamonds... so it was an old deposit from long ago.

"Some do." Asakonigei answered his question in a monotone voice. She was still upset with him, but unfortunately, had to work with him for the time being. Separating the rock from the glittering jewels, the Kovina looked for any flaws in the diamonds. "As a token of affection, some Kovinas carve a personalized jewel for the other."

Klinge looked at the rock she was taking apart. As she kept digging away she started cracking away at another "gem". Only this was no rock. Rocks don't snarl and open large blue eyes. Before Klinge could fully warn anyone, the "rock" unfolded its legs and stood on all fours. With a mighty roar, the King Dodongo's cry echoed throughout the mine, and it zoomed in on Asakonigei. Klinge tried to call on his great sword, until he realized he had left it back as the Kovina's forge. This wasn't going to go well.

"Asakonigei, get out of there!"

Startled, Asakonigei had never faced this kind of creature. She was not sure of what to do. What were the strengths and weaknesses of this beast? It charged at her, full speed. Without thinking twice, she used the metal in the ground, crossing her arms to create a wall. Unfortunately, the monster was strong with those horns and brute strength. It tore through the barricade with ease and barreled toward Asakonigei. The Kovina went to leap out of the way, but the horn of the beast grazed her leg. Throwing her off balance, she stumbled and skidded, barely managing to evade those huge feet. Quickly forming a spear, she screamed as it charged at her with open jaws. Thrusting the spear in the creature's mouth, Asakonigei speared its jaws open, part of the spear going through to the ceiling and the other to the floor. It shrieked and squirmed as the Kovina plastered her back against the wall, turning her head to the side to avoid those huge teeth.

The Beast lifted its head upwards and formed fire in its mouth, angry at the pain. Before it could blast the flames at the woman, Klinge launched an energy spear into its eye, knocking its head to the side. The Dodongo's shot blasted a few feet away from its target, the heat of the flames flickering against Asakonigei. Klinge moved over to her, checking her leg.

"Get up, you need to leave. Now!" Klinge turned to see the Dodongo slamming its body around in pain, causing the walls of the mine to crack.

Luckily, it was just a scrape from the horn. Asakonigei could still walk, but it hurt like hell to move her leg with that amount of flesh missing. Scrambling to her feet, the Kovina tried to hurry as she limped toward the entrance of the mine. The creature's thrashing was going to cause the walls to come down at any given moment. She and Klinge had to get out of the mine before that happened or more than likely, the weight would crush them. A patch of rock fell and struck Asakonigei on the back, causing her to topple onto the ground again with a pained wince. Looking up at the ceiling, the Kovina's breath hitched at the amount of cracks. It was coming down now.

Reacting, Asakonigei yanked Klinge closer to her. The Kovina used whatever metal was left to throw a shield between the rubble and Klinge, including herself. It expended such a massive amount of her magic at once, that she passed out from overexertion. The walls, however, stayed, providing much needed protection.

The King moved towards the fallen Kovina. In its pain it had become enraged and very hungry. It lifted its claw upwards, and swiped downwards. Without a second thought, Klinge dashed forward, using the momentum of Asakonigei's magic to speed him up and his body to shield Asakonigei from the strike, the beasts massive claw tearing through his armor and leaving a massive gash against his back. The Dodongo didn't get another strike in as the two humanoids were shielded, and the cave in caused rocks to crush the beast to a pulp. Klinge breathed heavily, but was glad Asakonigei was safe. Snapping off his upper armor, he fell forward, the blood seeping out. If he remained motionless, he wouldn't bleed out, help would eventually come.

Asakonigei was not sure how long she was out cold. The first sensation was searing pain in her left shoulder blade. On her back, she rolled over onto the right side to relief some of the pressure. A shrill cry left her lips as her eyes watered. Something was definitely broken. What she noticed next was the metal walls, still holding. Evidently, her instincts kicked in just in the nick of time. Wait, where was Klinge? Gasping as she struggled to sit up, Asakonigei could not see, it being so dark.

"Klinge?" She tried to keep her voice from wavering. "Are you there?"

On the ground she could feel the blood that had leaked on the ground. Klinge's voice was quiet.

"I'm here. It's hard... to breath. Damn thing tried to claw you. Couldn't let that happen so I... well it got me pretty good. Are you ok?" Klinge rolled to face Asakonigei. He could barely make her out. The stitches on his body had ripped a bit, giving him new leaks of fresh blood. It would be a bitch to sow everything up later. If they got out of here.

When she tried to move closer to his voice, her hand landed in the puddle of blood. The Kovina snatched it back with a quiet squeak. Shuddering, Asakonigei knew that was not her blood. She could not see a damn thing and that only scared her more. The air was thin in here and the two of them would have to get out of here soon or else, they'd suffocate. She had to calm down and preserve oxygen. Groaning, Asakonigei felt around with her hand, trying to locate Klinge.

"I think... my shoulder is dislocated or broken one." Asakonigei blinked her eyes, trying to get used to the darkness in order to see better. "How bad is it for you?"

"I can't feel a whole lot, but I don't think I'll be paralyzed. Lost a lot of blood." In her struggle to find him, he felt her hand grace his face, going through what hair he had left. She felt warm and soft. Taking his hand of flesh, he felt the length of her arm, until he held her hand. "You'll make it out of here. I promise you that."

"We'll both make it out of here." Asakonigei corrected the commander. She tried not to tremble, tried to mask her fear. If only she could see what was going on outside the walls. Pressing her ear against the sheet of metal, the Kovina tried to sense the earth around her through the ore. There were rocks everywhere. This just confirmed her suspicions of how easy this mine would be to collapse. Groaning, the Kovina pressed the metal forward, shifting it on the ground. If she had to push them out of this hovel one foot at a time, then she would do it. Shaking from lack of magic, the Kovina tried again with her good arm. It would be much easier if panic had not taken a hold of her.

Klinge could sense her distress. Even now she tried to get them out of this dire situation. He needed to help anyway he could. Still holding onto her hand he transferred what magical energies he had into her. His voice grew soft.

"Asakonigei. What was your happiest moment in your life?"

"Don't try to give me your magic, idiot! You need it for yourself!" Asakonigei scolded him, but without much vigor or venom, her words shaky. Undead bodies were held together by magic. If he did not have it, then the likelihood of him regenerating was unlikely. She had to take a break, trying to catch her breath was hard. At Klinge's question, she wondered if it was delirium getting to the Klinge. Still, she decided to indulge him if it meant to keep him awake and talking. "Happiest moment? Need a good laugh before we run out of air, commander? It's a pretty pathetic story."

"I love a good sappy story. Do... tell." Klinge felt a little winded after giving her so much magic. The only thing keeping him conscious was her touch.

"To make a long story short, I was left at the altar because I wanted to follow the old traditions and he did not." Asakonigei huffed as she strained against the metal, trying to move not only its weight, but the rocks on top and around it. Groaning, the Kovina kept her right shoulder against the shield, pushing with her feet. Once, Asakonigei's wounded leg nearly shot out from underneath her, but she caught herself. "I went looking for the bastard and found him drunk out of his mind, tangled in the sheets of my supposed best friend. Lying, cheating, son of a bitch... the only joy I got out of that day was beating the shit out of him and my uncles giving me Nubi'ahlus as a companion afterwards." A loud bang vibrated through the metal as the boulders shifted, Asakonigei sweating from the effort. The exit had to be close! "Twisted and ironic, little foolish me never saw it coming."

Sinking to the floor, Asakonigei's chest heaved as she tried to breath. A short chuckle left her lips. "I found out afterwards that my uncles and cousins also paid him a visit. Spirits, I love my family."

Klinge gave a chuckle. Hearing the rubble, he thought that a cave in would happen any second. Guess this was it.

"Remind me not to piss them off. How's this for a happy moment? But it didn't start out happy. You see I met this woman. Rude, brash, stubborn, and highly sarcastic. She drove me up the god damn wall. Wouldn't even give me the time of day the first time we met. What a bitch right? With time though, I found out she had just gone through her own path in life that made her what she was. So I buckled down and tried not to be an uptight jackass, and sure enough, even though she still had her venomous wit, she grew more open and we both got to know each other better. I'm...really happy I got to meet this woman." Klinge squeezed Asakonigei's hand and gave her a light smile.

"... a rock hit you hard on the head, didn't it?" Asakonigei laughed slightly as Klinge recounted how the two of them met. "I'll... be upset with you later. I think for now..." It was getting hard to stay awake. The lack of air was really getting to her. The magic was so low; she could barely move her fingers. Was this how she was going to die? "For now... I need to work on... moving the wall..."

Klinge poured all the magic he could into Asakonigei that he could allow himself to give out.

"We... have to be.... close.... Wars. Demons. Gods. A Child with a grudge. I've survived worse... and I'll be damned if this is how I die! But if we do... I never thought it would be with a beautiful woman at my side." Klinge's breath collapsed into deep huffs. The magic he had used to keep his wounds from leaking was gone, blood starting to leak out. God all the pain stabbing him now was agonizing.

Asakonigei was partly conscious. Even with the magic, the lack of oxygen clouded her mind. She could feel the magic was there, but trying to use it was difficult. It took concentrate to push all this metal and move the weight of the mine. Though that last bit of instinct was there. That last shred of panic, the will to survive, pushed her to move. Mumbling a spell incoherently, the sudden blast of magic shot them out of the mine. The metal wall was shredded in the process, but Klinge and Asakonigei were intact.

"Oh god... natural light." Klinge, despite his body telling him no, turned to see if Asakonigei was alright. "Asakonigei, are you ok?"

Unconscious, Asakonigei breathed lightly, having slumped over onto the ground. Using such a last burst of magic, especially when she did not have nearly enough for that spell, took it out of her. Now in the sunlight, the dark bruising on her body was apparent. The men surrounded the shield in a hurry, Captain Kelly in the front.

"Commander, we need to get you and the miss here back to the castle." One of the troops carefully cradled Asakonigei, earning a low moan from the Kovina. "She don't look too good and you don't either."

"I'm...fine."

Kelly leaned down, forcing him onto a stretcher.

"No, you're not. You need medical attention."

"Her first! That's an order. I will not see her die!"

Kelly was hurt by that. She didn't like when Klinge abused his rank, but one quick at the Kovina and she knew he was right. But there was something else she picked up in Klinge's voice. A sense of worry and care unlike any other. This was something deeper than him just caring about his men.

"Of course, sir. However, I'm going to start your stitching. Just relax. Please."

Klinge closed his eyes, the blood loss making him ache, but he refused to lose conciseness. The entire trip back he never took his gaze off Asakonigei.

~

Two whole days in the infirmary and Asakonigei was still asleep. The stress on her body needed adequate time to heal. The castle's personal physician, Doctor Boveir, saw to her care. With a touch of healing magic, the internal bleeding stopped and the bones mended. However, the bruising was still there on her skin and the muscle weakened. Wraps covered the gash on her leg, protecting the fragile scar tissue there. Bandaged around her left shoulder, the brace was to keep it from moving and straining the ligaments further.

"Coming in for another visit, Commander Klinge?" Doctor Boveir asked as he checked Asakonigei's vitals. Seeing everything was normal, he then placed an extra blanket on top of her for warmth. Pulling up a chair for the commander, he assured him for the hundredth time. "Asa will wake when she's good and ready. Her body is just taxed from using magic when she shouldn't have."

"I can see that doctor. But I will stay here regardless. Not you, or Zarazu, or even Covarog can stop me from checking in."

Klinge took his seat, clapped his fingers together and stood by watching Asakonigei. He should have never of put her on that list. But how was he supposed to know a Dodongo of that size lived in the mine? When Asakonigei steered in her sleep, Klinge would rock from his spot, alert and ready to see her awake, only to relax as she fell back asleep.

Klinge kept coming in 3 times a day, an hour each, and sleeping on the chair at night. This was getting worrisome to some of the royal siblings.

"He's been staying the night by her side." Zarazu whispered to Covarog as she stood in the doorway. She wished there was something she could do to make the commander feel better. Poor Klinge looked like he was ready to spring off his seat at any small twitch from the Kovina. "The guilt must be eating him alive."

"Asakonigei knew the danger, but she still went anyhow." Covarog tried to reassure his wife that the commander would be all right. "Surely he won't take all the blame. No one could have known about the Dodongo in the mine."

"Yes, though I overheard Captain Kelly and Captain Tulilad saying Asa did not like how close it was to the volcano." Zarazu frowned. "Said it was unstable, but went in anyhow because of the need for more metals."

"I'm sure Asa will be okay." Covarog placed his hands on his wife's shoulders, kissing her forehead. "She's even more so stubborn than you."

"Look who's talking." Zarazu shot back with a grin.

