The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Queen

And There Are No Friends at Dusk

Standing amongst the vile army, the great brute turned his head almost lazily upon hearing the echoing battle cry. A band of warriors, no more than ten, rushed towards him and his wall of expendable flesh. The sight made him smile. Although the band was small in number, they were organized and clearly skilled in magic and weapon of choice. He could see a flash of green among all the grays and blacks and blues. That made him smile wider. Perhaps today, a day of near night, would be more entertaining than he could ever have imagined. Perhaps he could have some fun.

"King, what should we do about them? There are more scattered about the fields. Do we attack?" a bulblin bowed before him and asked in the scratchy demented language of its kind.

"Yes, show them no mercy. Half of you begin advancing on the castle. The other half with me. But don't touch the green one if you value your life. He is mine. It is time for a rematch," the king howled in the same tongue, raising his head to the sorrowful sky and screaming in anticipation. Indeed, this would be more fun than he'd had in ages.

With a sweep of his icky green hand, his army rushed forward. The Twili resistance wouldn't last long. The king was certain of that. Neither would the hero, not after the king was done with him. Never would the green one be forgiven for the destruction of the king's beautiful horns. Once reaching sharp tipped points high above his head, now they were cut short in awkward stumps. His mother would have said that's what he gets for following the same path as his wretched father, but the king knew the truth. That is what he gets for underestimating the tiny Hylian. Never again.

King Bulblin laughed as he joined the chaos. He swung his giant sword and heavy axe with lazy precision. Anyone who got too close, even one of his own, met a bloody death. Screams followed him like a shadow. Death walked in his wake. His home was the battlefield and he wasn't about to welcome any of the Twili to it with open arms.

"They're coming from the castle, we've been cornered!" a monster screamed. So that's the game the Twili were playing? But with numbers spread so thin, did they not realize how easy it would be to end them? Whatever their plans, the king was done wasting time.

He changed the direction of his swing, catching a Twili on the shoulder instead of across the neck. Her screams were pitiful as she crumbled to the ground, blue blood soaking through the clothes she wore. Her sword was raised weakly to defend herself in case he tried to attack again, but he sheathed his sword. Her own sword was easily pushed aside as the king grabbed her by that injured shoulder, nails digging into her flesh. Her feet lifted off the ground, her cries increased in volume.

"Could you scream louder, shadow one?"

"Not if that's what you want, foul one!" she spat amid a stream of profanities. The king laughed. A small but sharp pain exploded from his arm. Her bloodied sword was held tightly in her hand and now a deep wound marred his once perfect skin. He tightened his grip and she gasped in pain, screaming once more.

"Foolish green one! I will pull the limbs from this shadowed one and make her watch as I eat her flesh. Unless you show yourself and battle," the king screamed, his voice rising above the mess of battle cries. It was a foolproof plan. The green one was a hero and heroes can't let others die in their stead. It is against their code. A code embedded in their very nature and woven into their beastly spirits.

Something was going on by the edge of the fields, something splashing water up into the air in artful fountains. Were the Twili warriors truly smart enough to think of backup?

"King Bulblin! Release her!" The green one drew the king back from his thoughts. This was the moment he'd been waiting for, the moment that made all this careful plotting worth it.