Alright, everyone! It's here at last! The end of the third arc, and the finale of volume 1!
Ride the Winds! is now half over! Can you believe it? I'm glad I've managed to come so far with this story, and all of your support has been a big motivator in making that happen. From here on out, the story is going to go in a new direction. I hope you will enjoy the second half of Lana's adventures when it comes time for it. For now, enjoy Chapter 15!
Chapter Fifteen
The Impossible Battle for the Forest Haven
Preparations were well underway. The moon had risen high into the sky by this point. It was far past midnight, closing in on dawn. Lana predicted the pirates would make their move before daybreak, closing in while still under the cover of night. She’d asked Peeks to keep a lookout for them while they worked.
The koroks were surprisingly skilled with their hands. It was no small wonder just a few of them were able to put together a functional raft to rescue Lana from the Forbidden Woods. With the dozens of them working together, crafting the items she had requested of them was going better than she could have hoped. The forest gave them everything they needed.
Around four in the morning, Peeks came flying in from an opening high in the trees. “I see their ship! They’re starting to close in!” he announced.
A shudder washed over the koroks like a wave. Lana felt anxious, as well. They hadn’t finished construction of all their tools quite yet. Still, what they had would have to be enough to hold off the first assault.
“Alright, everyone! Get into position! No matter how impossible this seems, we can’t give up! There’s nowhere for us to run, so we’ve got to win! We can do this!”
Lana’s call of encouragement spurred a raucous cheer from the spirited forest dwellers. However, another voice called out to her in return.
“Lana, a moment, please.”
“Deku Tree? What is it?” Lana asked, walking over to meet with the Great Spirit.
She was once again lifted to the spirit’s eye level on the lily pad. The tree had a determined glint in those wooden hollows of his own.
“I have a gift for you. It should prove useful in the upcoming battle. Please use it as much as you see fit.”
The tree shook its top branches as if it were shaking its head. A rather large leaf came loose and floated down to find itself in Lana’s arms. She could feel a mysterious power welling up, and felt an odd change in the wind surrounding her.
“That is a deku leaf. As it came from my body, it possesses magical properties. Use it well, and you can command the airflow around yourself to your whims. The koroks use my leaves to fly, so a large one such as that should grant you the same privilege.”
“Wow... Thank you so much!” Lana said, feeling more confident than ever.
- If I can move through the air, that will change everything about how I can interact with this battle. I’ll have to take full advantage of this.
Thinking as much, Lana wrapped the leaf around herself like a mantle. Testing its powers, she held its edges open wide, and swung her arms down. Sure enough, a fierce gust was created around her, lifting her high into the air.
“Whoa!” she yelled.
She couldn’t contain an excited grin as the air caught inside the leaf, still draping around her shoulders. It opened out like a sail, allowing her to float in the air like the koroks could. Taking a few moments to figure out how to move her body, she was able to decide which way to glide by swinging her legs in that direction.
- This is amazing! With this, I can dip in and out of the enemy ranks as I please!
Feeling invigorated thanks to the power of her generous gift, Lana collapsed her arms to descend and landed safely in the grass. The shawl of the deku leaf gave her a newfound sense of determination. The battle was seeming less and less impossible.
“Okay! Are we all ready?” Lana called out.
“Everything’s good up here for the first phase!” a korok named Maca said excitedly.
“Second phase is still in production, but we should be ready before they can enter the forest!” a korok named Hollo assured her.
“Third phase may need a bit more time, but if we share supplies with the first phase, I think we can pull it off!” a korok called Chio said confidently.
“Better than expected, given how much time we had.” Lana said.
“The pirate ship has docked! It looks like a force of around forty bokoblins is disembarking! They’re heading straight for the forest entrance!” Peeks announced.
- That’s twice as many as the ones that captured me... This is gonna be rough.
“Also, there’s a moblin with them! I think he might be the one leading them!” Peeks continued.
- A commanding officer, huh? For monster pirates, they're pretty organized... But I bet they’ll fall apart and retreat if we can defeat their leader.
“Okay, thank you! Get ready, everyone!” Lana shouted.
“Yeah!” the koroks shouted back.