It was late in the night when Asakonigei woke with a start. The massive King Dodondo last thing she was able to recall. There were walls... that's right, she put up a shield with the metal leftover in the mine. The burning aches reminded the Kovina that her body was still healing. Goodness, she felt a bit disoriented. How long had she been out cold? It was dark and she could barely see in the infirmary, just what little light the candles provided. Was that Klinge's armor?

"Klinge?"

Klinge snapped his head up from rest. Opening his eyes, he saw Asakonigei was up, adrenaline going through her.

"Yes. It's me. How are you feeling? Need any water?"

"I feel like I got hit by a King Dodongo." Asakonigei laughed dryly as she wriggled slightly on the bed, trying to work out some of the stiffness. "And water would be amazing, my mouth is like a desert. What happened? Are you all right?"

Klinge got up, grunting as he did, the stitches in his back stretching and pulling. Giving her the glass of water, he pulled his seat to get closer.

"I was the one that got nicked by the Dodongo. I-I'm fiaaaaaagh." Sitting down into the chair pulled the stitches to its full length. It hurt like a rusty knife being jabbed into him. "You'll make a full recovery. I should be fine with rest, but this job of mine never sleeps, so we'll see how I do." Klinge looked away for a second, trying to catch his breath. "To be honest, the doctors weren't sure if you would have pulled through at times. The strain that you put on your body with the amount of magic you used was catastrophic. You had me a tiny bit worried there."

"You don't sound fine." Asakonigei retorted as she took the glass of water with her good arm. It was cool and soothed the dryness of her throat. When Klinge remarked on how much magic she used, the Kovina grunted and somehow managed to sit up on the bed. It was risky using that spell when she had no more reserves. What choice did she have? In the unfortunate situation, it was do or die. "And those doctors don't know about the willful streak of Kovinas. Something like that would not keep me down for long." Asakonigei could not stand it when someone else worried about her wellbeing. Downplaying the situation, she knew Klinge did not need another issue on his full plate. "You, however, need to rest just as much as I do. The rocks hit us both, but you're the one who took a direct hit from the big lizard. Your job can wait."

"No, this castle would fall apart without me keeping watch. And you are in no position, to give me orders. Now that I know you're awake, I'm going to-AAAGH!" Standing up Klinge bit his tongue as his stitches ripped slightly in his back. "T-to go get a new shipment of supplies examined for the North."

"Yes, I am and no, you're not." Asakonigei huffed as she twirled her finger, dragging Klinge's heavy metal suit over onto a bed. It forced him to lay prone, helmet off with a flick of her finger. She did so gently as to not to irritate his soreness further. Her hand shook from using the magic, but it was worth it. "You're staying right there."

"S-stop that! Do I look like a metal puppet to you?" Klinge's brow was furled, a vein about to pop from him being dragged around like a child. "Now, I'm going to get up from this bed, you are not going to exert any more magic, and I am going to do my job, because despite your great sorcerer ways, not you, or anyone in this castle, has the authority to keep me in this bed!"

"Wanna bet on that, Klingy?" Asakonigei resumed her comfortable position on all of the stacked pillows. Using this magic was simple enough to keep metal in place. She did it all the time when trying to hold a blade or a piece of armor still while she worked. Clapping her hands together, having a link on the metal suit, made sure to keep it in place. "I'm exhausted and so are you. I'm doing you a favor. Now, hush and sleep."

"I'm going to get you back for this." Klinge was steaming. The Kovina had him trapped and there was nothing he could do. Tapping his metal fingers against the bed, he tried to relax, the weight of his armor stuck to the bed keeping him down.

"I'm not afraid of you." Asakonigei closed her eyes as she settled down to return to sleep. She still felt tired, even though she had been asleep for a few days. It was an odd sensation. "You should really take better care of yourself. If something happened to you, you'd be leaving so many people who depended on you. Don't be stupid and selfish. Go to sleep and have sweet dreams." She told him with slurred words, already half asleep herself. Within a few moments, her breathing was slow and deep.

Klinge stayed motionless in his bed. Her words were something to think on. She wasn't afraid of him for one. Could have been bravado, but there was something in her voice when she said that, a honesty behind it. And people that depended on him? Thirty years ago, never. But now, he was kept up by the thought of dying without saying goodbye to Zarazu, Covarog, Ralnor, Cass, Orana, Kanisa, Tebanem, Tulilad, Kelly, and so many others. After some thought he looked over to Asakonigei. She looked so peaceful as she slept. He could have ripped himself away if he really tried, but decided in the end that maybe he should heed her words. With a sigh Klinge closed his eyes and fell asleep.

~

"Asa, this isn't a race, just take your time and ease back into it." Doctor Boveir tried to ease the impatient Kovina. "You have to go slow."

"It's been 2 damn weeks! I can still barely move left my arm!" Frustrated as hell, Asakonigei's left arm twitched horribly as she tried to move it above her head. Her fingers could move slightly, but calling forth her magic was a problem. It was there, she could feel it, but could not move to use it. "This is cutting into my work! Do you know how hard it is to forge with one hand?!"

"It might take 2 more weeks; your entire shoulder blade was shattered." Doctor Boveir explained for the umpteenth time. "Your ligaments were torn. The Dusas are healing a little at a time to keep from taxing your body; overloading it with magic."

Klinge watched from his bed side. Draining his magic into Asakonigei had left his regeneration at a snail’s pace. Due to everyone's warnings he had stayed bed ridden as his body slowly healed itself.

"Do you need any help doc?"

"We're good, commander, Asa is just a bit frustrated."

"I'm not frustrated, I'm annoyed!"

"Same thing."

"Says you."

"Now try to concentrate on moving both of your arms at the same time. The muscle memory will kick in, and take it slowly." Doctor Boveir held her hands, trying to gently ease her into the stretch to test the strength of the damaged muscles. "Squeeze my fingers... there you go, you're getting it."

"Looks like it’s working." Klinge followed the doctor’s advice to Asakonigei, moving each metal finger of his metal arm. He hoped that the master who made this arm would recover soon. However, Klinge noticed Asakonigei was still frustrated.

"Hey, Asakonigei, want to hear something funny?"

"Funnier than this pathetic display?" Asakonigei gestured to her trying to recuperate her left arm. "I could use a laugh."

"Now, now, Asa, don't be crass, you're doing quite well. Here, try pressing against my hands now, as hard as you can with your left."

"Have you heard the Doc's real name? According to the staff I believe it was... Dr.Boo-Boo?" Klinge gave a chuckle as he saw the veins in the Doctor's head pop.

"Fitting." Asakonigei giggled at the doctor's expression.

"It's Boo-ve-ir!!!" The doctor corrected the commander with a firm tone, just like he did the children of Ganondorf and Zelda. "Don't you start in on that immaturity too!"

Klinge gave a long laugh. "Oh come now Doc, just some light fun." Klinge threw his legs off the bed, and slowly tried to stand up. Stretching his arms outwards was a pain, but he was finally getting around to feeling better. His back was still a little sore, but he'd get over it. "See, she's already doing 10% better just from my comment."

"So can I call you Dr. Boo-Boo now?"

"Only if you want an order for bedrest again."

"Aw! So stingy!"

"Focus on your therapy and stop acting like a child."

"But it's fun to pick and tease."

"Focus."

Asakonigei grinned broadly as she continued the motions that Dr. Boveir showed her for the therapy. It took a while, and she was sore afterwards. Yet, she grit her teeth and bore the discomfort. The faster she could use her arm again, the faster she could return to work. It was boring sitting around in the infirmary all day with nothing to do.

Klinge had brewed a cup of coffee for the two of them. Giving her one, he pulled a seat beside her. "You seem distraught. Want to talk about something to take your mind of it?"

Distraught, she supposed, could be one of the many words used to describe this situation. Asakonigei fought against Vul'kar, true, but this level of weakness, not able to do a thing... it left her feeling useless. Sipping lightly on the coffee, the Kovina sighed.

"I don't like feeling helpless." Asakonigei admitted as she continued to try to complete the stretches as ordered.

"It leaves you feeling hallow doesn't it? All you want to do is your best, but sometimes life won't let you. We want to be in motion, so when we are left with nothing, it weighs on us."

Klinge took a sip of his coffee. It was a little too bitter.

"Leaves me feeling like I need to do something." Asakonigei stirred her coffee with the tiny stick. "I never could sit still long enough, always working in the forge. But never minding all that, you're the one that was trampled by that overgrown lizard." She asked him. "I'm surprised you're already up and walking."

"It hurts, don't get me wrong, but I've been in tune with body of mine for longer than you have been around. I know what it takes to get it going again. Besides, I have work I need to do. If I sit in bed for weeks on end who will get anything done around the castle?"

"From what I've been told, Ralnor is the responsible one unlike someone I know." Asakonigei tapped her chin, feigning innocence while she playfully teased the commander. "And Captain Kelly and Tulilad seem to keep things under wraps, especially when that someone won't rest for his own good."

Klinge gave a sigh. She wasn't wrong. There were so many responsible strong individuals who could look after the kingdom.

"... maybe I am getting outdated in some areas. Nice to see your attitude has made a full recovery."

"Now you sound like an old man." Asakonigei snickered as she nudged his arm. It was fun teasing him, though it was all in good humor. He had his wits about him. "All I'm saying is, even you deserve a break. You can't possibly hope to do everything."

Klinge muttered under his breath.

"Worrying about the wellbeing of another person while being stuck in this hospital is anything but a break."

"Aw, Klingy, you were worried about me? What do you know, you do have a soft side." Asakonigei finished her cup of coffee and set it on the nightstand. Puffing a wild strand of hair out of her face, she then asked the commander. "Do you know how to braid hair?"

That was the second time he was called Klingy. He really hoped that nickname didn't catch around the castle. At her comment about her lush hair, the commander smiled. "I grew up in a village of woman, had a wife with long hair, and had to take care of Orana and Kanisa when they grew up. How'd you like me to braid it?"

"You can just braid it normally if you wish." Asakonigei brushed the loose hair behind her ears. It had been a while since she last cut it. Now, the long, black locks trailed almost to her backside, silky and smooth. "You'd be doing me a favor; I can't stand having it in my face."

"Of course." Klinge stood behind her, starting his work. He was careful not to pull too hard with his metal hand, but took note how smooth it was with his hand of flesh. She was so soft and tender. Finishing tying it up, Klinge saw Asakonigei turn to face him, less than a meter away from him. "Better?"

"Much better." The hair was out of her face and would not bother her. Asakonigei felt of the braid with her hand, noticing how he tied a bow at the end with one of the ribbons. Well, growing up in a village full of women had perks, she supposed. Smiling, the Kovina then questioned. "Do all Gerudos have such wild hair like the retired king?"

"Mine never grew out like his. It's really a matter of genetics, but for most, if they didn't regularly cut their hair, they'd have long lengths. It was...cute to do this again."

Klinge gave smiled back at the Kovina. "Do all Lorleidians have sharp wits and nicknames just ready to go? Or just the annoying, pretty ones?"

"Nah, just the annoying, pretty ones." Asakonigei replied with a brief chuckle at his mannerism. It seemed the commander was finally learning to relax around her. Being so intense and rigid, it had to wear him out over time. "With you paying me all these compliments, I'm beginning to think you actually do like me instead of just tolerating my oh so enjoyable attitude." Her finger traced after the metal plate on his shoulder, drawing sigils out of habit. "You should let me decorate your armor sometime."

Her playfully trailing a finger on his finger was a little out of the blue to Klinge. Was she being flirtatious? "I'm not sure, solid black has always been a go-to of mine. But I suppose you can't put on the same suit every day. You could make a match for my arm and sword you made, but you'd have to get my measurements first."

Asakonigei had always loved to decorate metal with fancy designs. Before she even realized what she had done, Klinge's shoulder plate had a maze of endless swirls with no beginning and no end. Old habits could never really be kicked.

"No, I don't think so." The Kovina told Klinge with a small smile. "Gold. That is your color." She then added. "If you want a suit of armor, then it needs to be gold... and of course, I'll need your measurements. That's always a necessity."

"Gold hmm? Only the highest honour Gerudo could ever wear Golden Armour. Those are big shoes to fill." Klinge thought back to the Iron Knuckles of old. Grand warriors that died out with his people. When the time was right he'd bring them back. "When you're feeling up to it we can schedule an appointment in my office. Spare the castle of seeing me out of my shell at the common forge."

"Hey, don't talk down about yourself." Asakonigei chided him. "Undead or not, you're still human. If you were a monster like all those morons out there think you are, then you most certainly would not have tried to save me. I've seen worse in normal human flesh." She waggled a finger at him, copying the queen. "Zarazu would not stand for it either. You're a good friend to her. Let's wait until my arm is healed and then we'll worry about those measurements, yes?"

Klinge was taken aback by her fire. He was just making a light joke, but she was serious on defending him. He threw his hands up to ward of her intensity. It was highly contagious.

"Alright, alright! I'm not a "monster", you can all stop telling me that. And gold sounds perfect. To give you motivation to get better, I'll see you in five days, my quarters, 3:00pm sharp."

