On the Run

Babump! The Deku's chest heaved with each great breath, wind passing in and out of his body. It had been over a year since he had last breathed in the night air. It's coolness felt good, soothed the burning of his lungs. His year within the Western Caves had not been wasted; he'd been training for the day that he would leave his bloody swath across Southern Hyrule. He clenched his fists, the plates of his gauntlets rattling with his anger as his entire body shook. He had not forgotten. Every day, he had forced him to relive the memory of that fateful day, the day when his son would never wake again. He remembered holding the soft, crumpled, body of the Wizzrobe boy- no, that was not right. Dante smiled sadly. No, the days of Scytale's youth had passed. He had died a man, one of the best Dante had ever known. Remembering the flames of that night, the anger within Dante's heart had only grown stronger; now it was blazing with vengeance, ready to be unleashed. The clamor of weapons broke Dante from his reverie.

Escape would not be easy. He had been careless in his flight from the Western Caves. Although none of Ganon's patrols stood a chance inside the caves themselves, riddled with traps and ambushes, it was a very different game outside in the open. He'd been spotted by those that watched the caves day and night. Dante had made his way into the edge of the Kokiri Forest, seeking solace amongst the trees. Though it had been hours, his pursuit was dogged; from the sound of it, they had also received reinforcements. Still, it was a small party, that would not dare venture into the Kokiri Forest--not when the Guardian of the forest already knew that there were intruders. They had stopped within the field just outside of the forest, looking into the dark boughs of the trees. From what Dante saw, from his perch in a tall oak, they were trying to decide what they should do. That pause was all that he needed.

Looking down upon them, Dante's eyes blinked, taking snapshots of his surroundings and his enemies. His pursuers stood atop a small hill jutting out in the field of tall grass. There were two Moblin, both sitting atop abused horses. near the base of the hill were three Stalfos, waiting patiently with sword and shield. Dante wondered for a moment if he would be able to defeat them all; he shook his head, banished such thoughts from his mind. He had no time to waste, doubting himself. He continued to look at the battlefield. His orange eyes blazed as they looked to the horses, the hill, the grass. He looked at each one of his enemies, decided which was the biggest threats. One of the Moblin on the horses: His speech was more animated, backed by authority. He was larger than the other Moblin, and carried a sword instead of a spear. Dante guessed this was a ranking officer, sent to ensure the capture of a live prisoner; a dead Deku doesn't divulge the secrets of the Western Caves. Dante smiled, knowing what he had to do.

Removing the celestial hard from his back, Dante brought it in front of him, began to brush notes across the strings. The tinkling of the circular harp was drowned out by the rustling leaves of the forest. Dante smiled, knowing full well that the forest still protected him, considered him one of its children. Thank you, Farore, for this gift. He prayed silently, paying homage to his patron Goddess. She had rewarded him well, in his time of need. In exchange, he would become her instrument, cleanse the abominations in front of him from Hyrule. As his song came to a close, Dante felt the magic course through him. Farore had heard the call of his instrument, had heard the Wind's Requiem, and had granted him a second boon. Wind began to blow from within the forest, towards Dante's marks. The grass bent slightly underneath its weight, their music almost like the sound of the ocean.

Hanging his harp onto a nearby branch, Dante removed a long case from his back and opened it. Removing it, a beautiful bow was unveiled, mahogany in color. It was shined from polish, a sign of care and use. Stringing the bow with a practiced hand, Dante removed a small arrow from the quiver at his side. This was his last. Having had lived within the Western Caves, Dante did not have the time, nor the resources, to make more. He closed his eyes, silently hoped that the arrow, dry as a bone, would fly true. Bringing his bow up, Dante opened his eyes, knocked the arrow. His arm shook with strain, as he aimed the deadly spike towards the moblin with the sword. He breathed in, then out. In, and out. In.... He released the breath slowly, time moving at a trickle. Out. He let the arrow fly, a distinct Twang! ringing out by his ear. However, his enemies would not hear the bow, the arrow descending upon them. The arrow was carried by the wind, flew straight and true.