Together with the koroks, Lana used the deku leaf’s power to take to the air. She positioned herself with the first phase unit of koroks, assembled under Maca. They huddled together in an opening in the Forest Haven’s boundary, high above the ground.
There were many openings in the walls of petrified wood that encased the Haven, but only one of them was on the ground. The shallow river from the spring in the center of the Haven flowed outside through that opening. The pirates would have to trudge through that stream to get inside the forest. Lana did not miss the opportunity for strategy that created.
Just as Peeks had described, the force of bokoblins marched through the stream, steadily approaching the only way inside they could reach. The sheer number of them was intimidating. Lana grasped onto her courage as hard as she could.
- Deep breaths, Lana. It’s going to be okay. I’ve turned impossible situations around before, and I’ll do it again!
The pirates were closing in. They were laughing amongst themselves, speaking in monsterese, probably excited to wreak havoc and burn the place down. Nearly all of them carried torches, and their eyes gleamed with a thirst for arson. And thus, the purpose of the first phase was clear. They had to get rid of those torches, and what better way to do that than to make them drop them right into the stream they were marching through?
“Now! Let’s go!” Lana called out.
A small but hearty battle cry echoed through the air. The pirates stopped in their tracks and looked around, trying to identify the source of the noise. Before they could figure out what was happening, the koroks took off flying, dropping the tools they’d made at Lana’s suggestion over the monstrous heads down below.
Lana remembered that Lenzo’s pictoboxes were inspired by the fireflies from the Forest Haven. He studied them in order to develop his flash pictography. And so, she got the idea to use their flash another way. When those fireflies are frightened, they emit a bright flash of light to defend themselves. And so, trapping them inside seed casings and tossing them down at the attacking bokoblins was an ideal way to make a surprise attack.
Just as expected, as soon as those seeds shattered, bright flashes of light came bursting forth. The light was blindingly intense with so many concentrated together in one place. The pirates shrieked and covered their eyes, dropping their torches right into the stream in the process.
“Just as planned!” Lana exclaimed.
Thrilled that her plans were actually working, Lana used her deku leaf to fly down and take full advantage of the chaos. The bokoblins were too busy covering their eyes and howling from the stinging pain to notice her drop in. Gritting her teeth and clenching her stomach, she prepared to do what she needed to.
Lana drew her sword and began slashing through all of the bokoblins around her. One by one, she cut them down. Blood flew in all directions, dying the water and staining her clothes with a gritty red. She bit her lip, trying to force back the gut-wrenching swelling in her stomach. She was doing what she had to in order to protect the innocent koroks and their home. That was what she needed to tell herself in order to go through with this.
She had cut through seven pirates before they finally got themselves together. They were starting to see again, and finding Lana amongst them hacking away at their friends sent them into a frenzied fit of rage. They drew their weapons and began closing in on her.
Knowing her time was up, Lana used the deku leaf to leap into the air. The force of the gust pushed a few bokoblins back. After flapping her arms a few times to gain some more height, Lana retreated back into the Haven from the path she’d come through before.
“Okay! The first phase is done! Second phase, are you ready?” Lana shouted.
“All ready!” Hollo announced proudly.
“Then let’s do it!” Lana said, nodding to her companions.
Knowing that the enraged pirates would make a mad charge for the forest entrance, the second phase was a trap designed to take advantage of their anger and bloodlust. The path through the boundary of the woods was a narrow and secluded tunnel. As the bokoblins crawled over each other, each trying to get inside and start cutting down everything in sight as fast as possible, the second phase was put in motion.
Before even one of them could make it all the way through the tunnel, the koroks dropped down a large barrier, cutting off their route of entry. The horde screeched to a halt, tumbling all over each other and piling up in front of the barrier.
Without their torches, they couldn’t hope to burn it out of their way. And as they started whaling on it with their weapons, they were met with a deadly surprise. The barrier itself was made out of layers of reinforced tree bark. However, many holes dotted its surface. There was a very specific reason for that.
The holes were just big enough to fit the blade of Lana’s sword. And so, she dropped down on the other side of the barrier and began thrusting away through those holes. With each thrust, she felt the feedback of cutting through flesh. Her attacks were working.