~

Thankfully, her leg did not require too much physical therapy. Her arm, however, was still giving her some trouble. She could lift it above her head and use it for a short time, but forging was still out of the question. Doctor Boveir told her with a very strict tone that if she tried to go back to work before she was fully healed, it would only result in further damage. So, begrudgingly, Asakonigei listened and took the time off from the forge to sketch out new designs, better designs, for the Hylian armor.

Knocking on Klinge's door, Asakonigei had her pad, pencil, and measuring tape ready.

Klinge stood from his desk when he heard the knocking. She was already here? Putting his book down he walked over to his door. He hoped she would find his collection of books, weapons, armor, and self-made art endearing, rather than sad. Opening the three locks he opened the door up for her.

"Welcome. Sit down and I'll get unsuited up."

Asakonigei stepped into his office and took a good look around the place. There were so many different items, she had no idea where to begin. Books resided on shelves from floor to ceiling and weapons decorated the walls. The sketching though, was a bit surprising. She did not think a man of his caliber would indulge in such an art. Still, it was rather endearing to see the partly finished portrait of Zarazu and Covarog with the twins. All the people in his life held a spot on sketching paper.

"You're quite the artist, Klinge." Asakonigei remarked as she took a seat on the velveteen couch.

"Thank you. Zarazu's sister, Zolori, inspired me to do something with my hands beside kill people." Klinge turned to Asakonigei and took a deep breath. "I suppose we should...get started."

Closing his eyes, Klinge concentrated his magic. All his armour, his boots, leggings, torso, gauntlets, and helmet came off. He was left with the skin on his body, and a pair of tight boxers. His heart came to a slow beat, he had never been so vulnerable and unprotected in all his reborn life.

"You know, a lot of people would love to learn that trick in the bedroom." Asakonigei giggled quietly as she stood, taking out the long measuring tape from her pocket. He was a brute in strength and riddled with muscle. Undead or not, the Kovina supposed she should not be too surprised. Gerudo men were built like bricks. Since Klinge was so large, it would definitely take some time to complete this measurement. She started with his legs first. "One snap of the fingers and poof! No more armor or clothes... and there's nothing I haven't seen before, so don't worry about that. I had to take baths with my uncle and cousins when I was little."

Klinge tensed up from her comments. It wasn't like he hadn't thought of the implications of being undressed in front of a woman. The only thing keeping him together was that this was for the sake of professional business only.

"Please don't make this weird. My powers are a skilled Gerudo art, not some bedroom kink."

"Just saying." Asakonigei, so engrossed in her work, never noticed the few loose hairs tickling against Klinge's skin each time she measured a different area. With both legs complete she decided to leave the more intimate areas for last. Skipping to his waist, the Kovina hummed as she worked, the lead in the pencil etching down the correct measurements, floating in midair. It was so much easier to manipulate the lead to write on paper rather than pausing to do so with a quill. Noting a rather large patch of scars, she thought it resembled claw marks. "When did you get those?"

"Those marks come Kanisa's husband, Vidar. Direnors have the ability to transform into ferocious beasts. I didn't like the fact he was seeing Kanisa, he didn't like I was undead. The fight between us got out of hand." Klinge trailed his finger up to a different claw mark. "Not sure if you studied Hyrule's history, but about twenty-five to thirty years ago, we were at war with a people known as the Hasai, members of the Kikai Empire. Ever heard of a Manticore?"

"Manticores? I've heard of them, yes." Asakonigei used her magic to etch the length between the shoulders, his arm, and hand. She stood behind Klinge, not wanting him to see her shakiness with the left arm. She had to measure his full height and stood on his desk to do so, mainly to give her arm a break. "Nasty creatures with a bad temper I heard."

"Abominations is more like it. The face of a man, large teeth, and the body of a lion, except they have these metal tails that can shoot spikes powerful enough to tear even through my armor, and leather wings to fly and wreck their havoc anywhere. Glad we put an end to that Empire and the monsters they bred. Rather fight a dragon then another one of those again." Klinge continued on talking about other wounds he had received. Training, bandits, Ganondorf putting him in his place, the stories went on and on.

"And of course there's my arm here. I was cruel to Zarazu when I fought her, and as retaliation, she blew my arm into tiny shards of frozen flesh."

The power of the queen truly was something to fear. Though, since Zarazu was a gentle and loving queen, many of the people adored her. She seemed to connect with the people easier than Zelda and tried not to make any hasty judgements concerning others. However, the famed Leden Voda had no tolerance for any stupid moron who dared to press her buttons. Messing with her family or friends was a bad idea.

"Hopefully you won't piss her off again. You should have seen Zarazu tear apart those pirate ships that tried to kidnap her sister." Asakonigei carefully measured around Klinge's neck. "Then again, that was before she was queen of our people. She's a kindhearted soul, tries to see the good in others."

Klinge thoughts went back to how she went from tearing him apart, to being the first to see him in the infirmary afterwards. Zarazu was a kind soul. "She is. I'm glad to have met her. She's my closest friend. The Queen even helped me find peace with the memory of my late wife."

"Heh, that sounds like something Zarazu would do." Asakonigei climbed down from the desk. All that was left was to measure around his thighs. "It's ironic... we have a queen named after the terrible goddess of death, yet she's nothing like black gloom or doom. If anything, she's more of a light." Wincing slightly at her arm's protesting, the Kovina made sure to get the last bits without making anything awkward. Her shoulder blade was on fire. "It makes me feel better to know she'll have someone like you to watch over her descents. Little Luimaya and Turgaor will need a protector... heh, you'll be here after I'm long gone." The pad and the pencil flopped onto the couch, her task finished. "Then you can tease me about being old, slow, grey, and cranky."

Klinge sunk down and his voice grew more indifferent.

"Yes. Everyone I'll have grown for will be dead. Yet I'll still be here. A blade collecting dust."

Immortality. Before it was a necessary tool to grow his revenge against Zelda, but now the hatred was gone, it was just a curse.

"I... I don't mean to overstep my boundaries here, but..." Asakonigei wondered if she should even be bringing this up to Klinge of all people. "Have you talked to Zarazu about the "Ayohuhisdi Alenidohv"?"

Klinge turned his head to her, curious what the term meant.

"The what?"

"It's... roughly translated into Hylian, giving back life to someone who is dead." Asakonigei explained to the commander. "It's not dark magic, mind you. There's a tale of a Lorledian king long ago who used the spell to bring back his wife who died in childbirth. He ended up giving her half of his life, so they could be together again. Given, she was not an undead, like you, so a link cannot be created but... a few tweaks here and there in the spell and it could work." Then she hastily added. "It's not used, mainly because of the risk. It might work, taking only half, or it could take full. Or it might backfire and kill the user. But the biggest issue is the amount of magic required in order to pull it off."

Klinge looked at Asakonigei with the barest expression. How could such a thing exist? But the possibility, him, being a full living being, capable of feeling full emotions and the joys of life, was wracking at him. Did he even deserve such a thing?

"I... I can't believe that. I always thought this was...." Klinge was at a loss for words. Closing his eyes, he tried to forget such a thing from his mind. "A second chance of life isn't mine to take from someone else."

"I don't think it would work the way the spell usually does." Asakonigei admitted, knowing that Klinge, an undead, was partly already alive and living. His body, on the other hand, was not. The dynamics of such powerful magic would lie in Zarazu's capable hands. If anyone could figure out such complexity, then she could. "Now, you're just being silly. Zarazu gave you a chance, didn't she? She is one of the greatest queens we've ever had, she's able to control infinite amounts of magic. Surely, you could put your trust in her to try?" Maybe she sounded too pushy. The Kovina apologized. "Sorry, I... it was not my intention to make you feel conflicted. I just... thought you might like to know."

"No, don't apologize. Thank you for letting me know. But if you would, I'd rather we continue to you making snide remarks about my attitude." Klinge's shoulders slouched, this clearly weighing on his mind.

~

With the birth of the twins, Zarazu was enjoying her time off being a mother. There were still a few duties to tend to around the castle, but the babies were her priority. The council thought it rather odd since she did not hire a wet nurse, insisting to feed and care for her children herself. Still, these were her precious children and the queen was going to be there for them. After feeding Luimaya and Turagor, Zarazu carefully rocked her children in the basinet. She sang to them softly as their sleepy eyes drifted shut.

Klinge was about to storm in, but hearing the Queen's singing, he opted to wait. When they were fast asleep, he whispered inside. "Zarazu, we need to talk."

Seeing Klinge so desperate to speak to her certainly caught the queen's attention. Covering up the twins with a blanket, Zarazu refused to leave them alone. That slight tint of paranoia was still there and she was having the hardest time shaking it. She motioned for the commander to come inside of the large nursery.

"Come. Luimaya and Turagor are fast asleep." Zarazu kissed the top of her children's heads loving. "They always sleep heavy after a feeding. We won't be waking them."

Klinge looked down at the two babies. They were a joy to look upon. Leaning against a wall he decided to hit the nail on the head.

"I was told you know about something called "Ayohuhisdi Alenidohv"."

"Ah... it seems one of my sisters let it slip at last. Or was it possibly Asa?" Zarazu took a seat in the rocking chair. She did not want Klinge to get his hopes up too high nor did she want to disappoint him. "I told them to keep quiet. This kind of spell will not work on an undead." Taking a breath, she then added. "That said... I could look into reversing the effect of this spell. Instead of an undead, you'd be your old self again. However, the reason I did not bring it up was for your immortality." The queen clasped her hands together, a small frown on her face. "This would have to be something you wanted, sacrificing your broken ties to the goddess of demise. Once restrung, she would be able to touch you once again."

Klinge teeth grinded together as not to wake the twins.

"I could die with those I love. I could have a soul back. I wouldn't be an abomination. Why wouldn't you have brought this up before? You think immortality is a good thing? It's a curse."

Zarazu narrowed her eyes at him.

"What has your queen told you about referring to yourself as such?" Her words were icy, but merely at the annoyance of Klinge calling himself a monstrosity. Sighing deeply, the queen chose her next words carefully. There was a reason, and a good one at that. "I did not tell you because I did not wish for you to be disappointed, Klinge. You are my friend... if I could not make it work, I did not wish for you to be miserable because of my failure. Even if I could rid you of your undead state, if I could not severe the ties of your immortality... then what good could it do you?" Her dark eyes were soft. "I do not wish for you to hate me if I could not pull off the impossible."

Klinge sighed. "I don't hate you. I'd never hate you. Look, I'm sorry for bringing this up. I just wanted to know about it. I'm over seven-hundred years old. I'm looking forward to seeing your children grow, however, there isn't a day that goes by, a moment, that I don't think about death. It's hard existence. If I didn't have you, or the kids I'd..." Klinge shook his head and started to walk away. "Once again, congratulations on being a mother. And tell Covarog that I hope he cherishes being father."

"Klinge, wait." Zarazu stopped him before he could leave the nursery. She gently grabbed his arm to obtain his attention. "I agree with you. Immortality would be a curse. I don't know if I would be able to bear seeing my children die before me or even Covarog for that matter." The queen told him. "What kind of friend would I be... if I didn't even try?"

"I don't want you to lose any sleep over it. But thank you."

~

Asakonigei had not seen Klinge much of late. He was awfully busy with the day to day functions of the castle. There was no time to mingle, really for either one of them. Once Asakonigei's arm healed, it was back to the forge to catch up on the work. So for a few months, the Kovina finished the rest of the requirements for the army. In her spare time, she worked on Klinge's new suit of armor. The Gerudo was different from the other soldiers, not only from his brute size but also in his skill. What she made for him had to suit his needs, to a tee. So after much hard work and effort, Asakonigei finished the armor.

With the help of some of the servants, she moved the armor into Klinge's office. A long drape was over the suit. Asakonigei wanted to surprise him. So there she waited, patiently.

Klinge was tired from a long day of sparring sessions with both Ralnor and Covarog. It was one of his most enjoyable exercises. He made sure the King and Prince were in top condition, but the years had only made them better swordsman.

Opening his door, any sense of unrest was expelled by surprise seeing Asakonigei in his room. He took notice of the giant covered object behind her.

"I'll bite. What's going on?"

"Well, don't you think you've waited long enough?" Asakonigei asked, thinking surely he had not forgotten. Then again, it had been a while. Or maybe, this was the last thing on his mind. Taking Klinge's hand, she pulled him closer to the suit hidden beneath the sheet. Grasping the drape, the Kovina yanked it off with one motion, revealing the golden armor. It was a masterpiece. Evidently, Asakonigei had done her homework, researching the old designs in the book. Not an exact copy, the armor did have some of her own personal touches and skillful sigils of the Gerudo. Of course, there was her signature, right on the breastplate. "Ta-da!!!" He was silent. "Um... do you like it?"