Yet, the Moblin had moved, and shifted its position into a more comfortable one. The arrow sheared through its shoulder, tearing through muscle and shattering bone. The Moblin fell from his horse, screaming out in pain. His mount bucked, whinnying in fright. The second horse was frightened, too, threw its rider from its back. Dante could hear their cursing, knowing that there had been none, aside from the Moblin, struggling with the arrow in its shoulder, that knew what had just occurred. The second Moblin was cursing at its horse, was trying to beat it with the shaft of his spear. Dante chuckled at his good fortune. The hunt was good tonight. Hanging his bow on the same branch as his harp, Dante sprang forth from his own branch, leaping towards the field.

Curling in the air, Dante landed with a soft thud, rolling forward. Pushing off the ground with his feet, Dante rose from the ground in a dead sprint towards the three Stalfos, who had turned their backs to see what was going on. Dante was hidden by the grass, the grass being both taller than him, and the same color as his clothing. Dante chose the middle Stalfos first. Clenching his fists, a green aura flared to life around his right hand, his Wind Enchantment imbuing it with power. Lunching forward, his fist collided with the spine of the first Stalfos. The spikes passed through brittle bone; though Dante lacked physical strength, his momentum compensated for this. The Wind Enchantment exploded, sending the Stalfos' spine, and rib cage, shooting outwards. Shaking his fist out from the ruined corpse, Dante drew Talon, his Kukri, and his Whirlwind gun from its hilt on his left hip.

By now, his enemies had caught on. Both Stalfos had turned towards Dante, while the second moblin was already getting to its feet. The Moblin, who'd been pierced by the arrow, was screaming out orders in between expletives. The second Moblin ran towards its spear, recovered it, turned around to see the two Stalfos charging Dante.

Green was already encompassing his Whirlwind gun as he twirled around, his back now facing the moblins on the hill. Aiming his gun at the head of the Stalfos on his left, he pulled the trigger. The fan at the end of the gun span furiously, shooting a ball of wind, that carried with it the Wind's Enchantment, towards the head of the Stalfos. Not knowing what the ball of air was, the skeleton raised its shield in an attempt to block it. While the wind normall would have hit the shield, doing relatively nothing, with the Wind Enchantment, the ball of air exploded, sending a powerful shockwave into the shield and into the Stalfos' arm. The shield was ripped away, tearing its delicate arm away from its body.

The second Stalfos took his opportunity to charge Dante, trying to overtake him as the Deku dealt with its ally. The Stalfos brought its sword down in an over head strike, trying to cleave him in two. But Dante's sword was there, meeting the blow with a clang. However, Dante held his Kukri in an odd way; the sword tip was pointed diagonally downward towards the ground. As the Stalfos' sword hit Talon, it realized why; Dante was taking the force of the blow, and forcing it to move in a diagonal angle. This way, he did not have to take the full force of the impact to his arm and shoulder, instead changing the direction of its movement ever so slightly. Metal screamed as the Stalfos' sword and Talon slid across each other. Not taking a moment to even take a breath, Dante span around once again, ducking low. Because he clutched the Whirlwind in his left hand, the spikes of his gauntlet were now pointed outwards. The spikes hit the kneecap of the Stalfos, just below its shield. Bone exploded from Dante's tremendous centrifugal force. The Stalfos was on the floor in just a moment, Dante spinning around once more, his blade slicing through the ground and then the skeleton's neck.

Turning back to the Stalfos with the missing arm, Dante whipped his sword over his head, released it from his hand. The sword span end over end through the air; however, the curved, heavy end of the blade collided with the Stalfos' ribcage, shot through its entire body as its axe-like head cleaved through bone and marrow. Just as Dante turned, however, a spear hit his left shoulder, passed near the bone. Yelling out in pain, Dante looked up the hill to see that the second Moblin had come down from the top of the hill, had stabbed him in the shoulder. It drew its arms back, readying itself for another lunge. However, as it stabbed forth again, Dante had already leapt back, out of the range of its spear.

Shit! Dante thought to himself. The Moblin now had the high ground. Additionally, it had a spear, giving it far greater range than Dante, who was missing a sword, as well as use of his left arm now. He tested his left arm painfully, tried to raise it up. No good. He thought to himself. Hit grit his teeth, looking for a way out of his predicament. He looked at the Moblin, who, despite having had scored a blow on Dante, still looked afraid of the short, wounded Deku. Dante could see its fear, in the sweat the rolled down its blubbery cheeks, in the way its snout was snuffling. Dante would be able to win.

