The Spread of Mauve
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Your POV

You and Enzo were currently packing your things up from your stay overnight at the stables. "You sure have a lot of stuff," he comments as you pack the many things you brought with you into your knapsack. You give a murmured agreement as you attached your dagger to your waist. Enzo was currently making the two beds you'd both slept in, as you were crafting your route to the Gerudo Region. You'd both make a small detour to Gerudo Town, simply following the path. For now, the main thing was to get to Kara Kara Bazaar. You were sure you'd both make it there before nightfall–or at least, before the next day was brought upon you. Yet for that, Nyx would have to cover the ground quickly.

"So, we're making our way to Kara Kara Bazaar?" He asks, peering over your shoulder to look at the map in front of you.

"Yes. Depending on the time we get there. If it's still pretty early in the night, we may as well make for Gerudo Town," you shrug. The distance looked to take around almost two hours on foot, depending on if you could get a hand on a group of sand seals. Enzo's buckler looked to be strong enough to withstand a side on one of them, even if it was scrappy and dented.

"Okay then," he answers, slinging his bag over his back as you walk outside, greeting Nyx. You assumed he still felt out of place as he hung around awkwardly. You pushed that thought though, to the back of your mind as you mounted her. There was no time to ponder stupid things. He awkwardly climbs on her back behind you, grabbing your waist to keep himself balanced. His movements were awkward and stiff, and only delayed the time.

As soon as Nyx eases into a gallop, the three of you fall into an easy silence, of just the birds and the leaves of the trees filling your ears. You heard the soft bird trills, creating a peaceful harmony around you. You saw a mountain goat, gently clipping the grass with its teeth. It brings its head up when it hears a clatter of hooves, and when it notices Nyx galloping, it bolts off in a different direction. The trees you passed were painted in an array of lush green and pale yellow colours, creating a soothing naturistic aesthetic.

"So, you mentioned you live somewhere in the desert? Whereabouts? Is it close to Gerudo Town?" Enzo asks, his voice harshly bringing you back to reality. You were stunned for a second, as if the question was as harsh as ripping off a bandage. It was sharp, quick, and left you breathless. You didn't quite know how to answer his query, yet when he asked it, it usually meant he demanded an answer.

"Oh, just a small camp in the canyon. It's a secrete spot, lonely, but peaceful," you answer. Your response wasn't too vague, nor was it too descriptive. It was your Goldilocks answer, and you were sure that with the information you gave him, that he wouldn't depict where you truly live.

"Sounds terrible," he murmurs from behind you, which makes you spin around in the saddle, giving him a quizzical look, urging him to elaborate. "Well, no offence, but you said you have no family, so I'd assume you live alone. And if it's in the desert canyon, it can both get really cold and really hot, depending on the time of day. Even worse, is that you'd be living close to the Yiga Clan, so I bet you're always defending your little area." His words shocked you to your very core. You resisted the urge to correct him, yet you just let him live in his own little world.

"Well, it's not that bad. You get used to the quiet," you respond, returning your gaze to the front.

"How so?" was his question, and you internally roll your eyes. Then you remember that he had a real family, so he was used to being with people who cared for him. That thought could only bring your mind back to the Champions, who caused your breath to hitch. It was already another day, and you'd assumed that they'd have gone back to the Castle–or their own domains. If they had gone back to their regions, you wondered if you'd be allowed into Gerudo Town to say hi to Urbosa. After all, she did tell her guards to lay back on you–and you were female, the only gender that was allowed there.

"Y/n?" Enzo asks, bringing you back to the world. You had unconditionally zoned out, leaving his question in the air for the birds to peck at. You mumble a half apology before speaking.

"I guess, after having the feeling of being alone for 10 odd years, you get used to it," you say, gripping the reins with both your hands. As soon as you do, however, your arm seers angrily in pain, which makes you quickly let go. You blink back a few tears as you grind your teeth. You knew the purple mark would be spreading further on your arm–you couldn't check it now though, not with Enzo behind you. There'd be no way you'd let anyone worry about you. It had happened once, and you did not intend for it to happen again.

"Um, Y/n," Enzo taps your shoulder frantically, causing you to turn around and raise an eyebrow in his direction, "there's a band of Moblins approaching us!" He points behind you, bringing your attention to the array of Silver, Blue, and Black Moblins approaching you. They were running with their stumpy legs–which turned out to be quite fast. You curse quietly to yourself, pulling back on the reins as you know that if you pushed Nyx hard now, she'd run out of stamina later on in your journey.

Enzo remains firmly on Nyx as you dismount, your horse trotting to safety under a few trees. You unsheathe your sword with your left hand, but you're forced to swap hands from the pain radiating from your arm. There were five Moblins in total, two blue, one black, and two silver. You lured the blue Moblins away from the others, still making sure that the others wouldn't wander over to Nyx and Enzo. Slashing at its legs, you cause the first one to fall, before being killed by you. For the next one, you kicked its chest, slashing open its skin, and causing bubbly red blood to spill from its flesh wound. Both monsters fall at your feet, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Those ones had barely any health, so it took minimal effort to fell them.

The black Moblin approached you, a traveller's claymore in hand, ready to strike you. The movement failed to scare you, as you quickly brought your weapon up to block its heavy one. The strength the Moblin had in its blow left you shocked, and you move your feet to help you ground yourself. You slashed its arm and its leg, leaving it to fall on the floor, bleeding heavily. With another stab, that one was also dead. Your breathing was ragged and heavy as you face yourself to the two silver Moblins advancing you.