He did not trust his eyes on what was before him. Reaching a hand out slowly he placed his fingers on it. He could feel the weight of its magnificence. By the gods it was real. Taking off the helmet he placed it between both his hands and looked deep into its eye holes. Golden Iron Knuckle Armour. Holy Armour. The most divine suit a Gerudo could wear. A great feeling of emotion Klinge couldn't narrow down filled him.

Placing the helmet carefully back, Klinge looked back at Asakonigei. Taking off his own helmet, he stared at her, eyes filled with raw emotion, looking more human than ever before. This woman, this beautiful one of a kind woman, went out of her way for him, to craft him a suit that he had deemed himself as unworthy of wearing, that he insisted all his life he was unworthy of wearing. Yet, she saw past that and did it anyways.

Klinge leaned down and placed both arms around her in an embrace, his voice shaking with emotion. "Thank you. Oh gods. Thank you...."

The most Asakonigei expected was a thank you, but a hug was something she never considered. It almost scared her, wondering if Klinge had worked himself into a state of delirium. Yet, when the Kovina heard the overwhelming emotion in his voice, it gave her pause. No sarcastic remarks or teases left her mouth. Never in this lifetime did she think the commander would ever sound so... touched. This armor meant more than she thought. Even though she could not read the Gerudo language entirely, the Kovina knew a few words here and there thanks to Zarazu. This armor held high honor. It was why she made it for him. Klinge, who had lost and sacrificed so much for the wellbeing of others deserved a gold suit.

"You're welcome." Asakonigei said softly. "Why don't you... try it on?"

Klinge looked back at the armour. He was actually scared of it.

"Are you sure? Right now?"

"I have to make sure you can actually wear it." Asakonigei used the excuse to get him into the suit. "Besides, don't you want to see how it feels?"

"Alright." Klinge took a deep breath. Doing what he did for all his weapons and armors, he made a small mark with fingers on it and did a small chant in Ancient Gerudo. With his equip spell, he put it into his reserve, the armour vanishing away. Another breath, and he snapped his finger. In a quick flash of light, all his black Darknut armor vanished, and replaced by it, the divine Golden Iron Knuckle armour of his people.

Klinge looked into the mirror, and stood completely still. It shone new like the sun of the desert. The weight of its magnificence was a lot to bear. By instinct, he snapped to him the battle axe of an Iron Knuckle. It was old and rusty, not having been used or taken care of in centuries, but he needed to get the feeling of it with the armor. He couldn't believe this was real.

"Wow... I think it looks rather impressive on you." Asakonigei complimented the commander with a small smile. She waited as Klinge looked at his reflection in the mirror, taking in the appearance of the shimmering gold armor. "I made it with titanium and tungsten, stained with a very thin layer of molten gold. If you get in a fight, the gold might scrap, but the other metals will hold."

"Wow... I think it looks rather impressive on you." Asakonigei complimented the commander with a small smile. She waited as Klinge looked at his reflection in the mirror, taking in the appearance of the shimmering gold armor. "I made it with titanium and tungsten, stained with a very thin layer of molten gold. If you get in a fight, the gold might scrap, but the other metals will hold."

Klinge put the axe on the table, he'd need to repair it some time. Looking at Asakonigei he was overcome by a surge of positive feelings for her. Over the short, yet long time they have gotten to know each other, he had learned about her family, opened up to her, exposing himself in so many ways, protected her from death, gotten accustomed to her wonderful charms, and now she had made the highest honor for him. He couldn't deny the name of this feeling he held for her. She was beautiful, in both body and soul. He smiled every time he saw her, or even heard her name now. He was in love.

"Asakonigei..." Klinge took her hands, feeling the softness behind them, yet the power and creativity. "I don't think you realize how much this means to me...and in turn, how much you mean to me..."

That statement earned a red blush across the Kovina's cheeks. It took a lot to get her flustered and somehow the commander managed to do it with such an endearing statement. Asakonigei truly did not anticipate such heartfelt words. It was just a suit of armor; it was not like she performed some sort of miracle. Something told her that this kind of armor was extremely special to the Gerudo people.

"You n-needed armor... I wanted it to be nice." Asakonigei tried not to stammer, cheeks still burning. She tried to keep a rational process of thought. Even if she was fond of the commander, it would not end well for the both of them. "Klinge... you... I will only b-bring you more pain."

"Asakonigei, you'd never bring me pain. Over the time we have spent together, I've come to care for you more than anyone in this life of mine. I..." Klinge took a long breath and looked deep in Asakonigei's eyes. He was terrified to say the words. What if he regretted it? What if she didn't feel the same way? Fuck it. Squeezing her hands, he drew her a little closer. "I love you. How could you ever bring me pain?”

Oh spirits, Asakonigei wondered if he had fallen for her. It was such a conflicting feeling. This was not good. He was immortal, she was mortal. The only thing she had to offer him was more pain. Had he not lost enough people he cared about in his many years?

"Klinge, I... despite my feelings, I'm going to die one day." Asakonigei told him almost inaudibly, her gaze downcast. It was the hard truth, but she was going to be honest with him. "I will grow old while you will stay the same. You lost Cipher... I don't want you to have to watch me die either."

Klinge shook his head. He didn't want to hear these excuses.

"Asakonigei. I don't care about that. I'd rather spend one wonderful, happy life with you, knowing we could bring each other joy, then live alone, regretting what could have been because I was worried about the end game. It's about the journey together, not the destination. Don't you trust that's enough?"

"I want to trust that's enough, but... even if we entertained the idea, how could we make this work, Klinge?" Asakonigei could not give him false hope. Life was precious, but also fragile. What could she possibly offer him to make him happy? How could this little... spark, between them, work? "I... I don't want you miserable if something does happen to me. Even if we do live out this life, I cannot give you what a man wants from a woman. Children, a quiet life, some sense of normalcy... would you be content with just me?"

"No I can make it work, I can...." Klinge took a moment to process himself. As much as others didn't see him as such, he was still physically and undead, a monster. He had the body of a human, all the proper organs of a human, but he had no idea if the magic flowing through him would make it work. And their occupation was a hazard, anything could happen. But all those thoughts aside, he knew he could get through the troubles.

"I know the possibility of children is slim with me. I know that our jobs may not bring us the most stable life. But I truly do believe that we can make this work. God damn it Asakonigei, "content" is an insult of a word for how I'd feel being with you. I don't need some fairy tale life to be happy with you."

There was still so much uncertainty. Asakonigei could not find it in her heart to say no, but her brain was thinking otherwise. If she was lucky, perhaps she'd live as long as a 130 years... but eventually she would die. There would be no family with Klinge. There would be no laughter from children. There would be no house to go to, their life would be here. If something happened to him... if something happened to her... could she be happy with just him? Give up on the dream of having a family of her own one day?

"What if... I do want a family one day?" She asked him really softly.

Klinge squeezed on her hands in sadness, and a new found disgust at himself. Despite his best intentions, despite people saying otherwise, he could never truly be the man he once was.

"I can do tests on myself. We could adopt. We could...."

"Silly... I won't ask you to subject yourself to something as unpleasant as tests." Asakonigei told him with a sad smile. "You are you. I like the way you watch me work at the forge, so intense with that gaze. I enjoy talking to you and a bit of fun teasing here and there. Most of all, I like the way you speak to me as if I'm an equal when others don't view it that way. Klinge... you're so strong, but you're always so gentle, so kind, despite the cards that have been dealt to you. Even now, you're being so careful, holding my hands as if they're made of glass." The Kovina had tears brimming in her eyes. "The bitterness you have, it's slowly going away and you are remembering what it is like to feel again. I don't want you to spiral back down that dark path... I don't want anything to happen to you because of me... I..." She sniffled, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "I don't want to be the cause of you losing hope again, feeling lost in the dark, because I'm mortal and you're not. If Zarazu does not think of a solution, then you'll outlive me and... if... if I were..." The Kovina took a breath, trying to desperately think of a solution. Her mind raced, even turning to the darker arts. "If Vaati could... make me like..."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Don't think like that!" Klinge would kill the wizard if he ever touched her, if he ever made someone go through the same existence like him. "You need to have life Asakonigei! As for me, even if Zarazu couldn't help me, I can still die. If I were to feel lost without you, I somehow couldn't hold onto your light after you were gone, then I could still die."

Klinge took a few deep breaths trying to stay calm. "Please. Without worrying about me, don't you feel the same way? We can make this work."

The way Klinge so vehemently dismissed her thought about the dark magic turning her into an undead nearly made Asakonigei jump. He called immortality a curse, his state of being a curse. The idea was off the list, completely unacceptable to him. Besides, the Kovina was not sure if she was brave enough to undergo such anyhow. Wiping at the tears on her cheeks with one hand, she placed the other on his face. This poor man... what hell had he lived through?

"You are unlike anyone I've ever met." Asakonigei told him tenderly. "I feel a sense of longing when I'm with you, a sense of giddiness, and safe. It's been a long time since I felt that way about anyone." Her fingers brushed the red hair that was left on his head, curling a finger around a lock. "The man I was originally going to marry deceived me, left me, and hurt me... I don't get that from you; you're a loving soul."

Klinge put his metal hand at her waist and his hand flesh on her cheek brushing away a tear and moving a lock of hair out of her face. Nothing on this Earth could break his gaze away from hers.

"And your soul is divine. Asakonigei. Whenever I see you, whenever I hear your name, it makes me smile. I'll always protect you. I love you."

"I didn't think I'd fall in love again, but... I guess you proved me wrong." Asakonigei sighed with an expression of content on her face. "Promise to love me forever, Klinge? Us Kovinas take such a vow seriously."

"Until death do us part. Now..." Klinge leaned a little closer. "...and forever my love."

When Klinge leaned closer to her, Asakonigei's red blush returned on her cheeks, quickly looking at her feet. The embarrassment was clear on her face. She mumbled an apology.

"Sorry, I... it's been... a while." She admitted. "Since... a kiss..."

Klinge smiled, feeling his wit come into play. It had been a long time for him as well.

"If it makes you feel any better, longer for me then you. Remember, just a man in his twenties who's been that way for hundreds of years. So this is scary for me as well. Tell you what, how about we do this at the same? On three... two... one..."

Asakonigei burst out in giggles at Klinge's counting down for a kiss. She never expected the commander to do such a thing.

"How about this? Just bend down and close your eyes for me."

Klinge did as he was told. He wasn't like Ganondorf, he wasn't going to pick up Asakonigei off the ground for their first time. Closing his eyes he smiled.

"As you wish."

Once Klinge was within easy reach, Asakonigei leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on the commander's lips. She was still shy, but was not going to admit such a thing. A relationship was not something she saw in her future, so now... it felt a little foreign.

It was heaven to Klinge. This feeling that he felt as Asakonigei lips met his was...extraordinary. Letting go he looked back into her eyes, feeling her smooth hair in his fingertips.

"Are you sure that's the best idea, Father?" Surfifa asked, the youngest of the bunch. "You already caused Kelly's boy toy to leave the party once."

"Not to mention, she pretty much hates your guts." Scudiva, her twin, added to the conversation. "You heard her words. She doesn't want to see us."

"No... Perhaps she has a point." He looked to his eldest child for her thoughts.

"Maybe you should have left Kelly go with her mother." Ripcurena sighed, hating to fight. Usually she enjoyed family mischief, but this situation was too horrible to stomach. "She might have been happier."

"You were pretty tough on her... on us." Surfifa did not want to argue. "For both good reasons and bad."

"And our mothers, well... it was so soon afterward." Scudiva shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that made her feel as if you didn't care."

"I know... I was hard on all of you. I thought by giving Kelly the same treatment I would be fair. Even then I didn't protect her from the other troubles plaguing her mind."

"If you are serious about talking to her, I'd definitely not place blame."

"And I'd apologize for causing this rift between her and her human man."

"And apologize for straining your relationship to your own sister..." This was unbecoming of their father. He seemed for a moment like he was regretful of his actions. Perhaps it was age wearing him down. "I'll go what I need to do."

Bruceladon knocked on Kelly’s door. She had emotionally shut down in the last month, only seeing Klinge to work around Tulilad, and barely talking with Zarazu or the other ladies like she used to. “Kelly, are you available?”

“What the hell do you want? Storm season should almost be over.” Kelly scowled as she polished her sword.

“I want to talk to my daughter.”

“Well guess what, you’re talked to her. Congratulations. Now you can leave.”

He shook his head. “No. I mean really talk with you. Like I should have all these years ago.”

The Captain scoffed at the old Zora. “You want to do this now?”

“Yes, I do. I won’t leave until you let me!”

“Oh like I could ever stop you before!”

“Young lady, what do you want me to say?!”

“That you were wrong about how you raised me and admit you’re son of a bitch for a start!”

“Then perhaps I was indeed wrong! But I only wanted to give you a fair treatment as every other Zora!”