With the pirates crowded together against the barrier like that, there was no way she could miss. The brutes were taking heavy damage, dropping like flies on top of each other. With so many packed into that tunnel, they couldn’t take up proper positions to counterattack. They fell right into Lana’s schemes. And yet, that was not the whole of the second phase.
Any beings with a modicum of intelligence would know strategic retreat to be the best option in such a situation. That was true for the pirates, and it was true for Lana, as well. She knew that’s what they would do, and she was not going to let that happen. The majority of the enemy forces were in that tunnel, after all.
And so, just as the pirates began turning around and going for the exit, a second barrier was dropped on the other side. They were trapped like rats from both ends, unable to escape the tunnel.
“Do it now!” Lana shouted.
Hollo, who was in charge of the second phase, led his unit of koroks into the tunnel, flying safely above the enemy’s reach. They were carrying another tool, this one suggested by Hollo himself, utilizing more of the forest’s natural resources. First it was fireflies, and this time it was chuchu jelly.
Chuchus were a common monster found across the sea, and apparently they were especially plentiful in the Forbidden Woods. They were weak pests with bodies made almost entirely of a gelatinous substance. When boiled, chuchu jelly was used in medicine. However, in its raw state, it was incredibly sticky and a commonly-used adhesive. The koroks liked to use it when making things, so they had plenty stored up in the forest. It was even what held the barriers in place against the edges of the tunnel.
The monsters were doused with it as the koroks tossed more seed casings full of the gooey material. They dropped enough to cover most of the brutes with it. They were sticking to each other, and becoming even more frantic than before. After all, raw chuchu jelly wasn’t just an adhesive; it was also flammable. It was used for blasting jelly in explosives. And those pirates knew it.
And Lana knew it, too. “Now! Light them up!” she yelled.
A second wave of koroks handled the outside end, while Lana handled her end of the tunnel. They lit torches of their own and tossed them over the barricades before ducking for cover. Almost immediately, the tunnel erupted with flames and screams.
Lana’s heart ached at the sheer sound of it all. Even though they were standing in a stream, the chuchu jelly sticking to their skin had been ignited. Any flesh touching that jelly would burn away before they had the chance to duck under the water. The cries of pain within the tunnel were severe. Biting her lip harder, Lana tried her best to reassure herself that resorting to such tactics was the only way to win against the large number of pirates.
Before long, the flames died down, but the screams did not. The fires burned away most of the wood making up the barriers, but the bokoblins were too wounded and panicked to advance on the forest. Lana estimated that they'd taken care of at least three quarters of their forces, if not more. Their numbers were getting more and more manageable.
“Alright, third phase, you’re up! If we keep pushing like this, victory will belong to us!” Lana called out.
However, instead of a battle cry from the koroks, her rally was met with screams of terror. The second phase unit flooded in through the tunnel in a panic, and what followed ferociously behind them was the moblin leader who brought the force of pirates ashore.
“Oh no! Third phase, hurry!” she shouted.
“O-okay!” Chio cried.
Much to Lana’s dismay, it was too late. The moblin had broken through and entered the forest before Chio’s group could drop the barrier for the third phase. The moblin was the only one to make it through, but the remaining bokoblins were hot on its heels and scratching at the new barrier as soon as it was in place.
- This isn’t good. I’m the only fighter here. I can’t let this thing hurt anyone!
“Chio! Keep the third phase going! I’ll deal with this one!” Lana instructed.
“If you’re sure, Lana...” Chio said nervously.
The third phase was a combination of the first and second. They were to pick off the remaining monsters using more flash and jelly seeds. Lana was going to dip in and out of the chaos, slashing down whatever monsters she could, until there were none left or they retreated. However, now that the moblin was inside the forest, the koroks would have to hold back the remaining bokoblins and defend the barrier until she could defeat it.
Lana brandished her sword and stared daggers at the encroaching moblin. She was certain it was one of the ones that had captured her. It might have even been the same one that jabbed her in the gut with its spear to shut her up. The brute definitely seemed to share her recognition. It flexed its muscles and twirled its massive spear over its head before bringing it down to aim straight at Lana.
Before attacking, it began speaking monsterese at her. Lana had no clue what it was trying to say, but Peeks seemed to understand.
