The Pirate Prince

Stal-Gohma

The Pirate Prince

Chapter 8: Stal-Gohma

Link looked around the room, before the door suddenly locked behind him. Link spun around and looked at the door, before looking up and spotted a giant spider on the ceiling. The spider's single eye suddenly opened and gazed at Link. Link gave a small gulp, before readying his sword. A coffin was suddenly flung towards Link, catching him in the chest, sending him into a wall. Link shook his head, looking at the spider, recognising it as a Ghoma, a giant insectoid species that are distantly related to skulltulas and spiders. Link took notice on how skinny its legs were. Link then remembered that he had a whip.

Link cracked the whip so that the end wrapped around one of Ghoma's legs and then pulled hard, so that Ghoma became dislodged from the ceiling and landed hard on her back, the armour of bones that Ghoma had made for herself cracked slightly, before Link attempted to attack her abdomen. Link's sword only bounced off, before Ghoma flipped over and scuttled across the floor and up the walls, making Link repeat the process six times before her armour broke entirely. Ghoma then started swinging her claws at Link, making the Gerudo raised Hylian duck and jump over them, before she promptly spat acid at Link, making him bring his shield up to cover his face and torso, which, unfortunately, allows his legs to receive acid to them.

Link gritted his teeth in pain, before he forced himself to move out of the way on another volley of acid, which allowed Ghoma to hit Link in the face with one of her claws. Link fell to the ground, before Ghoma quickly scuttled towards him. Link braced himself and rolled under the creature so that he was next to its abdomen, which he then hit with his sword until it exploded.

Ghoma let out a screeching sound of pain, before suddenly turning to Link and then spun around to face him, which was when Link threw a deku nut into her face. While Ghoma was dazed, Link stabbed her multiple time in the eye, before finally running the sword through the roof of Ghoma's mouth, which also earned Link a bite to the arm and a broken sword. Link relinquished his grip on the sword and then sighed, before Ghoma suddenly exploded in a could of black smoke and flames, leaving a heart shaped stone behind.

Link slowly picked up the stone, which then melted into his skin and Link felt his wounds heal up, as if he had never fought Ghoma. Link internally grunted, he had picked up a heart container, objects known to heal any wounds and make the user stronger, he could've used some of those in the past. Link heard a grinding sound behind him, he quickly spun around and came face to face with a statue of Farore, which glowed before speaking.

"You have cleansed this sacred land of the evil that was inhabiting it." Said the statue, "As a reward, I grant you my sacred pearl and a new weapon to defend yourself with." A green pearl slowly floating down to Link, attaching itself to a necklace Link wore. A sword then fell to the ground, the blade piercing the earth as it landed. Link noticed some inscriptions on the blade, the words were an ancient text that long predated Hyrule and even the Demon King, they roughly translated to 'Farore Courage.'

Link grasped the sword by the handle and slowly examined the blade, before placing it into the scabbard that wasn't far away.

"That was my personal blade, while it is not as powerful as many of its kin, it is strong enough to withstand any attack that is launched at you. When combined with the blades of my sisters, it will guide you to location of your destiny."

Link looked down at the pearl, before he was enveloped into a crystal and then warped out to the entrance to the cave. Link looked around, spotting that Volga, the Wolf and Pipit had been warped out as well. Pipit looked around him, his unkept facial hair and the blood mixed into it gave him a torture victim look. Link quickly and gently picked Pipit up and headed back to the cove, going down each stair case until he reached Telma's Bar. Kicking the bottom of the door, Telma opened it with an annoyed look on her face, that look instantly changed when she saw Pipit.

The majority of Link's crew were in the bar when Link walked in, with a half dead Pipit on his back. Telma called back to Peatrice to ready a bowl of pumpkin and cucco soup and then told Anju to fetch a large bottle of water and some medical supplies.

"Fierce Deity, where did you find him?" Questioned Telma, while Midna had Mikau check Pipit's pulse.

"A cave not far from the surface entrance, I assume it was dug out by grave robbers, as it passed underneath the graveyard and I received a rotting booted foot to the face." Said Link, making many of his crew's faces morphing into a mixture of rage, disgust and shock, "He said he been there four-and-a-half months, and that Dutour sent him to find out what had been killing the livestock, which I intend of questioning him about."

Midna looked at the sword on Link's back, "Link, where did you get that sword?"

"I'll get to that shortly," Said Link, "apparently the grave robbers were interrupted while they were 'working', seeing as there are a ton of bones in said cave, the creature inside it was a Ghoma."

Everyone froze, Volga bobbed in the air, before heading back to Link's arm. Ghoma's were known to be able to kill cities in a matter of weeks.

"I-is it dead?" Asked Alfonzo, leaning back, pale faced.

"Yes." Said Link, slumping down in a near-by chair, "After having to drag it down from the ceiling six or seven times."

"And what of the grave robbers?" Asked Dorian, "Were they found?"

Link shook his head, "My best guess is that they were interrupted by Ghoma when they tried to steal that hanging boot."

Aryll let out a little snort, and said, "A boot to the head."

Link pulled a face at her, which made Telma smile a little, before she frowned and asked, "How and why did you have to pull it down from the ceiling?"

Link stiffened slightly, before he sighed, "Why, because Ghoma had made an armour of bones and shells to protect herself, as for the how, well, I had to use a whip to hook onto her legs and pull her down. That's actually how my sword broke." Link took Farore's blade from the scabbard and held it out to Kafei, who took it and examined it.

"Link," Said the dark-haired man, "how did you get this?"

"A talking statue gave it to me." Said Link, which prompted Impa to spit out the mouthful of mead she had just taken in.

"A goddess statue gave you that sword?" choked Impa, while Tetra thumped her on the back.

"Yeah." Said Link, trying not to laugh at the situation.

The door to the Bar swung open, allowing entrance to a woman in a light green tunic, chainmail and a beret, carrying a small sword, a quiver and a bow. Karane dumped her items by the door, before looking at the group.

"Any luck?" Asked Link, steeling himself.

Karane responded by removing her hat and flinging it at Link, "Does it look like I've had any fucking luck?!" Exclaimed Karane, "It's not like I have much to go on, all I know is that Pipit isn't here and-" Karane's voice became choked, before Pipit groaned.

Karane stopped and stared towards the source of the noise, Telma moving out of the way, allowing Karane to see Pipit, "He was in a cave not far from the surface entrance." Said Link, "From what I can tell, he was either ambushed or he fell into a trap, possibly both. Both of his legs were broken, and he was nearly dead when I found him. He'd been down there for nearly five months."

"He's still very weak, but he can be saved." Said Anju, as Kafei handed Link back his sword.

"He said he was sent up there by Dutour, so I'll be paying him a visit later," Said Link, "anyone who wishes to join me is welcome."

Practically everyone scrambled to their feet, while Karane suddenly made her way over to Pipit, who could barely stay conscious, before he fell asleep.

Dutour was going to find out why so many people called Link a wolf. And Dutour was his sheep.