Both had stood tall to look each other in the eye. “Well guess what Dad! That didn’t fucking work! Instead I had to compete with my own siblings which bred unhealthy family rivalries, fight off bigoted and racist Zora who either saw me as a lower freak most of the time, or more creepily an exotic sextoy, or fight constantly for your attention, only for you to make it seem that I was never good enough for you!!!”

“I thought I was making you stronger!”

“NO! NO YOU FUCKING DIDN’T!!!” Kelly started to cry now from all the emotions boiling inside her now it was just the two of them. “You didn’t even care to teach me about mom! About her side in my Hylian half! Did you even love her? DID YOU EVER LOVE ME?! ANSWER ME!!!”

Kelly grabbed him by surprise, pinning him to the wall. Her father, her cold stone father, let his voice waver. “Kelly… I loved you the moment you were born. I didn’t know how to raise someone as special as you on my own. I’m sorry. I thought by leaving you by yourself once you left for Hyrule I was somehow helping you. That it was what you needed. Instead, it was my pride as a Zora that blinded me to what I had shaped your heart into. I-…I’m sorry.”

Kelly held him, her arms shaking as her anger made her torn on his words. “Now? Now you want to tell me this? G-god damn you. God damn you, you shitty-”

Her father hugged her close. “I’m sorry. I should have never made you feel isolated. Please. Please forgive me… Kelly?”

Kelly looked incredibly pale all the sudden. Squirming out of her hug, she ran to her bathroom, throwing up into the toilet. “Kelly? What’s wrong!”

Her other siblings, who had snuck along to hear the conversation grew concerned. Their father ran to hold Kelly’s hair back.

“Have you been drinking?”

“No I haven’t been drinking Father! I-“ She heaved again, not understanding why she suddenly felt so sick. “W-what’s going on?”

“I-I’m unsure. I’m here Kelly. Just let it out.”

And Kelly did. All her tears and all the bile in her.

Tulilad was a former husk of his usual self. According to his friends in the squad, he was normally full of energy, smiles, and laughs. Now, he was withdrawn, after completing his work, locking himself in his old room in the castle and keeping away from everyone else. Covarog tried talking to him but he would not hear of it. Zarazu even tried to salvage the situation, apologizing to both Kelly and Tulilad, telling them to please speak to each other. He was not rude, but declined, and preferred the company of a bottle instead of his friends. Finally, Zarazu decided once again to try to talk to him.

"Tulilad, please open the door." The queen gently knocked on the wood. "You really need to talk to Kelly."

"I said no."

"Every couple has problems, but communication is the only way to---"

"I said no! Go away!"

Klinge, having been by Zarazu's side throughout the ordeal, found the situation to be more of a migraine. His best soldiers quality in work had diminished greatly. Walking down to find the queen once more trying to negotiate, his eyes rolled at Zarazu taking the easy approach. He picked the lock open, and pushed himself in. "You work ethic has gone down terribly. I'm here to put you back on schedule."

"Oh bite me." Tulilad was tipsy and not in the best of moods. He even looked somewhat rough, unshaven beard, dark circles around his eyes, and rather paler than usual. Between the increasing consumption of alcohol, less food and water, he looked like complete and utter shit. "It doesn't matter... I'm going to quit anyway."  

"Explain yourself. What do you plan to do?" Klinge forcibly took the bottle away from him.

"I'mma just quit this fighting shit, I mean I've been fighting for so long, too long really, and I'm so tired of it, so tired of not winning where I really want to win and where it doesn't matter it just... doesn't." Tulilad mumbled as he got up from his chair and went over to the door, gesturing for Klinge to leave. "She... she didn't even want them to know about me, didn't tell me, wouldn't... I'm pathetic. I chased her all that time and it was only then that I realized... what was I doing?"

"So you think everything's pointless? That all you can do is drink yourself to death over her?"

"Everything is pointless, you live, you die, well... not you but everyone else." Tulilad once again gestured for him to leave. "It's my day off and I'll mellow and wallow and wail if I want to, so leave."

"Exactly. I won't die. But you will. So let me tell you something, Captain." Klinge gripped his own sides, looking down at this poor shell of a man. "Everyone keeps secrets. Kelly kept her only one not out of seeing you as weak, but out of love that she or you would be harmed. You get to only have one life, but after your first major argument you throw everything away like a child. You decided not to work things out with her, to stick through your problems, because god forbid that be the hardest thing you'd have to do in a time of peace. You should be grateful that you even have the flesh you do to be considered attractive and live a normal life. So do what you wish though. I’d prefer to go back to pretending I never knew you two had a relationship. You can pick yourself up, or, like your father, drink away to your last breath. I'd recommend the east wing tower to throw yourself off though if you truly believe life isn't worth living. I wouldn't want the shell that you currently are in my ranks anyways. Good day Captain Tulilad." With that, Klinge walked himself out.

Tulilad ignored Klinge's words. Yes, his own father drank himself to death, yet the captain did not plan on dying just yet. Maybe he'd do what he always wanted to do. Traveling sounded nice, or maybe he could start a farm far away from Hyrule, or possibly he'd join the circus as a knife thrower. So many possibilities to try.

Kelly sat by the bed with her family, holding a stick in her hand. At the warning of her sister, she checked herself out. She had become pregnant. And for the first time in a long time, Kelly was truly scared. "I-I don't know what to do? What do I do? I'm alone and now... now I'm pregnant???"

"We could always threaten to dismember him and have him come crawling back on the ground like the maggot he---" Ripcurena started.

"Sister!" Scudiva chided her. "They had a fight, it's not like they broke up! He said he needed some time to think!"

"He's had a good while to think, now he needs to just do." Surfifa then suggested. "How about you go knock his lights out for knocking you up and tell him he better come back or Father will eat him?"

"And how is that less worse than what I suggested?" Ripcurena asked with a scoff.

"Slow death versus fast death?"

"Eh, you got a point."

"I... maybe I'm not good enough for him..."

"Now why do you say that?"

"He's just upset cause you didn't talk it out, men don't like being kept in the dark."

"Unless you're fucking, then they like it dark."

"Sis!"

"What?! It's true!"

"Do... do you think we can make it work?"

Their father nodded. "You won't know unless you try."

"So? What are you waiting for?" Scudiva asked Kelly. "... from what whispered rumors I heard, your man likes an assertive woman."

Kelly paused, looking at them. "I'm sorry I didn't try to communicate my feelings to you guys more."

"We all make mistakes, Kelly. Though I think it's a learning game for everyone to learn to... talk."

"Can... can we try to be an actual family?"

"... do you want to?"

Kelly scowled. "I always wanted you as a family! Don’t you want the same?!" Kelly's father gulped at his daughter regaining her spunk. "I'm gonna be raising a family with or without Tulilad, and I'd really like you guys in my life now!"

"Well, it would be better if the shorty was in it because to be honest, he is sort of cute..."

"Ripcurena, don't start this now."

"I mean, obviously if we were compatible, I'd eat him as a midnight snack."

"GAH! You're disgusting!"

"No, he's my man!" Kelly, while tall for a human, was still smaller than her siblings. With a playful growl she tackled Ripcurena, trying to pin her.

Ripcurena was definitely the one who loved to tease her other siblings. When Kelly tackled her, she sighed and simply held Kelly away by putting her palm on her sister's forehead, to hold her head backward.

"That's never worked before and it isn't going to work now. Go get your shorty."

"God! Why'd you have to be such a bi-"

"Language Kelly. We'll follow in case this man of yours tries to do anything stupid."

"Okay, just for clarification, we're not doing the bodily harm, she's doing the bodily harm?" Ripcurena asked again.

"Damn it, sis, just let Kelly do her thing, we're not going to hurt the baby daddy." Scudiva groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Cause she might need more baby daddy batter---" Ripcurena started once more but was cut off.

"SIS!!!" Scudiva and Surfifa objected in unison. "HUSH!"

Kelly made her way to Tulilad’s office. When she saw him in the state he was, her mouth hung open. How had he gotten like this? The man reeked of alcohol and his shaving was terrible! Was he intent on rotting away? Growling, she did something she never done before to him. Winding a punch she slugged him in the face. “You stupid son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing like this?!”

"...?! What are you doing---" Tulilad wondered why Kelly was here, especially during the middle of the day. She was usually training some of the new recruits at this point. However, he was not expecting a punch. He stumbled backwards from the blow and slammed into his messy office desk, which was definitely abnormal for him. Tulilad was a neat freak. This was a bad downward spiral. Rubbing his jaw, the captain ignored her question. "What do you want?"

"You got me pregnant!" Kelly screamed out, using all the fibre of her will to get the words out.

"... what?! But we always use... oh wait..." Tulilad was recalling the last time they did the naughty. "There was that time we had our fun in the armory."

"Ooo, kinky, didn't know you had it in you, sis." Ripcurena snickered with a wide grin. "Armory, huh? Polishing all the metal with your shiny ass?"

Kelly loathed her only older sibling at the moment. "Not now Ripcurena!" Turning to Tulilad, Kelly took a breath. "I didn't use the leaf because that was the day we proposed to each other." She put his ring back on her hand, looking up to stare into his eyes, trying to make a connection.

"That means... you're having a baby. My baby." Tulilad was a mixture of excitement and flabbergasted.

"Kelly? Did you hit him too hard? I think his brain blew a fuse." Scudiva snorted at his words.

"Yeah, you idiot, she's pregnant right now. Just threw up the better part of her lunch." Surfifa waved a hand in front of her nose. "I'm not partial to gouda bisque, but to each their own."

Kelly took his hands, ignoring her siblings. "I love you. I'm sorry about any hurt I gave you. I don't want to raise this baby alone and I don't want to live without you."

"I... I'm sorry too." Tulilad looked like a wreck, but his eyes still shone with absolute adoration when he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. "I shouldn't have acted like such an ass and jumped to conclusions, but I did. You know I love you and I want to give you and our baby a good home."

Grabbing him close, she kissed her man. He had the breath of alcohol and her breath was still a little pukey, so it evened out. And Kelly didn't care one bit. Her body missed his touch. Just kissing him was getting her turned on again.

Tulilad released a most unmanly squeak when Kelly squeezed him a little too hard. Though the kiss was gross in taste, it was still nice to know she felt the same way he did. Though now, it was a double planning event; one wedding and one baby coming up very soon.

Releasing him, the saliva of their tongues hung between them. "So... I'm kind of unsure how this birthing cycle is going to go for me."

"And I'm very unsure of how to take care of a baby shark. Should we invest in a swimming pool?" Tulilad was dead serious about this inquiry. "I mean, we can't keep the tyke in a bath tub for the first months of life."

"They'll be 3/4ths human and 1/4 Zora you dummy. And that's if the genes get lucky. I think it'll be a mostly human baby. Maybe some fishy traits sprinkled in." She started to unbutton his shirt. "Lets get married tomorrow."

"Uh... love, as much as I know about those pregnancy hormones being somewhat," Tulilad cleared his throat. "Needful, you do realize your sisters and father are standing right behind you."

"They'll go away." She nipped his neck as she pulled at his pants. Her father nodded, already leaving. "Come on girls."

"Oh don't mind me, do continue." Ripcurena protested as her father started to tug her away. "Hey! This is a good show!"

"You have no shame at all, do you?" Scudiva groaned aloud.

"With an ass like mine, why should I?"

"Good grief, we all know you have the biggest butt, now drop it!" Surfifa scowled.

Tulilad blushed all the way up to his ears and then said, "Well... the only thing I guess I have to ask now is... do you have a dress?"

"Yes. Zarazu and the ladies were very kind in helping me. And I've been keeping in appropriate shape." She was already getting naked, and once she was undressed, pushed Tulilad into her breasts. SHE had the biggest bust. Or at the very least, the firmest, Ripcurena be damned. Pushing him onto the desk she started to make sweet love that both of them had missed.

~

Today was the big day. Today, he was going to give his lovely wife the surprise of her life. Ever since Klinge had placed Kelly on maternity leave, the woman was about to go out of her mind. His lovely Kelly could never really sit still, she liked to have something to do. So, the biggest surprise was when Kelly took up knitting and learned how to make baby outfits and blankets for their little one to be.

"Okay, just a few more steps and then you can take off the blindfold," Tulilad helped Kelly off the horse and then led her by the hands up a stone pathway. "And no, for the final time, this is not some sex game, all right? Just amuse your husband for a minute, all right?"

"Its annoying to walk around in the dark you know." Kelly sighed, not understanding why she was in a blindfold for the last three hours. It was incredibly difficult to walk around with the baby in her extremely large stomach. Her family had returned to come for the birth. Turned out that her shark D.N.A made it her pregnancy last for almost 11 months now, and her father expected it could happen any moment now.

"Okay, okay, just stand here," Tulilad had her situated to where she was facing the front of the beach house. It was right near a lagoon to where she and their children could swim to see their Zora family members. With a touch of magic, perhaps he could too. The final touch was the white picket fence he promised. "And now... open." He took off the blindfold.