“He said that you're really craft for a little girl, Lana.” he translated with a dose of fear.
“You speak monsterese, Peeks?” she said in surprise. “Well, I had no choice to be crafty. You pirates are trying to burn down this forest, aren’t you? Why would you do something like that?”
The moblin scoffed and spoke again. “He said his boss wants something here. He doesn’t know why, but he doesn’t need to know to follow orders.” Peeks interpreted.
- It’s gotta be the artifact the Deku Tree mentioned... I wonder if he means the boss of the Forsaken Pirates. Who on earth is that?
“Well, it doesn’t matter what your boss said. I won’t let you do whatever you want with this place!” Lana yelled.
The moblin sneered and spoke once more. “What?! Lana, he says his boss wants you found and brought to him ASAP!” Peeks gasped.
“What?” Lana said in shock.
- It must be because I escaped, right? But wait, what did they even want with me in the first place?
Lana shook her head and regained her composure. “I don’t care! I’m gonna defeat you and protect this place no matter what! Get ready, ‘cause I’m not the same scared girl I used to be!”
With that determined shout, Lana started the battle herself. Slamming her feet down in the shallow river, she launched herself forward with a thrust. The moblin easily parried her blade, and as he began to lead his spear into a swing, Lana leapt away.
As soon as her feet touched back down, the attack came. Lana ducked under the spear and advanced again. She tried another thrust, but the moblin sidestepped out of the way and swung his spear right back at her. Lana raised her sword to guard, bracing behind it with her arm. When the hit landed, she was sent flying.
Lana’s back hit the riverbank hard. She coughed up some spit and felt the breath leave her body. Her head was clouded in a daze for a moment. The moblin rushed at her, now being the one to thrust. Lana dove out of the way into the water, rolling back up to her feet.
This time she tried closing in for a proper slash. She ducked and parried under more wide swings before leaping forward. Once again the moblin dodged her, but she did not falter. She kicked off the ground and dug her elbow into the moblin’s chest. That was a counter move Orca had taught her.
The moblin was knocked off balance from her strike. Lana didn’t miss that chance to bring her sword around and swipe at him again. This time her blade did find its mark, tearing a cut into the moblin’s chest. The brute grunted before regaining his balance. The shallow wound wasn’t enough to slow him down.
Lana was in close quarters now. She thought that’d give her the advantage over the moblin’s wide reach, and started closing in for another blow. However, the brute was quick on its feet. As she moved, it leapt back and swung its spear around at the same time. The shaft slammed into Lana’s side, sending her flying once again.
She rolled to a stop in the water and came up choking for air. The chainmail under her tunic had protected her from much of the impact, but she was still in severe pain. She staggered as she rose back to her feet. Her breathing was haggard as she lifted her sword back up.
- Man, that hurt... I’d better end this quickly. Come on, I can do this! I was taught by a master swordsman, after all!
Trying to psych herself up, Lana prepared herself for another assault. She and the moblin circled each other, watching for sudden movements. Finally it was the moblin’s turn to strike first. He charged right for her, spear extended out with intent to impale.
Lana returned the charge, eyeing the spear carefully. When the moblin thrusted it forward, Lana found her chance to parry and allowed her sword to grind along the shaft as she closed in. As soon as she felt the brute pushing back against her, she ducked under and lunged forward.
The moblin dodged her yet again and prepared to counter, but Lana stabbed her sword into the river and used it to vault herself away. Twisting around in midair while passing over the spear’s arc, she landed on her feet facing her enemy. Once she touched down, she sped forward once again.
The moblin was not yet in a position to strike back, the disadvantage that came with wielding such a large weapon. By the time he could bring his spear back around, Lana was ready for it. She swung her blade to meet it as hard as she could. The edge of her weapon smacked hard against the wooden shaft, with a cracking noise ringing out through the air.
Sparks flew as both fighters felt their grips loosen. Lana’s hand was burning with friction from the force of the collision, but she gritted through the pain and held on. The moblin, on the other hand, began to falter. Lana had never been one to waste an opportunity, and that wasn’t about to change.
Finally seeing the chance to win, Lana sprang forward with purpose and fierce drive. Before the moblin could get his guard back up, the tip of Lana’s sword pierced its way through his chest.