Walking forward at a slow pace, Dante brought his left arm up slightly. The Moblin stiffened visibly, readying to lunge at Dante. Squeezing the trigger of the Whirlwind gun, a blast of air shot at the ground, sending a wave of soil and dead grass flying towards the Moblin. It lunged forth, expecting Dante to come through the veil; it hit nothing but air. Dante had anticipated this, realizing that, in its fear, it would become overly caution. Instead, Dante shot around to its left side, closing the distance quickly. Dante jumped up, reached the height of the Moblin's head. Winding up another punch, Dante's fist flew forward, hitting the Moblin in the neck. It fell to the ground, dead, as blood spurted from puncture wounds on its neck.

Grabbing the spear in his right hand, Dante slowly made his way up the hill. The leader of the small patrol had grown silent, though was still grunting with pain. It had all but given up. The arrow had pinned it to the ground. The wooden shaft was deep, and each time it tried to get up, the arrow would only dig deeper into its flesh. It looked up at Dante, its eyes driven mad by fear. It floundered on the ground, tried to drag itself away from him.

"Please! I'll give you everything I have! Just let me live!" It squeaked out, the pig's voice cracking.

"You've already taken away anything I've ever wanted." Dante's eyes opened wide as the drove the spear in hard, relished in the feeling of the shuddering body. He stabbed it once, twice, three times. When he was finally done, Dante sat on the ground, his ears pounding. He was a grim sight to behold, bleeding from his shoulder. However, he still had work to do. Standing back up, he shambled over to his blade, cut off part of the clothing of the first dead moblin. Though the spear had missed bone, and anything vital, it had passed through a good amount of muscle tissue. Wrapping it tightly with his makeshift bandages, Dante made a sling for his shoulder. Using the spear as a walking stick, he walked towards the tree he had jumped town from, using the spear to take the harp and bow from the tree. Once both had been put away, it was already near dawn, purple beginning to peak from the horizon.

After looting what he could from the dead bodies, Dante jumped onto one of the horses; the other had run off. This one, it seemed, had calmed down significantly within a short time. A sign of a good war horse. Snapping its reins, Dante rode north through the forest. He had a hard ride ahead of him.

He rode for hours, though the journey was not a difficult one. The land around the edges of the forest was flat, leaving Dante an unimpeded path towards his destination. He slept most of the time, could only remember the passing of leaves, changing specks of light as the sun rose, the sound of galloping in his ears. He slept in the saddle, his body bucking up and down, as his horse walked through the forest. His destination was the northern edge of the forest, where he had once made his home. Delirium induced nightmares plagued him as he slept, Dante remembering the lick of the flames of that day. He saw the forest dying around him, Ganon's forces destroying all that was good. He could hear their screams, too. Dante thought he heard his son crying out for help. He could not answer.

Dante woke with a start, looked at the ceiling of his room. It smelled of ashes and decay. Touching his shoulder, Dante withdrew his fingers. Though it stung, the wood on his arm had already begun to heal, leaving a lightly colored grain in its path. Dante sensed there was magic behind this, but he paid it no mind. Rising up from his hammock, Dante breathed out heavily. Thinking back, he tried to remember how he had arrived at his house.

They had been waiting for him. The forest protects its children. His former friends, those who had come with him in an exodus from the Lost Woods, and those who had already been in the Kokiri Forest, had met him. The memory was fuzzy, but he could still recall them leading his horse towards the center of their small village. They'd helped him down, though it took many Deku to get him to the floor. They had carried him in a leafy cot, took him to the Kokiri, where the fairies lived with them. They had healed his arm and had returned him to his home.

His stomach rumbled. Judging by the hunger that gnawed at his belly, he had been asleep for days. Though normally he did not have to eat, his body taking energy from the sun, he'd been within his house for several days it seemed. Stepping out his door, he felt renewed warmth wash through him. However, it seemed that he'd gone without for far too long. Thinking back, trying to break through the dark haze of his memory, Dante found that he could not remember where his garden had been. The shadowy year he had spent within the Western Caves had overtaken the rest of his life; he found it hard to remember his life before that.

He shook his head, banished grim thoughts from his mind. Walking around the house, he eventually came upon the small patch where he'd been growing fruits and vegetables. He could not recall the last time he'd felt happy; seeing that his trees had flourished, in his absence, comforted his soul. Climbing up an apple tree, he grabbed a luscious, red orb and stuffed it into his mouth. He felt its sweetness run down his throat, relishing in its taste. Pulling the bare apple core out of his snout, he tossed it to the ground, and jumped down from the tree.