Kelly was blinded momentarily by the light hitting her eyes after two hours of darkness. Once her vision regained, she threw her hands to her mouth to stop from screaming. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Tulilad! You didn't!"

"You told me you loved this patch of land all that time ago because of the view of the lagoon." Tulilad laughed as he opened the fence's gate for her, the stone pathway leading to the front door. "So I bought the land and built the house; just how I thought you'd like it. See?" He pointed to the front door, with a stained glass window depicting a sunset. "Stained glass, white picket fence, and those beach shutters you like."

"You beautiful human being. You're my golden angel Tulilad!" She leaned down best she could and kissed him deeply. "Show me! Show me it all!"

"As my lady wishes." Tulilad led her through the front doors into a mud room. It had five different sections, one for him, one for Kelly, and three for any future kids. Going out of the mud room on the left was a laundry area, complete with a sunroof so the light would help heat the room to dry the clothes. To the right of the mud room was a weapon storage, in case the two of them had to bring work home. Out of the mud room to the front was a huge living space with a stone fireplace and sky lights, allowing lots of natural light in the house. It was an open concept that joined into the kitchen and dining area, which had a long table for their family and any visiting guests. To the left of the kitchen was their bedroom that had its own sitting area, each with their own personal closets and of course, the crowning achievement, the massive bathroom. It had a walk in shower with his and her side, but the best item was the huge tub for Kelly to soak in if she wished. On the right side of the living area was the bedroom for the baby, two of the rooms vacant for now, but one transformed into a nursery. An adorable shark themed nursery, for their little nibbler. The upstairs consisted of a guest bedroom, with two bunk beds on either side for Kelly's large family, as well as a loft and a game room for their kids in the future. Outside, however, was a huge garden, full of flowers. "It took me a while, but I had a little help. Do you like the nursery? I tried to have it all set up in an easy flow; cribs, diaper changing station, clothes. Oh! And look!" Tulilad poked the mobile above the crib, depicting a shark chasing a screaming sailor. "Klinge's idea."

Kelly started to cry. It was all so beautiful. "Oh Tulilad. I-I don't know what to say."

In all the shock, she didn't even know that her water had started to break. "I love it. I love it all."

"Don't cry, love, I wanted to give you this! Give all our kids this. They can have bunk beds when they're older... or a fish tank." Tulilad joked with a grin as he patted her belly, and then took her hand and kissed it. "You know, I thought about leaving the army and building houses or such, I'm pretty good at it. I don't want to leave this kiddo without me for too long. We're going to have our hands full and perhaps you could think about not being a captain anymore, but just training some rookies. No more missions, just focusing on our family. It's a big step but... I think it's the right one."

"But the kingdom would fall apart without us. We- did you put in a faulty pipe? The floor seems to be wet."

"Psh, Kelly, you know that Klinge is recruiting new punching bags all the time---faulty pipe?" Tulilad stopped when Kelly asked him such an odd question. "Love, the water isn't even turned on."

Kelly looked down, and the realization hit her like a truck. "Oh no. It's happening."

"...?! What?!" Tulilad looked panicked. "Right now?!"

"Yes! Right now! The baby is coming right now!" Kelly panicked. She said that finding out the gender of her kid through Lorleidian magic would be silly. That a simple check by her family to know that it was healthy was good enough. The surprise would be amaaaaaazing. Now she worried if anything wrong could go wrong.

"Okay, okay, we can do this, we just got to get back to Dr. Boo Boo, and he can take care of this, I mean he helped Cass and Orana deliver her kids, he can help you, WAIT! Do we need a Zora here?! Do you have to have a water birth?!"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW, BUT I’M NOT DROWING THE KID! WE NEED TO GO NOW BEFORE I FEEL LABOUR PAINS!"

"You're right, you're right!" Tulilad opened the front door and ushered Kelly out to the horse.... and then quickly turned around and shut the door to the house, almost forgetting to lock it. "We're going, we're going, we're going!"

~

At the hospital, Kelly was sitting on a table with doctors, family, and friends around. Tulilad might have picked up that she was a tad angry.

"Tulilad! I'M GONNA RIP YOUR BALLS OFF FOR PUTTING ME THROUGH THIS! F-FUUUUCK!!!"

Tulilad, at the advice of Dr. Boveir, was sitting safely in a chair on the opposite side of the room after Kelly nearly caused him to black out from a choke hold at an intense labor pain.

"You're doing great, sweetie." Tulilad's voice sounded like he just inhaled helium from the near death choke hold from his wife. "Just remember to breathe."

"F-FUUUUUCK!" With a release a baby popped out. "W-Why does it still hurt?!?!"

"Mamm, you have more than one baby..."

That was shock to the couple and her family. Klinge noted to quickly make more beds for the new parents. Kelly screamed out as more pain came. "TULILAD! YOU GAVE ME A LITTER?! I'LL BEAT YOUR FACE IN FOR THIS!!!"

"You're part shark, they usually have litters!" Tulilad squeaked from his chair, a nurse trying to get him to drink some water. "Your genes, not mine!"

"You're really not helping your case, sir." The nurse sighed as she returned to help Dr. Boveir with the newborns. "Seems like you have a little girl, captains. One down, two more to go."

Kelly's father paced the halls with the rest of his children. He was going to be a grandfather to little human babies. Kelly herself screamed and cursed, until, finally after much effort, squeezed her last child out.

"Two girls, one boy, all healthy and accounted for," Dr. Boveir congratulated the new parents. "You did very well, Miss Kelly. Let's try not to kill your husband so your kids can meet their father now, all right?"

"I've got two daughters and a son?!" Tulilad was excited and rushed over to the bassinets where the babies were being placed. "Hey, Kelly! Our boy has your red hair! It sort of looks like a mohawk right now." He snickered. "And our girls both have blonde! Look at their cute little dimples!"

"Y-you're a brunette. Did you dye your hair? How'd they turn blonde?" Kelly turned to her children, breathless, but wanting to look at them. "Give them here."

"I was blonde when I was born, but it turned brown as I got older." Tulilad laughed as he carefully picked up both of his girls and handed them to Kelly before grabbing his son. "Maybe it will turn a strawberry color; mixture of you and me."

"I love them Tulilad. I think I know what to name them."

"What do you like?"

"Jillia, Juilette, and Johnathon. Our little Jill, Juli, and John. Triple J's."

"Sure you don't want to name the Chum, Bait, and Hook?" Tulilad teased slightly.

"Hey, Ripcurena. Come in a see your nephew and nieces. And give my man an ass kicking for such a terrible joke. I can't do it right now." She let her children breast feed, feeling a deep happiness within her.

"Oh come on, Kelly, he saw an opportunity and couldn't let it pass, right Tul?" Ripcurena nudged her brother-in-law in good humor. "At least he didn't suggest something awful like Fin or Gil."

"Will you give her a break, she just pushed out three eight pound pups, no wonder she's tired." Scudiva was holding up a bag containing gifts. "I think your bad behavior has rubbed off on him, Rip."

"Everyone behave and we'll let Kelly kick his ass later, for now," Surfifa pulled the gift out of the bag. "Ta-da! Seaweed balms... you know, for sore nipples and all that."

"I wanted to get the little ones a pet seahorse, but nooo, they're still too young."

"They're not even an hour old yet, Rip, hush."

Bruceladon smiled softly at his grandchildren. “Kelly, I promise I’ll be a better grandfather to them than I was a father to you growing up.”

They nearly died in the underground. They might have been imprisoned, or worse, with the comments of and physical gestures of the Spider-Woman and that man in red towards her, Kelly might have been a little more than a plaything for them. How many years had she wasted by simply having fun and taking it slow with Tulilad? She denied him the marriage he wanted right away. A few times it almost got him killed. What with the Hasai torturing him, the war with the Abyssians, and now this underground monster cult. Kelly parted her red hair out of her eyes and went about gathering some essentials.

It took Tulilad almost till 2:30 in the afternoon to wake up free from the drugs effects, when he did, he smelled his favourite food cooking in the kitchen. A rarity, as Kelly rarely cooked for him.

Tulilad had a headache from hell, just like the scorpion-lady warned. He groaned as he stumbled into the kitchen. The smell was absolutely fantastic, though he had to wonder why Kelly was cooking for him. The events in the catacombs were a blur in some places. He remembered the monsters and Miranda screaming. Other than that, he could recall very little. Sitting down at the small table for two, the captain rubbed the side of his skull.

"... is it my birthday? Was I knocked out for that long?"

“You got drugged, how much do you remember?” She turned to him, giving him a plate of his favourite lunch.

"I remember the monster ladies in the medical bay, Miranda screaming, and... underground. We were underground and..." Tulilad paused, trying to search his blurry memories. "I think I remember a snake, maybe?" He looked down at the lunch and then quirked an eyebrow at Kelly in good humor, asking. "And you're cooking food for me, so evidently I did something heroic... or I did something to piss you off and you're trying to poison me. Which is it?"

“You went down like a bitch before the struggle even began, leaving me to fight two monsters ladies. So I’m a little pissed.” She walked up to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “But I was more worried about you. That either of us might have died.”

"Hey! I don't even remember, but whatever took me down had to be strong as fuck to take this man down." Tulilad flex his biceps like a pro wrestler would, just being cheeky. Though he was surprised by the sweet kiss from Kelly. She was being... sweet. "... who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?" He pulled her into his lap. "Not wearing a costume that looks like her are you? Maybe I should inspect, just in case." He slipped his head under her shirt, nipping at her chest.

Kelly pushes him back out, pinching his nose. “She’s right here, being real with you, you goofy ass. I’m serious. You don’t seem to remember the details, but we were in some tight shit. I almost lost you.”

"...? Really?" Tulilad quit his teasing and then told her. "Look, I'm not going anywhere. As long as I have you, I'll be just fine."

“Good.” Kelly shifted on his lap, her gritting her teeth to get her feelings out, the blush of her cheeks slowly building. “Do you remember the promise I gave you while we were chained up?”

"Promise?" Tulilad shook his head with a frown. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I barely remember anything. I feel like I've just woke up from a hangover."

“Ok...” Kelly got up, taking a deep breath. The Captain placed a hand over his shoulder to brace herself on the wall. “I love you. Do you love me?”

Kelly was acting really, really weird and it was starting to freak Tulilad out a bit.

"... yes...?" He wasn't sure where she was going with this. "You've known I've loved you for a long time. What's going on?"

Kelly looked down at the man she cherished with all her heart. She was tired of being a girlfriend. Taking an aqua box out of her pocket, she opened it to Tulilad, revealing the Zora's Engagement ring, a Zora Sapphire. "Tulilad. Will you marry me?"

"... wait, what?" Tulilad was now starting to get a look of absolute panic in his eyes. "What... is this a joke?"

Kelly blinked. He... thought this was a joke? "You think I'm being funny?" Her face contorted with hurt and anger. Closing the box she picked up Tulilad over her head, and she threw the man onto their bed. "HOW ABOUT YOU DON'T GET UP AND THINK ABOUT HOW FUNNY I AM!!! YOU ASSHOLE!!!"

Growling, the Captain stormed out of their apartment room, going to blow off steam by either ranting to other woman or practice sword play.

"WHOA!" Tulilad nearly bounced off the bed when Kelly threw him. However, he wasn't about to let her get away so easily. The captain chased after her, stopping the woman. "Hey! I asked you to marry me years ago and you said you weren't the marrying type!" He looked a bit angry. "Now you pull this on me! What am I supposed to think? That you're dangling the carrot? Messing with my head? What has gotten into you?! You've known how I've felt all this time, but now you suddenly decide you want the married life? How am I supposed to take that?!"

Kelly growled, pulling him into the armoury. Now alone with him in private, she turned on him. "BECAUSE WE ALMOST DIED! I almost lost you!" She shook him, letting her shock and worry fully engulf her features. "I realized how many years we had together, and so many times I almost lost you. You tiny beautiful fragile man. I don't want any regrets! I don't want to lose you!" She was breathless by the end, looking down sadly. "I don't want to lose the man I love without experiencing life fully with him."

"...!!! ... Kelly... I... I didn't know you felt that way." Tulilad, shocked at her sudden confession, lost all his sudden bravado. He had no idea, he had no clue she would ever say such things. "I thought for a long while that even if you didn't want to marry me, to share a life with me, then it'd be okay for you just to... be here, with me. Being together was better than being alone, but..." He took a breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive, I just... didn't know."

Kelly nodded, composing herself. "I'm not going to cry for you... But what you going to do about it now that you know I want it?"

"Well..." Tulilad cleared his throat. "I recall some time ago I offered you a house in the countryside with a white picket fence after a wedding..." He gave her a soft smile and then said. "You still up for that?"

"Yes. You... got something to put on my finger?"

"That I do... but it's back in the room."

"That's pretty far away."