One brought up a Royal Claymore to strike you down, which you only just dodge in time. Bringing the Vantablack Blade up, you intercept its second blow, but when the other Moblin swings its sword down at you, you finally panic. Just as you shove the first Moblin's blade away, the second one's sword slashes across your body, eliciting a terrible scream from your lips. It went from your left shoulder to your left hip, slicing through the flesh of your left side. You drop your sword quickly as you clutch your side in pain, falling to the floor. The Moblins were then just about to strike you again, watching you whimper in pain.

Enzo's eyes widen as he dismounts your horse, taking his buckler out and running to your side. He wasn't too skilled in the ways of battle, but when he planted himself between you and the Moblins, he successfully blocked the first blow. The second one rattled his buckler, the strength passing through to his arms, and the third blow sends him tumbling to the ground with aching arms. You, however, had to tear off a strip of your tunic, wrapping it harshly around yourself. You were blinking back several tears as you grit your teeth. The sword was just out of your reach, and if you tried to reach for it, terrible pain would erupt in your sword. The two Moblin raise their Royal Claymores in synchronisation, ready to strike the both of you.

Enzo cries out in fright as he scampers back, trying his best to keep himself in front of you. The action warmed your heart slightly, yet the pain still took over most of your body. You weakly reach for your sword, grimaces of pain slipping past your lips. Enzo notices your actions, and he himself tries to reach for the sword, his fingers just grazing the ebony hilt.

The first Moblin swings its sword down, but before it can harshly impact your bodies, the monster is stricken aggressively to the ground by a large set of hooves. Your heart quickly lightens when you see Nyx standing ominously over the fallen monster, before she quickly kicks the second one. This gave Enzo enough time to grab your sword, handing it to you.

With the sword now back in your grip, you hold it as vertical as you could, with the tip digging into the dirt. While you clutched your waist with your left hand, you slowly brought yourself to your knees, your right hand gripping the hilt of the blade so tight that it turned your knuckles white. You let a strangled cry out as your side complains bitterly from the movement, but with the Moblins still a threat, you couldn't just stay there.

Enzo scrambles off the ground, grabbing your right arm and doing his best to hoist you up. The help was much appreciated as your legs struggled to keep you standing with the little energy you had left. You then turn your gaze back to the Moblins, who were getting up with an angered look on their face. Their attention was both on you, and Nyx.

Enzo backs up a little, holding his little buckler up in front of him like it would protect him from the harshest of gales. You however, used your sword like a walking stick–which you were sure that that wasn't the purpose of the Vantablack Blade.

When Nyx strikes the Moblins down with her hooves, you–albeit painfully–stab the first one in the heart with your sword. You almost immediately collapsed from the loss of your support, until you felt Enzo grab you, holding you up effortlessly. From what you noticed, he was quite strong–yet not good enough at sword fighting. You thank him in your head for his help as Nyx stomps on the Moblin, letting you strike it once more to kill it.

Seeing the purple puff of smoke appear in front of you was like instant relief in your veins, but it soon disappears when you hear the snarl of the second silver Moblin. Enzo doesn't let go of you, as you shakily hold the sword out in front of you. You continue to grip your side harshly, feeling your thick, warm blood seeping int your clothes. The blood drips everywhere on the grass as you move, the warm air around you only helping to increase the stinging feeling.

You sloppily slash at the Moblin's chest, causing its own blood to spill from the wound. Matching yours in a gruesome waterfall of crimson blood. The Moblin growls in pain as Nyx kicks its flesh wound. Its move of retaliation was to swing its Claymore wildly in the air as it fell to the ground, so Enzo brought you harshly to the ground in hopes of avoiding the blade.

In doing so, your wound reopens from its half-heal, and you scream in pain once you hit the dirt. Enzo apologised under his breath as he held you to keep your side from touching the dirt–you wanted to keep the amount of dirt in your wound minimal. You gasp slightly after the impact, feeling white spots dot your vision from the amount of pain. You blink quickly and shake your head, the white dots running away. You keep your attention focused on the scene in front of you.

Nyx was continuously stomping on the fallen Moblin, blood splattering everywhere–on yourself, on her fur, on the ground. The monster continued growling and crying in pain as its intestines were minced by her frantic hooves. You watch the gory sight with shocked eyes.

When the Moblin stopped breathing, Nyx stepped aside, painting the grass with red hoof-shapes. It was way more than a mural you could paint, it was a complete artwork. The story of the Moblin's life, the sins and the tales it held. All brought down upon the fury of the stallion. As the monster disappears into smoke, you shakily bring your head up for your gaze to meet your horses'. She gives you a bashful whinny at her actions, which you fight not to laugh at. After all, if you did so much as a giggle, your side would scream–scream more than it was right now.

"I-Nyx..." you mumble under your breath. Your voice was raspy from the battle, and you barely feel Enzo stand up. He holds a hand for you to take.

"I'm no good with injuries. We need to take you to a proper doctor," he says sternly as you gingerly take his hand. He carefully pulls you up, letting you lean on him as much as you needed. As you did so, your blood tainted his clothes, leaving a horrible red colour. You grit your teeth as you hand the sword out for him to sheathe. Enzo immediately understands as he reaches behind your back, carefully sliding the Vantablack Blade back into its home.

From there, Enzo tries his best to lift you onto Nyx, yet it was filled with anguished screams and terrible jolts of pain through your body. As your left arm falls to your side, you felt the blood pouring from your wound. It was getting bad; you knew that much for sure. You heard Enzo's frantic shouts in your ear, along with Nyx's worried whinnies, before you fell unconscious, perhaps for the last time.

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2459 words.