The next few days passed in comfort, as his arm continued its speedy recovery. Given the time and the resources, his arm would mend completely, as if nothing had ever happened. As he passed his time, Dante went out during the day, gathered falling sticks and wood from the ground. He passed many Deku that he had known; yet all were cooly respectful, each saying very little to him. Perhaps they had sensed the change in Dante--the boisterous character that had once been, was no longer there. Or it was buried deep, deep within him. Either way, Dante found it more comforting to be out within the forest, where their pitying eyes would not drill into his soul.

When his work finished, he would return to his home, forcing his left arm to work. His Kukri passed over wood time and again, shaving off splinters and small sheets with each passing. Though his mind could not recall, his body still remembered. With each slice of his knife, more and more returned to him. He remembered his adventures, and every obstacle he had overcome. He remembered faces; he recalled what Guy had looked like, could now see his son's face clearly. Finally, he remembered who he was, why he had done what he had, all these years. His fist clenched over the wooden shaft. Why had he done it all? Was it because of some ill-conceived sense of justice? I've been naive. His eyes narrowed, realizing his folly. He'd killed, and killed, believing that everything he'd done had furthered the goodness within Hyrule. And yet, it had all been too small, too insignificant, when the time had come. His work had not been large enough. And now that evil had spread across all Hyrule, Dante had yet to do anything to stop it. If he was going to make a difference, Dante had to find Guy, had to find old and new allies, had to rally them against Ganon. Dante's hand fell, driving the stake into the table at which he sat. Twang! The shaft vibrated as Dante released his hold on it.

Standing up, Dante knew that it was time to leave. Gathering the new arrow shafts he had made, along with a couple of longbows he had fashioned for himself, Dante walked out to where his horse had been saddled. He had kept it well fed with apples and other treats from his garden. It whinnied when it saw Dante, glad to see its new master. Dante pet its muzzle, as it stood up on a wooden stool, placing the spare bows into a leather pouch on its side. After filling the pouch the extra arrows that would not fit into his quiver, Dante was off, riding north once again. No one bid Dante farewell, but none slowed him down.

It was night again, Dante choosing to ride in dead of night, when he would not be spotted by Ganon's spies. One could not be too trusting. What looked like a bird could be an Aeralfos patrol. Some Deku even worked for Ganon, though Dante had not yet had the misfortune of meeting one. Riding through the fields, Dante made flight towards the horizon, where he saw the mountains in the distance. He was there just before light, blue already coming up from the west. As he looked towards the snow caps, from the base of the mountains, Dante realized he had a very long journey ahead of him.

Dante's horse had been climbing for hours and was beginning to fatigue. Its pace had slowed noticeably. However, they had to press on; both it, and its rider, knew that this place was not safe. Being so close to Death Mountain, where some thought the evil king still lived, Dante had thought they would have met more resistance, climbing up the mountain. However, it seemed that they were far enough from it, that there weren't regular patrols. Dante looked to his right, watched as smoke rose into the air, from what used to be the home of the proud race of Goron. He watched with a certain sadness, realizing that, even if the Goron returned to their homes, all would not be the same. It would take generations for the scars, on both the people and the land, to heal.

Dante's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of falling rocks. Dante looked up, saw a brown blur moving towards him. Another Deku! Dante thought to himself, both happy, and sad, at the same time. It was good to see one of his kin, this far out; yet, being this close to Ganon's lair, Dante had to assume that this was not a friendly Deku. Without thinking, Dante reached into the leather pouch at his horse's side, grabbed and strung one of the bows. He quickly knocked an arrow to the bow and took came. The bow he fashioned was still crude, lacked the finesse of Needle, which was still in its case on his back. Still, it would do the job. Letting the arrow fly, the wooden shaft hit the ground in front of the Deku, hopefully stopping its charge towards Dante. A fair warning.

"Stop where you are, friend. Though it shames me to say it, one can't be too trusting out here," Dante said, nodding towards Death Mountain, "if you catch my drift." He knocked another arrow to the bow. "What business could you possibly have, within these mountains? Unless, of course, you were sent here to capture me." Dante's eyes narrowed. The Deku wielded a rather large hammer for his size; hell, it was larger than most of the whole Deku race could handle. Yet, Dante saw a strange symbol on the hammer's head; he could not make it out from where his horse had come to a halt. But Dante realized that, if he were to fight this Deku, it would not be as simple as leaving an arrow in his chest. No, there was clearly something different about this one.