"Are you going to let me go get it?"

"Can you get out of this grip?" Sticking a hand down his pants, she gripped her lovers shaft, a hot red grin burning on her face.

"...! Hey!!!" Tulilad blushed darkly. "Kelly! We're in the armory! Someone could walk in!"

"So what~ Get your tight ass up on that desk." Kelly grinned ear to ear, beaming red. She was so happy Tulilad agreed to marry her.

"So? So! What if someone walks in here and sees your fine ass?" Tulilad tried to protest as she knocked him back on the desk that had the registration forms for all the weapons. "I don't want them seeing you naked, I don't care if they see me."

"Oh? You want me all to yourself do you?~" She started to jack him. "Tell me what you want to do to me in our chambers."

"Ah! Damn, Kelly!" Tulilad was wondering what made her so forward. Maybe the woman was excited for a new chapter in their life. Or maybe she was just really horny. "What I want to do with you? How elaborate do you want me to be?"

“Describe it like you saw the most gorgeous image.” She quickly took off her top, leaning down to lick his shaft from bottom up.

"Thaaat-fuck fuck fuck-that's going to be hard to do when," Tulilad paused and took a breath as the pleasure started to grow. "A b-beautiful woman has... her mouth currently in a-FUCK-certain place."

Kelly smiled like an imp, Tulilad’s words only encouraging her on. “I love it when I have you tongue tied.”

She started to suck his tip, the suction keeping him in her mouth.

"Y-You're being a tease, damn it!" Tulilad knew Kelly was messing with him. She always did this when she wanted one of two things; a rough fuck or coaxing him into eating her out until she was hoarse from screaming. In this moment, Tulilad guessed she wanted a quickie in the armory... a rough quickie against the desk. So, Tulilad flipped their positions, having her back against the desk.

Kelly laughed as he flipped her over onto the desk. Her hand caresses his features as she looked lovingly in his eyes. “No ones going to walk in. I gave the battalion the day off.” Before he could object, she pressed her finger to his lips. “Let’s face it, anyone that hears will think it’s just the Queen and King. And maybe I want them to be the ones to get a little flustered~”

She licked her lips, letting a little shark fang peek out. Tulilad could absolutely tell now that she wanted it rough and long.

"... you have a point. Their majesties are rather famous for having quickies all over the castle." Tulilad had to agree with that remark. The king and queen were notorious for their passionate love making. If the two of them were heard, it would definitely be thought of as the royals. "I guess we'll just have our fun, won't we?" He trailed his fingers down her midsection to her clit and pressed on it, hard. "See exactly how loud you can get."

Her clit was an instant on switch for the fiery redhead. Her legs vibrated in a shaky rock as her lover pressed hard. “T-Tulilad. Get me out of these unnecessary layers.”

"And what if I want to tease you a little first? Feel your wetness through your clothes?" Tulilad grinned at her.

Kelly scowled in frustration as he continued his teasing, but then I thought accrued to her. “So by that logic, you don’t mind some fabric?”

Tulilad had failed to notice she was wearing stockings for the proposal. Reaching with her feet, she started to give the man and firm foot massage around his cock.

"H-Hey!" Tulilad jolted when Kelly's foot touched his nether regions. "Oh, no you don't." He moved her foot, and then yanked on her underwear so hard, it ripped. "It's my turn to tease you, after all the times you've done so to me." Lowering his head, he started to lick her, from top to bottom.

Kelly giggled at his antics. “What am I? A sirloin to you? Haha, quit it!” Quickly though, she started to groan, applying his head to go deeper. “Mmmm, you’re getting better~”

"Mmm-hmm..." Tulilad's voice hummed against her pussy. He made sure to swirl his tongue around her clit, she always replied well when she did that. Meanwhile, his hands groped her backside and squeezed it.

“A-a-a-A-A-A-AAAAAAAA GOD!!!” Tulilad had found the magic stride to get her going. Her thighs started to squeeze his head in as he held her ass.

With one long and last final lick, Tulilad did not allow her to cum just yet. No, he said he was going to tease her, and he wanted to be held true to his world. Smirking, he started to undo his belt buckle and slide down his pants, taking his sweet time.

Kelly growled, grabbing him, and pulling him into an arm lock, his chest against the desk. Pulling her top off, she lathered her tits in pussy juice, and pressed them up and down his back. “Am I misbehaving?”

"Very much so. Should I discipline you?" Tulilad nipped at her hand and then flipped forward, off the desk and grinned at her. "Spankings, perhaps? Turn that white ass red?"

“Mmmm, but I’m on top. And I like what I see below me~” She grinded her wet pussy on Tulilad’s dick. “I love the sight of you leaned on top of that desk. Beg for your naughty fiancé to let you have her glory~”

Taking his chin, he tilted his lips to a hardened nipple on one of her breasts. “I make you red every time you see me like this, so beat you too it anyways.”

Kelly loved being playful with her lover. It masked how shy she felt that she could really be happy and content in loving a life like this. “Really? My cheeks or my ass?”

“Both.” Tulilad snickered as he pinched her backside. “Look, it’s turning red now.”

Kelly was indeed turning bright red. Biting her lip at his pinch, she broke the foreplay for a moment to give him a deep kiss, lathering her tongue with his.

Tulilad knew Kelly was really getting into this. Whenever she kissed him deeply like such, Tulilad knew she wanted more than just the usual sex, she wanted love. Running his hands through her hair, he pulled her closer, chest to chest.

The half breed felt like she was floating in water whenever she closed her eyes and kissed Tulilad like this. Her hands held his back to bring him close. Breaking away, her bravado was gone, replaced by a happy high. “Forget the act for today. Make love to me. I don’t care about anyone else.”

“As my lady wishes.” Tulilad nibbled on her neck and then thrusted upward into her moist passage. It was not as rough as the two of them were used to doing, no, it was slow and gentle. “Whatever she wants, she’ll have…”

“Oh Tulilad. My smart, heroic Tuliald~” At their size, she was dwarfing him, but being held like this by him, as if he depended on her, was so rewarding for Kelly.

True his lover was taller than him, but Tulilad never saw that as a bad thing. Matter of fact, he actually liked it, even if it just meant when she hugged him, her breasts squished against his face. As the captain continued to move in and out, he made sure to run his hands down her back, kissing her throat. “My lovely lady…”

Kelly really started to thrust her own hips into it. Her walls squeezed tight on his shaft, her breasts rubbing up and down Tulilad’s body to his face, and her vocal range started to get louder, the very real possibility of attracting attention growing. “M-more. D-don’t stop!”

“That’s it love… cum all you want.” Tulilad slipped his hands down to where their bodies connected and started to rub against her clit. She loved it when he did that. The extra stimulation always made her see stars. The more pleasure she felt, the more Kelly thrashed and howled in pleasure. Not to mention, the tighter she squeezed him.

Kelly clawed at his back, her panting growing louder by the second. Her clit was incredibly sensitive, and Tulilad knew just how to please her. Yet she still held out for a moment, despite her screaming, to boldly state her claim. “I’m going to cum! You’re going to make me cum!!!”

It was not long before Tulilad reached that epitome of bliss himself. The way that Kelly was squeezing around him, the way she moved, her moans, her words, she knew how to seduce him. Groaning, he clung to her tightly as he climaxed, his breath leaving him in a whoosh.

Kelly’s eyes rolled as her body fluttered, and with one last loving scream, flushed as she orgasmed.

Outside, Klinge saw Zarazu and Covarog beaming red as he witnessed them ears to the door of the armoury, the commander himself not understanding what was going on. “Whatever are you two standing around for? You have a birthday party to attend to.”

"I think the festivities started early this year, Klinge." Covarog coughed with a small grin as he led his blushing wife away from the door. "With some old fashioned fooling around."

"Indeed, maybe we should do that now..." Zarazu giggled as Klinge grumbled, following behind the two of them. At least now, the queen knew she was not the only one who played with her lover around the castle grounds. "Before the cake is cut at least."

~

Planning a wedding was no easy feat. There was so much to consider. The location, the dress, the cake, the ceremony... what in the world were party favors? Kelly seemed excited enough to pick out the little details, so he figured his biggest job was showing up in a tux.

Those little details, however, were not so easy. Kelly paced around, writing a journal of who would cook, who'd provide entertainment, and who would be invited. Friends and colleagues were easy enough, but it was family that really concerned the Captain. It was awful that Tulilad lost his brother, but on top of that, it had occurred to Kelly she had never met his parents. Not that she was any better. She had actively made sure he avoided her own family. "Orana dear, do you think your merry band of sailors can be good entertainment?"

"Corsaire's crew?" Orana tried to keep her snickers to a minimum. "Sure, the guys can do a good sea jaunty when halfway to tipsy, arm wrestle and throw darts with the best of them but let's be honest, Kelly. They're not entertainers. The closest one to that would probably be Acrobat, but he can't do any fancy tricks anymore cause of his bad legs."

"What about hiring some of the Lorleidians to play music for you?" Zarazu suggested to the captain. "Or perhaps an orchestra?"

"I can always bake you a wedding cake," Sophie, Doctor Boveir's wife offered with a smile. "Just let me know ahead of time."

"That's ok... I just want something to really wow him to make up for other things I might not be able to give him. Man, this feels so weird asking you for this favour, especially from someone I helped discard their diapers." Kelly cursed as her pencil tip broke off. This was giving her more stress then then thought it would.

"A wedding should be about what the couple likes, not what you think is the absolute best." Zarazu told Kelly as she set a different pencil in front of the woman. "Zelda tried to push this huge wedding on Covarog and I and we didn't want it. Despite Vul'kar interrupting the ceremony, we weren't happy with it. Having our own, private, family oriented ceremony was perfect for us. We really didn't want anything... well... big and extravagant."

"We got married on Corsaire's ship, and spent the evening playing games and dancing to music." Orana shrugged her shoulders. "Not the flashiest party, mind you, but it's what we wanted. Corsaire and I had a great time, and so did our guests."

"You could maybe just... ask him if he wants a big party?" Sophie suggested. "My husband and I didn't have the funds for a large wedding, even though that would have been lovely. So we just decided on one big thing we both wanted and settled for that."

"I don't really want a party at all..." Kelly whispered to herself in embarrassment after hearing all the celebrations. She quickly tried to change what she said the moment she realized she said it allowed. "So, I'm thinking he'd like fireworks.

"If you don't want a big celebration, then maybe you two could just use the funds for a nice honeymoon?" Orana counted on her fingers of the beautiful seaside places she knew. "Gulper's Bay is full of activity, Neptune's Dunes has great beaches, Lover's Perch has more privacy and great views..."

"Fireworks?" Zarazu repeated. "Like sparklers and such?"

"Or are you going to just toss poppers at him?" Sophie giggled at the thought.

"No, like the giant explosions in the sky! It's so amazing to see! The colour! The sound! The power! The ART! IT'S ABSOLUETLY-" Kelly calmed herself quickly down once she noticed that she was yelling. "He'd love that, I'm sure. Just need to send an invite to his parents, then we got family figured out."

"Hehehe, it sounds like you'd love an explosive celebration." Orana laughed at Kelly's excitement.

"It's customary to actually invite the parents in person," Zarazu reminded Kelly. "Though if they live far away, I can see how that would be a problem."

"And don't forget the dress!" Sophie squealed. "You have to have a proper dress at least!"

Oh boy. Me in a dress. "I suppose it will be great for Tulilad to finally introduce his folks to me."

"If you need help finding a dress, let us know. For now, go talk to your man about the whole parent situation and go from there."

~

Tulilad had the guest list Kelly gave him earlier. He read over it, and of course, she told him to add his own people he wanted to invite. Sadly, he only listed a couple of close friends. He really had no family to invite that was close to Hyrule. True, his parents had brothers and sisters, but he was not close to either side of that family. Honestly, Tulilad never knew them.

Oddly enough, it had seemed Kelly had 'forgotten' to invite her own family. Walking by, she kissed his cheek. "So did you know Klinge somehow has no idea we're getting married? I love that hunk of metal, but he's so focused on being a great guard, he can't see the little things around him. I think I’m going to tell him the marriage is for a secret mission."

"Klinge is a great commander, agreed, but sometimes he's a oblivious to what is going on around him." Tulilad counted their guests again, and then looked at the seating chart. "Hey, love? Where do you want your parents to sit? And your siblings?"

Kelly froze behind him, glad he was looking at the list. "Uuuuh, its possible that they didn't get the letter. Storm season and all. Already told Zarazu about it. Said she can’t change the weather."

"Oh, right I forgot about storm season. Would it be best to wait until after it's over?" Tulilad asked her. "The last thing I want is your parents and your brothers and sisters mad at me because they thought we didn't invite them."

"No, that's alright. I think they'd just be happy for me regardless. Real shame they can't come."

"... if I didn't know any better, I'd say you don't want them to come." Tulilad turned around in his seat and looked at his beautiful lady. "Is something wrong, love?"