“Gack!” the moblin heaved out an awful cough.
“I got him!” Lana breathed as she withdrew her blade.
She leapt back a few paces and waited. The moblin began to crumple down before her eyes. Blood spilled from the wound and from between his quivering lips. He dropped his spear into the water, clutching the bleeding hole in his chest and glaring at her. The light was fading fast from those intense eyes, and before long, he collapsed face first into the river without any last words.
At that very moment, the remaining bokoblins finally managed to push through the barrier. The koroks scattered in fright, fearing the worst. However, the pirates all came to a stop when they saw what had become of their leader. He was dead in the water, with the stream carrying away trails of his blood.
There was a very apparent fear growing in their eyes as Lana turned to face them. She met their gaze head on with a powerful glare of her own.
“Your leader is dead! Now get out of here before the same happens to you!” she shouted at them.
In truth, it was a bluff. She was exhausted, and it took all of her focus to not visibly pant in front of them. She tried to make herself look as unhurt as she could. Whether the pirates would buy it and run away or not depended on luck. There were only around ten or eleven remaining, but that would be too many for her to take on after such an intense fight.
Her luck paid off as the cowardly bokoblins backed away. One step, two steps, three steps, and then a full-on run. They fled the Forest Haven in terror, fearing for their lives. They returned to their boat and took off without looking back.
At long last, the protracted battle was over. After that fact had sunk in for a few moments, the koroks erupted into wild cheers and jubilation. They danced in the air and yelled out shouts of victory. Lana let out a long-held sigh and slumped down to her knees in the water. She finally allowed herself to breathe again.
“We did it... I can’t believe it... We did it!” she said between breaths.
- We actually drove away a force of forty pirates all by ourselves! We defeated so many of them, too!
For the first time, Lana felt happy to have won a fight. Despite her continuing distaste for death, she was able to defend the koroks, who would have been helpless without her aid. Every single one of them had made it through that fight alive. She may have killed many pirates, but she protected all of the koroks from certain death. That positive seemed to outweigh the negative.
She gazed down at her sword. Orca’s teachings had given her the power to not just defend herself, but to protect people in need. That sat with her far better than killing in self-defense did. She wished Orca hadn’t left. She really wanted him to see what she had accomplished. After all, when all was said and done, he was her master, and she was his student.
Peeks flew down and buried his face in Lana’s arms. He was shaking and sobbing. “Lana! You’re alive! Thank goodness you won! That was amazing!” he cried.
Lana grinned and patted his head. “You guys are the amazing ones. I couldn’t have done it without you.” she said soothingly.
As she stood back up, she raised her sword in triumph. Peeks took to the air with the rest of his brethren, and together the defenders greeted the dawning sky once more. The Forest Haven was finally safe.
* * *
It had been a long and rough night, so it was late in the afternoon when Lana had finally woken up from a much-needed rest. The koroks had made her a comfortable bed out of soft and plush leaves. It was almost as cozy as a real bed. She hardly wanted to get up. As she stretched her arms, she crawled out of the hollow in a large tree trunk where she’d been put up.
“I guess I should go report to the King of Red Lions... This was a favor for him, after all.” Lana wondered aloud.
Before she left the forest, she met with the Deku Tree one last time. The Great Spirit, relieved to see the rest had done her well, had nothing but praise for her when she arrived.
“Lana, your efforts were incredibly admirable. I am very grateful that you were able to defend our home and pull my children together into such a coherent plan so quickly. You’ve got quite the head on your shoulders, don’t you?” it spoke.
‘Your words are too much for me... But, thank you.” Lana said shyly. “I’m just glad everyone is safe. Honestly, I can still hardly believe we pulled this off.”
“I never doubted you for a moment, dear child.” the tree smiled. “After all, you had the trust of my old friend, the King of Red Lions. I can sense him outside the Haven, awaiting your return.”
“Yeah, I thought he might be waiting for me. I should be going now.” Lana said. “Do I have to return the deku leaf you gave me?”
“Of course you don’t. That was a gift, after all. It is yours to keep. I hope it will continue to aid you well into the future.” the tree said, smiling more widely than before.
Lana’s face lit up. “Thank you so much! I promise I’ll take good care of it. Then, if that’s all, I’ll be on my way now.”