Dante, too, heard the sound of battle. However, hearing the cry of Hylian refugees was not what spurred him to follow after Victus. Rather, Dante would know, without, for whom Victus sided with, good or evil, depending on what actions he took during the battle. Kicking his horse with his heels, he urged the mare on, though she was exhausted. She charged up the incline, following after Victus, jumping across flat boulders to make her way up. There was work to be done.

As they neared their destination, Dante saw the band of moblins assaulting the refugees. It was then that his blood began to boil with ever growing hatred. As the humanoid pigs charged at the Hylians, Dante imagined cruel grins on their faces, mocking him, urging him to struggle against the indomitably of death. Dante thought he heard them snort with glee, after they stabbed a Hylian woman through the chest, her blood streaming from the deadly wound. He would make them pay.

Dante rode towards the back of the group of Hylians. Jumping over their heads, his horse landed behind them with a thud; and although Dante seemed to come out of nowhere, mounted upon one of Ganon's horses, he left no doubt as to which side he was on. Releasing the arrow that he had previously knocked to his bow, Dante sent an arrow sailing over the Hylians' heads, the arrow speeding towards the Moblin to Victus' left. Though the crude bow lacked the power of Dante's composite bow, Needle, the arrow reached its target, spearing through its shin. Still, it seemed that the hasty creation finally took its toll upon the bow; the bow had snapped, after firing its last arrow. Dante threw it to the ground with disgust. Still, he did not have time to laze about. Opening the pouch, Dante drew out two more bows, tossed them to some of the Hylians who seemed to be wanted to take shelter behind him.

"Make yourselves useful." He growled at them, showering them with the extra arrows he'd created before. Though they were most likely not the most apt bowman, Dante trusted them to make fine distractions for the moblins. Jumping down from his horse, Dante ran through the Hylian mob, joined the fray.

Victus would see that Dante was already on the move, having had taken out his bow, Needle. He strung it together on the run, dodging through running Hylians--he'd yet to reach the front of the battle, where most, if not all, the Moblins were. Slipping between two young boys, Dante's hand slipped to his side, grasped an arrow shaft tightly. The wooden fibers dug into his palm, as he watched the same Hylian woman that Victus had seen fall, laying ahead of him. Dante watched as the other Deku made his way towards the fallen corpse, readying his hammer for another battle.

Dante liked this Deku. He was straight forward, and could hold his own in battle. Dante was reminded ever so slightly of his old comrade, Guy, who had been perhaps the most fierce Deku he had ever known. The only thing that Dante could fault this new Deku for, was that he seemed to have an aversion for killing. Watching him take down three Moblins, Dante noticed that none of the three were dead, their ruined bodies writhing upon the ground. Either this Deku was cruel, leaving said Moblins to live broken lives purposefully, or was overly idyllic. Dante decided on the later. Nonetheless, Dante decided that he would help.

Looking around the battlefield was difficult for him, at the moment, caught within the chaos of the crowds. Weaving in and out of Hylian legs, Dante made his way to the side of the path to get a better look. Sliding to a halt, his wooden feet skittering against the sand and stone, Dante surveyed his quarry. There were four Moblins left standing; three had already been incapacitated by the Deku with the large hammer. Said Deku was quickly making his way towards the fourth. To the right were the other three Moblins; it seemed that they had realized that there were those among the refugees that could fight. These three Moblins had grouped up, and were now advancing towards Victus--they had not yet seen Dante. Each was well equipped, all three carrying wooden shields on their left arms. One held a spear, the other a sword, and the final one a wicked looking mace. Dante's eyes appraised the Moblin with the mace; it was wearing chain mail, as opposed to the leather armor of the other two. Additionally, it seemed to be barking out orders to the remaining two. This was the one that Dante wanted; however, he would have to go through its guards first.

Dante's hand whipped up from his quiver, taking the arrow shaft he'd been grasping and knocking it to his bow. Pulling back against the string, he could hear the crackling of his own body, the creaking of the bow as it bent. They Moblins were arranged in a triangle formation, the two guards standing in front of their leader, forming the base of the triangle. All three were turned towards Victus, giving Dante the advantage. Drawing in his breath, Dante focused his eyes, felt the metronome in his chest. He counted the beats as they grew ever slower, everything moving a half time. Now! Releasing his arrow, the shaft pierced the air. It landed with a wet Thump! in the Moblin's neck, leaving it with a spurting hole, which it clutched at as it fell to its knees and collapsed.