Kelly turned to him and gave a smooth smile. "What? No. They just can't make it in time, and I feel we've put this wedding off as long as we have already. I don't think it would be safe for even Dragons to carry them here due to storm season, not that they'd ride them."

"Kelly, what aren't you telling me?" Tulilad loved his woman, but she was a horrible liar. "I mean, it's sort of odd not to have the parents there unless..."

"They aren't dead. My family... we just haven't been on the best of terms. I don't want them to think bad of you."

"Why would they think bad of me?" Tulilad was now a bit confused. "I've never even met them, Kelly, but I know Zora customs. I mean, we did serve as Prince Sidon's bodyguards when he visited as a youngling."

"They wouldn't come. Can we drop it?"

"We can drop it when you tell me why." Tulilad did not like being in the dark.

"No, we-"

A knock came to the door. It was Klinge's voice from the other side. "Captain Kelly. A Zora family by the clan name of Regice is here to see you."

Kelly's face visibly started to lose its colour. "S-shit."

Answering the door, she saw Zarazu wave from the end of the hall. Did she arrange for them to come as a surprise?

"Regice?" Tulilad repeated, and then saw his lover's face blanch. This was either going to go very smoothly or turn into an absolute fuck fest in minutes. What fresh hell was this?

"Kelly!" Zarazu held up a single finger, signaling to her guests that she'd only be one moment. She stuck her head inside the room with a bright smile. "I knew it was the storm season, so I sent some water dragons by way of sea to send the invitation! Don't have to fight a storm underwater."

"A-and they agreed to ride a dragon?"

"Yes?" Zarazu was not really sure why Kelly sounded so shocked. "Well... then again, Cara'sec might have called himself a sea serpent to get on their good side. He's sneaky that way like his father. But either way, they're here to see you and the groom!" She motioned for Tulilad and Kelly to follow her. "I've been bragging about you two the entire way from port. They're probably tired of my prattle, and eager to see you, so come on."

Kelly walked, but hated every step. Once they arrived, she faced her family head on. They were full blooded Zora, unlike her. After her mother left, it was quick for her father to move on and produce many half siblings. They were of different shark breeds, from hammerhead to mako. Each were even bigger than her as well. Her family wore black praetorian guard armour, having a military career of their own. Her father was the only one who was her exact size, a Great White Zora. His gaze fell on her as Kelly made her presence known. The families small talk quickly went silent. "So... you're a captain after all. Impressive.”

"Brothers. Sisters… Father... Welcome to the castle. Was the trip troubling?"

"Oh, not at all. We have the training to breath under water for days at a time. You have been keeping up that training, haven't you?"

"Yes. My Queen and King demand I remain in top physical form. The kind that you molded me into father."

"Hmph. Hard to know when you never visit or send letters of worth. And despite your loyalty to your crown, you lacked the respect to let us know yourself about this supposed marriage you are having. So... where is he?"

Zarazu could sense the tension and immediately realized this was probably not one of her best ideas. Though, it did confuse her. If Kelly did not want her family here, then why would she send an invitation? The queen decided that she would do her best to help salvage the situation as best as she could.

"We have two captains to manage our numerous troops," Zarazu interjected before the Zoras could get the wrong idea... she hoped. "The numbers do not really matter, but that's not why we're here." She pulled Tulilad into the room and presented him to the family. "This is one of our finest soldiers, Captain Tulilad Ereborn. He comes from a long line of military family and has several outstanding achievements both on and off the battlefield. Not only is he a strong captain, but an excellent scout, crafty strategist, and somewhat of a blacksmith as well."

Kelly's family was bigger than Tulilad was expecting, yet that was not what bothered him. He could easily put two and two together to figure out her hesitancy. He was human, they were Zora. He was insignificant compared to the strength of a Zora. She had to be embarrassed by him.

"Sirs, madames," Tulilad stood straight and saluted the Zoras. "It is an honor to meet you all and to have your present company in Hyrule."

Kelly's father looked down at the man and studied him closely. "So then, you lead the royal guard of Hyrule? Tell me, what's your relationship to my daughter?"

"Yes, sir." Tulilad replied, professional and as stoic as possible. "Miss Regice and I worked together for several years and later I asked to court her. Recently, I asked her to marry me."

"She's going by her last name?" One of the siblings asked, surprised.

There father was also intrigued. "She waited for you to court her?"

Kelly was the first to speak up. "Yes Garfield. And no. I asked him. Now would you like to carry this conversation to the dinner hall?"

~

Tulilad only spoke if the Regice family asked a question or spoke to him directly. Otherwise, he was silent as a mouse. The last thing he wanted was a bad impression. He figured the best way to do that was to remain professional. It was definitely an awkward situation for the captain.

"I'm surprised my sister agreed to be courted at all, we thought she'd never settle down."

"Well, she always had to be number one."

"Well, you know, I had to be when all of us were expected to do the same trials growing up." Kelly muttered as she cut her food on her plate.

Her father, General Bruceladon, made her grow slowly more and more built up in anger.

"Let's just try to be happy for Kelly. After all, she's getting married!"

"Probably just to get out of the military game, considering all she ever did was bellyache about it."

"Fuck you. I worked my ass off for this job." Kelly pointed her knife at her uppity brother.

Her father glared at her for speaking such tongue at her sibling. "Language. And pray tell how?"

"I did all the same training as kid as the rest of you. Thrown in a raging river with rocks, staying above water in a whirlpool, or how about my favourite, being expected to swim UP a waterfall. 'Every Zora can do it!' 'Why you so slow Kelly?' 'Is your hair slowing you down? Maybe you should cut it.' Then I experienced more hardships coming to Hyrule. Tell me, how is it at your cushy position in the Domain brother?"

"We all worked equally hard for whatever position we have now. It's not my fault that you're weaker because of your human genes!"

"You should be grateful that father trained you hard or else, you might not be successful in this career of yours."

"Please, don't give her such a hard time, this is supposed to be a happy get together, not another one of your debates."

"I worked harder than all of you! How about you keep your thoughts to yourself about my military career! I didn't sleep with Tulilad to become second in command. I didn't cheat my way through. If anything, he got lucky!"

“Is that why you never even sent him to get my blessing.”

Kelly threw down her fork onto the table, snarling at her father. “Why in gods name would I need him to have your blessing?”

“Because it would be one of the first signs of respect towards me you’ve given in ages.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Her father was ready to unload. Everyone could only stay in their seats and feel the argument grow until it was over. “How about you the fact you went off to train with the royal slayer Klinge as your first Hylian tutor, the monster that killed the crown prince of OUR people right before Ganondorf and Zelda married, just for a start. Then you continuing to distance further from us.”

“Do you not approve of the choices I made?!” Kelly started to yell now.

“Well if you want to get down to it, no, I don't approve! What have you done for this family?!"

"What the hell have you done for me?! Not one of you even showed up after I sent a letter of me receiving my position as Captain! Was that not good enough for any of you bastards?!"

"Lan-"

"Oh FUCK! YOU!"

There were the usual families and the dysfunctional families. This was certainly the latter. Still, Tulilad said nothing until Kelly made her feelings evident to her father.

"Sir... you and your daughter may not see eye to eye on many subjects, but I would like to make this known to you immediately." He stood from his chair. "I love Kelly and I will do whatever is within my power to make her happy and support her as best I can. I'm not perfect by any means, and I'm not a Zora. I do not know all of your family's customs concerning careers, choices, or even marriage, but we Ereborns have always stood true to one rule above the others," Taking Kelly's hand, he turned and started walking out of the dining hall. "Protect and cherish what is precious to you."

"So you decided to run away. Just like any Hylian."

This caused Kelly to brake off of Tulilad. “You purposely never saw me being good enough BECAUSE of my human genes! I had to work harder because of those genes! I bleed to swim through that river, I nearly killed myself learning Zora magic, and I swam and climbed every fucking mile of that waterfall. I was called the ugly Zora because I WAS different! Why the hell would I ever want to go back home to do anything with ANY OF YOU?!”

“Because you’re a coward Kelly!”

Kelly nearly wanted to snap the table in half from her fathers words. “Excuse me?!”

“Just like your mother, like a Hylian, you decided to abandon your family.”

“No. You pushed her away!”

“I loved her! Like anyone else!”

“Oh please. With all the half siblings I have you expect me to believe that? You saw her as your exotic affair!”

“That’s what she saw me as! Then she left me to take care of you the second you were born!”

"Oh I bet you loved every moment of that! You put me through hell!"

"I gave you the same training and livelihood as all your siblings! I treated you no differently! Why are you so ungrateful?!"

"It was cruel! You did nothing to stop all the prejudice thrown my way!"

"So you decided to run away to Hyrule the first chance you got! You left your brothers and sisters behind! You left your people behind! You left me behind! And for what? For them?! He'll leave you behind! You only settled with him because you were afraid of coming back to your people!"

"FUCK! YOU! He's my people too! I don't care how small, tiny, or insignificant you think they are! I'm Zora, but I'm part Human too!" She snarled her real teeth at him, her voice starting to crack and seethe in the rage he felt. "You lot are the fucking reason I felt ashamed to acknowledge this part of me! You made me feel ashamed to be a Zora, because why should I be proud when you put down the other parts of me! This is why I didn't want to see any of you! Why I wanted to be left alone! You didn't care about my accomplishments in the Kikai war, or my graduation, or anything else! So why don't you go back to the Domain, so I never have to see your fucking faces again!!!

Her words cut through the hall to everyone, a defining silence following as she turned and walked out. Kelly's father was stunned.

Most of Kelly's siblings were stunned by her harsh words. Did their sister really feel this way? Father was always harsh and distant, but he said it was for their own good. Either way, it was true that their father and Kelly had been estranged for quite some time.

"... you really mean that?"

Kelly stared angrily at them. Her face gave pause for a moment seeing the hurt on her siblings faces, more at one of their words. She didn’t tell them yes, but her voice shook as she went back to fury. “Where were you for me before?”

And with that, she stormed out, giving a deep glare to anyone that dared look her in the eye.

"... let's go, Kelly." Tulilad was waiting for her. "I think everyone has said enough."

The shock was still ripping through the crowd. Klinge, shocked by this development, offered Kelly’s family a room to stay in. Her father didn’t object, simply nodding in agreement.

Kelly ignored him until they were in their room. “Goddamn Zarazu for brining them here. Goddamn all of them.”

"The queen did not know of the... nature of your relationship with your family, Kelly." Tulilad led her into a different room, private, and away from the eyes of others. "She was simply trying to help us. If you had simply told me ahead of time about how you felt, then none of this would have happened." The captain shut the door and frowned. It was obvious that he was still upset about Kelly keeping her family in the dark about him.

“They didn’t factor into our relationship! Why should I have told you? They’d have never left the Domain if Zarazu didn’t invite them!”

"She invited them because it's normal to have parents at a wedding!" Tulilad snapped, never having been this angry before now. He was showing his bitter side. "The queen thought she was doing something nice for us. It's not her fault that she did not know! No, it's your fault for not telling me! I would have never have given the invitations to her, and they wouldn't be here!"

“What about your parents than!? They live in Hyrule! Yet you’ve never invited me to see them! My family is my business! And as far as I care, I don’t have one that’s cared about me!”

"That's because my parents are dead!" Tulilad shouted so loud that his own ears rang. "My brother is dead! I have no one to invite to the stupid wedding!" He could not see straight because he was so upset. "I've cared about you from the day I met you, slowly fell in love with you, but no! You would never even look at me, the shorty, the silly one, the dumbass who thought you'd actually like him if just given the time! After that one night stand, I felt elated to spend some time with you. Then after I asked you to marry me the first time, and you said no, I decided it was best to have you at my side than to not have you at all. Now..." He stopped and took a breath. "Now I'm beginning to think maybe this is a mistake. People who love each other don't have secrets, they trust each other. You don't trust me enough to tell me about your family, you wouldn't even tell me why you didn't want them to come..." His shoulders slumped as the realization hit him. "You didn't even want them to know I was human."

“They’re dead?” Kelly’s mouth open, and she listened without knowing what to say as his words choked the air out of her. “I don’t even like being Zora! Tulilad, I love you because you ARE human! I don’t give a fuck about what they think about you! And I do trust you! I just kept my family to myself! I can keep one secret to myself because its my burden to bare! So stop talking crazy about l-leaving!”

"Dad drank himself to death after my brother's death, and Mom died soon after; heartbreak, so the doctors said." Tulilad did not know why he was bothering to offer an explanation. He sighed and opened the door, "I need some time to think."

"Wait. A-are you serious about this? I need you here. I need you with me. You’re my tiny but firm rock.”

"What for? You already made it perfectly clear that I'm an embarrassment to you." Tulilad needed to get away from all this drama and negativity. "I love you, Kelly, but... I don't know you like I thought I did." With that, he left the room.