“Goodbye, Lana!” Peeks called out.
“Thanks for everything!” Maca yelled.
“You’re our hero!” Hollo joined in.
“I’ll never forget you!” Chio shouted out.
“Goodbye, everyone!” Lana said, beaming and waving at her forest friends.
“Take care on your journey, Lana. May your travels be safe.” the Deku Tree prayed.
And so, Lana marched out of the forest, each step full of pride. She had never felt quite like this before. Ever since she left her home, it had been one disaster after another. And yet, she overcame every single one of those disasters. Now here she stood, the victor in a defensive battle against fierce monster pirates. She felt her confidence growing with each step she took forward.
A lot had happened since setting out. Between getting captured by the Forsaken Pirates, escaping their fort on her own, drifting at sea for three days, fighting through monster-infested woods, and now this, Lana began to wonder just what else she was capable of. It wasn’t just anyone who could do all of what she had done, right? Perhaps she really could find her ancestral home, after all.
Indeed, all the doubt that had plagued her since her failed departure had gone and left her. What took its place was sheer courage. Lana felt more ready than ever to take on the Great Sea and find her motherland. Nothing was going to get in her way anymore.
The only problem left was the matter of leaving the Forest Haven. How was she going to get off this island? She thought the answer to that might lie with the King of Red Lions. After all, he was a boat. Surely he could give her a lift.
And there he was, floating at the edge of the island. He appeared to have been waiting patiently for her arrival. He gave her a warm smile upon seeing her.
“Lana, welcome back. You’ve done extraordinarily well. You’ve far surpassed my expectations. I’m very proud of you.” he said.
“Aw, shucks... You’re gonna make me blush.” Lana said, feeling embarrassed. She wasn’t used to such praise coming from people that weren’t her Mama and Papa.
“You deserve every bit of praise you’ve received. You defended the Deku Tree and the Forest Haven, as well as all of the koroks that call this island home. You drove off a force of forty pirates through pure wit and ingenuity. I am highly impressed with you.” he continued.
“Thanks...” Lana said, shyly twirling a lock of her hair. “So, you know, I was wondering... Could you possibly ferry me to another island? Preferably an inhabited one, of course. I have a journey I’d like to continue.”
“Hmmm... Indeed...” the boat said.
- Huh? What, can’t he do that?
Lana felt a twinge of worry after seeing the consterned expression on the lion face. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Well... It wouldn’t be difficult for me to ferry you where you want to go, but... Truth be told, there’s another matter that needs my attention. And I’m afraid it’s again something I cannot handle on my own.” he explained.
There was a hint of deep concern in his voice. Whatever the problem was, Lana could feel there was dire importance in it. Perhaps it had something to do with preserving things for the Legendary Hero, like with the Deku Tree’s artifact? That was Lana’s first guess, at least. But then what did that make the King of Red Lions? Why was he so concerned with stuff like that? She didn’t understand anything about him. He was a complete mystery to her.
“So... Are you going to ask me for my help with this, too?” Lana almost hesitated to ask.
“I would very much like to, yes.” the boat said.
- Oh, boy... I just want to continue my journey already... I’m tired of being sidetracked by all this craziness.
Lana sighed, and against her better judgement, decided to ask what exactly the King of Red Lions wanted her to do this time.
“So, um... This new favor you need... What exactly is it?”
“Well...” the boat began.
He seemed awfully hesitant to tell her. That only made Lana feel more nervous. She felt herself subconsciously gulp. Whatever he needed help with, she could feel it was going to be a big deal.
“The truth is, I’d like you to infiltrate the Forsaken Fortress and retrieve some stolen treasure for me.” he said.
Lana stared at him blankly for a few moments. She wanted to pretend she didn’t hear what he said, but the insanity of his statement was too much for her to bear. Whatever she’d become capable of, she did not want to go looking for trouble anymore. She could only hold herself back for so long before she had to let the words out.
“You want me to WHAT?!”
The water seemed to ripple a little from her outburst. The King of Red Lions winced, but there was no sign of him retracting his plea. Whatever was going on in this boat’s head, Lana was sure it’d be a long time yet before she could get back on track.