The two other Moblins turned to face their new assailant, both snarling curses. However, now that both were forewarned against Dante, it would be much harder to kill either of them; Dante had killed the Moblin with the sword, leaving the leader, and the one with the spear. The spear-wielding Moblin took up a position in front of its leader, low to the ground with its shield in front of it. Though it was no tower shield, it still protected most of its entire body from arrows. It was advancing slowly, taking single steps towards the Deku. However, Dante would not just stand idly by and wait for the Moblin to overtake him.

Dante brought another arrow up from his quiver, green pulsing from his fingertips to the shaft. Emerald tendrils choked at it, wrapped around it like poison ivy. A similar trick had worked before, against a Stalfos; when Dante had used the Whirlwind gun, in combination with the Wind Enchantment, to tear its arm from its socket. Though nothing that extreme would happen in this case, the Moblin having muscle reinforcing his bones, hitting the shield with the Wind Enchanted arrow would break its guard, giving Dante the opening he needed.

Dante charged towards his adversary, tiny legs working furiously. Straining his bow once again, he let his arrow fly ahead of him, striking the Moblin's shield. It hit hard, the wind explosion from the Wind Enchantment buffeting against the shield. The Moblin tired to hold his guard, digging his legs into the hard soil of the mountain. However, the impact of the arrow, combined with the force of the wind, finally forced his left arm to his side. Having no time for recovery, the Moblin did the only thing it could do; it lunged at Dante, its spear tilted downwards towards his head.

Dante was ready. Dante's bow lashed out, whipping down above at the spear tip. Though it was an old bow, it was sturdy, and could take the abuse of being used as a weapon. The tip snapped against the spearhead, sending it shooting towards the ground. As it hit the ground, Dante was already upon it, knocking another arrow to the bow. Running up the haft of the spear, the Moblin's balance compromised by Dante's redirection of its attack, Dante stepped onto its shoulder, looked down to see the fear in its eyes. Had he the mouth to do so, Dante would have grinned maliciously, as he sent an arrow shooting straight into its forehead.

Dante leaped off of the falling body, landed to the ground, looking at the second Moblin, who seemed to now be contemplating a tactical retreat. It was now two Moblins against two Deku; and from their past record, it assumed that the other Deku would quickly destroy its last remaining ally.

Dante snarled as he landed, watched as the Moblin leader charged him. It was a shrewd one; it knew well that it could not fight both Deku at the same time. Thus, its best chance at survival was to take one out as quickly as possible. It chose Dante, who was only a stride and a half away, lunging forward as Dante's feet touched the ground. Swinging its right arm heavily, it made an attempt at taking Dante's heads from its shoulders, the spikes on the mace whistling a song of death as they sliced through air. Still, Dante was fast, managed to duck just in time. One of the spikes caught in his felt hat, throwing it off to the side, leaving only a dust cloud, and a few shreds of cloth, in its wake. But the leader of the group was even greater of a threat than Dante had supposed; it had was one step ahead of the Deku, which did not happen often. It kicked its right leg out, its heel thrusting towards Dante's ducked head. Bringing his right arm up in a last minute defense, the heel crashed into the metal plates of his gauntlet.

The metal held, but Dante's entire body was thrown back, vibrating from the force of the impact. Dante slid backwards, his feet scraping against tiny rocks. His feet lifted from the ground, his entire body flipping over in the air, though Dante hardly even registered it; his eyes were clouded from the intense vibrations of the blow. However, his instincts protected him. His right hand shot out, clenched in a fist, scraped against the ground with its spikes. The spikes of his gauntlet caught, forcing Dante to a halt, and allowing his feet to touch ground again. He grunted, his knees bending slightly under the strain and the impact. Still, there was no time for rest.

The Moblin was charging again already, shield placed defensively in front of its body, defending the majority of its body from being hit by arrows. Still, Dante knocked an arrow to his bow, readied the shot. Staying on the ground upon one knee, Dante released the arrow, aiming towards the shins of the running Moblin. But once again, the Moblin was one step ahead of the small Deku, knew that shooting at his legs was Dante's only choice. Hopping slightly off the ground, the Moblin grinned with satisfaction as he heard the skittering of the arrow bouncing off the ground behind him. He quickly lost his smile.

After releasing his arrow, Dante had charged the Moblin, had leaped off of his left foot in a half spin to the left. Dante was already there, jumping off the ground too. He'd drawn his Kukri named Talon, was swinging from behind his hip towards the Moblin's torso. His spin lent the strike power, which was further augmented by the Wind Enchantment. The Moblin moved its shield to its left side just in time to block the sword, but the resulting wind explosion sent him flying to the send, rolling off the ground and gasping for air. Dante sheathed his blade as he landed, grabbing another arrow shaft and laying it against his bow. Rolling to his feet, the Moblin readied itself for the next assault.

Dante grunted, looking at Victus. He walked over to the fallen Moblin, set his bow down next to the gasping pig gently. Yet he still held the arrow tightly in his hand. "I didn't do this for you, or for them." Dante replied to the other scrub, nodding towards the Hylian refugees, who were regrouping now that the battle was finished. Dante was slightly annoyed to see the Hylians he had given bows still fumbling with them. He had not seen them shoot a single, useful arrow during the entire battle. Looking at the blood frothing from the Moblin's mouth, Dante figured it wise to interrogate it before it died from internal bleeding.

"Are there any other patrols near here?" Dante asked, shouting in its ears. He shook the monster violently, but it would not speak. The swine only gave Dante an amused look, and a cruel smile, as if it were laughing, despite its most likely collapsed lung. Dante shook it again, yelled out in anger. Finally, deciding that he would get nothing out of it, Dante stabbed the Moblin in the neck with the arrow in his right hand. It gurgled one last time and died in Dante's arms. The small scrub rummaged through the Moblin's possessions, found a few rupees and tossed them into his pouch. Finding nothing else valuable, Dante stood up, looked at Victus once again, dared the scrub to challenge him.

"I'll take these as payment. The Hylians, and you, can have the rest." Dante said, motioning towards the other bodies on the field, some still squirming. Obviously, he meant for Victus to go and loot the corpses. "Still, you might want to put the ones you bludgeoned out of their misery. What did you think Ganon would do to them, when they returned? Give them a peck on their cheek? Death is likely the best ending for them." Dante sneered, turning away from the other scrub and heading towards his horse after picking up his bow.

Dante shook his head at Victus' naivety. He'll learn the hard way. Dante decided, looking in Victus' eyes. Dante took the pause in their march to take care of his bow, which he had yet to unstring. Dante knelt to the ground, unstrung his bow and slid it into its leather case. He closed it with a snap, slung it over his shoulder, and stood back up. "I have my reasons." Dante said curtly, continuing a slow pace forward. He was on his feet, instead of upon his horse -- he had decided that the Hylians would have a better use for it. If they were not able to move quickly enough, it would not be long before another patrol was upon them.

Dante sighed. "If you really must know, it was to my advantage to assist you. By proving myself an ally to you," Dante then waved towards the Hylians walking in front of them, "and your people, I have essentially bought myself passage over these mountains The chances of my survival, in making it to Nabooru, have increased by a great deal." Dante finished, rummaging through a pouch. He pulled out one of the rupees that he had looted from the Moblin commander, the light shining off its red face. "I decent amount of money, for under an half an hour of work." However, Victus would know that Dante still had more to say, as he slipped the rupee back into its pouch. "Finally, I have a personal reason, for wanting to wipe that scum from the face of Hyrule." He finished with a sneer.

"And I could ask you the same question. What is in it for you, in helping these people?" Dante countered, now looking back at Victus. "Moreover, why show mercy to your enemies? You saw what they did to that Hylian woman. You heard their squeals of glee." Venom spouted from Dante's mouth, his hatred for the Moblins clear. "And, if for some reason they survive the blunt trauma you dealt them, and the wrath of their commander, do you think they will change their ways? Would they not have more reason to kill, maim, and destroy, in penance for the ruined bodies you left them?" Dante was almost shouting now, even though he was beginning to draw stares from the Hylian refugees. Clearly, some were repulsed by by Dante's tirade. Yet, at the same time, angry mutters of agreement could be heard. Clearly, there were many among the Hylians who had more than physical wounds to nurse.

Dante continued, dominating the conversation. "Do you hear that sound? That whispering of hatred and anger? Those are all the people who have lost a wife, a husband, a child to Ganon, and his dark servants. So, Deku," He spat out the word, "tell me, can you heal their wounds? Will your magic bring back the dead? No, the only justice we can give them is by raining bloody vengeance down upon their killer's heads."

That voice. It sounded ever so slightly different, but it was the same. Could it be that, in his search for his friend, that his friend had instead found him? The voice brought back memories. Thoughts of past adventures hit him like a tsunami, physically causing him to stagger. He remembered well, his time as an adventurer, when he had still been young. The two had spent years together, conquering foe after foe, becoming more powerful with each step forward they took. Dante remembered that they had become almost demi-gods in their fame and power, using lost treasures from ancient powers to overcome any obstacle. Despite seeking his companion out, Dante had not been sure that he would actually find him. But now that he was here, Dante felt power surge through his veins once again, his sap pumping as if he was the same, young Deku he had been. Guy!

Whipping around, Dante looked as strange, green leaves bounced up and down, looking more like hair, instead of something that would grow on a plant. Had he the capacity, he would have smiled from cheek to cheek. As it were, his eyes sparkled happily, relieving the tense situation Dante had just been in. "Not just allies, Guy, but the very best there is. Starting with you." His voice quavered with joy as he walked towards his friend. He hesitated for a moment, not sure what the appropriate response was; after all, neither Guy nor Dante had really openly acknowledged their bond during their adventures. Still, it had been years since he had last seen him, and it felt wrong to do otherwise; thus, Dante grasped Guy in a strong embrace, then grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I see you're still just as nimble as ever!" He chuckled, looking at the spear that was strapped to Guy's back. If Dante didn't know better, Guy had probably taken more than just a weapon from the Moblins. "Goddesses, it's been so long!" Dante shook his head, clearing out the dusty, cob-web ridden memories that were surfacing. "So, then, what brings you here?" Dante said, releasing his hold of Guy's shoulders, patting him once before dropping his hands.

"It seems fate case been cruel to us, these past years, Guy." Dante shook his head sadly, kicking at the dirt. A stone bounced off of the ground, rolled a few feet. Dante wasn't sure how he should tell Guy his story, or if he should do so at all. In all their years together, Dante had never told Guy of his adoptive son. It wasn't that Dante didn't care, or was embarrassed. Rather, it was that the two had never before spoken of their personal lives. Ironically enough, the person who Dante had always wanted to know more of, about who he had been, was Guy. Yet Guy had always remained an enigma. Dante figured it went both ways. Still, Guy had asked a question, and he would not simply brush it away. "Many things happened since the last time we met, my friend. To answer your question, of why I seek to lead an army towards the lands now held by Ganon, I will have to tell you my tale."

"When the fires of wanderlust finally died within me, when we last parted our ways, I returned to my home within the Lost Woods, near the Deku Palace. Finding no more use for the riches, the magic, and the treasures we had found, I forsook the life of adventure, let everything I had gained fall into disrepair. I grew complacent, and looking back on it now, I regret it. Years later, the Invasion happened. I disregarded it then, feeling safe and content within the Lost Woods. However, my adoptive son, Scytale, could not resist the pull of battle. I suppose he was much like us, when we were young. Eventually he convinced me, and we both left for the Kokiri Woods in the south. By then I had already forgotten much of the magic I had once known, and I was no longer the swordsman I had once been. My life in the Lost Woods had been on of functionality; I carried a short sword and a bow." Dante said softly, indicating his sword and the case holding his bow on his back.

"When we arrived, my son and I joined then forces of the Deku protectors there. We joined in battle with them, repelling attack after attack. It felt good to become a warrior once again. It was there that I regained some of the lost magic. Farore never forsakes one of her own, it seems." Dante looked at his fist, which glowed with green magic. He opened his fingers, watched as energy pulsed around them. "That night, my life was given purpose. As I fought countless enemies, embers fluttering around me, I lost track of time and space. Once the ashes settled to the ground, when the sun was peaking over the horizon, the battle ended. I wasn't even there when it happened. My son had died in the night, overtaken by the first wave of moblins." Dante's fist shot out, hitting a nearby boulder. The spikes of his gauntlet dug into the rock, the wind enchantment sending a shockwave of dust outwards. "Since then, I have lived for one purpose alone; to destroy the one who brought war to this once peaceful land. And I will have my vengeance." Flames of hate and anger smoldered behind his eyes, Dante staring off into the distance.