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Kokiri Forest
In the vast deep forest of Hyrule, long have I served as the guardian spirit, I am known as the Great Deku Tree. The children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy. However, there is one boy who does not have a fairy...
Early one morning the boy was having a nightmare. It was the same nightmare he had every night. During a storm he would find himself standing in front of a mysterious castle. A rider on horseback, carrying a girl would race by. The girl would look at him as if to say something. Then, another rider would appear. This big man clad in black would look menacing at him. He would then wake up.
"Navi... Navi, where art thou? Come hither... Oh, Navi the fairy... Listen to my words, the words of the Great Deku Tree...Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil is descending upon this realm... Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule... For so long the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world... But...Before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing... It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey...The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth... Navi... Go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me... Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!"
Navi the fairy was a small orb of dim light to the naked eye and when present in the dark the glow would radiate a bright light around the fairy. She had two insectoid wings that resembled the shape of a butterfly's. Her wings were the only visible feature she had as the light she gave off was too bright to make out anything else. Each fairy that lived in the forest would glow with different colors and were often appointed to a Kokiri, the forest folk, to look after. Now that the Great Deku Tree has summoned the only Kokiri without a fairy, Navi would have a new temporary companion.
After Navi is dismissed by the Deku Tree she flies from the meadow of the Deku Tree into the forest. It wasn't long until she stumbled upon the flourishing Kokiri Village which resides in the forest. The Kokiri Forest is home to the convivial Kokiri children. The children of the Kokiri Forest were many, living under the protection of their guardian fairies and the sage Deku Tree. They lived peacefully in their homes without parents and never aged. They strayed only in the boundaries of their forest and never dared to leave, for they would die if they ever left the forest. They all wore green tunics and a leathery belt strapped at the waist. Their heads were topped with a green pointed hat. They cared, deeply for their guardian, the Great Deku Tree, and the forest as much as they cared for themselves.
As Navi fluttered around the village searching for the Kokiri the Deku Tree desired she could see the wide variety of housing that the Kokiri reside in. The forest folk dwell in giant wooden stumps that had been hallowed out and the natural homes made for a unique architecture throughout the village. Navi had recognized one of the homes, being the most unnatural of them all with its added veranda, as the one the boy lived in. She fluttered into the boy's domain.
Navi looked around the small room and saw many devices and parchments strewn upon the wall with a table made from an old tree trunk sat in the center. Across the room was a small bed, which the boy had been dreaming away upon. As Navi saw the young boy slumber, she saw that he was clad in a green tunic as all Kokiri had been. He wore brown boots and a long pointy green hat that sat atop his blonde hair. His name was Link, the boy that the Deku Tree desired and the one Navi was sent to retrieve.
"Hello, Link! Wake up! Get up! The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!" Navi said as she watched Link, ignorantly turn the other way in his bed. "Hey, C'mon!" Navi continued, poking and tickling Link's pointy ears, "can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"
When Link gradually opened his eyes he saw Navi fluttering about in front of him. Startled, he quickly leapt up with a fright. "Who… Who are you?"
"You finally woke up! I'm Navi the Fairy! The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on! Nice to meet you!"
Link immediately jumped from his wooden bed, suffused with rapture. "Is this a joke? You're really going to be my guardian fairy?" he asked.
"Well, the Deku Tree has asked that I retrieve you," she replied. "The Deku Tree has summoned you! So let's get going, right now!"
"He summoned me?" Link thought out loud.
"We have to hurry right away," Navi said as the pair left the house.
The view outside Link's home on top of the veranda was a beautiful view. Throughout the village there were seeds floating in the air that came from the enclosing forest that surrounded them. There was an abundant source of water from a small water fall that created ponds bordering the village. The children of the forest filled the village living in the vegetated surrounding. The village was isolated by the rest of the vast Kokiri Forest.
A girl named Saria was running toward Link from below. Like the rest of the Kokiri she was clad in green cloth and she wore matching green boots. She ran down the path toward Link's home as Link watched from above on his veranda. Saria greeted him from below.
He climbed from his home as Saria noticed his new companion, "Wow! A fairy!! Finally a fairy came to you, Link! That's great news. I'm so happy for you! Now you're a true Kokiri, Link."
"A Kokiri indeed but that's not all. The Great Deku Tree has summoned me!" Link said.
"The Great Deku Tree has summoned you?! It's quite an honor to talk to the Great Deku Tree. He must be waiting so I'll wait for you here. Get going! Go see the Great Deku Tree!"
As Link started his way toward the Great Deku Tree he waved his farewell to Saria and continued. On his way, Link stumbled upon one of the small ponds. Within the pond on the surface were some stepping stones. He leaped across one by one to the other side. There he found a corridor of vines and trees. At the foot of the tunnel stood Mido the "meanie" as he was referred to in the village. Careless and selfish as he was, he stood in Link's way, guarding the way to the Deku Tree.
"Hey, you! Mr. No Fairy! What's your business with the Great Deku Tree? Without a fairy you're not a real man," the boy taunted, hindering Link's path. Mido was the bully of the forest and never hesitated to chasten Link. The only person he admired in the forest was Saria. Mido was clad in a green tunic and a pointed hat. He always had a stern face and ran things around the forest, bossing the forest folk around.
It was then when Navi came into view and Mido became baffled.
"What?! You've got a fairy?!" Mido said in disbelief.
Link then added, "I'm also here to see the Great Deku Tree."
"Say what? The Great Deku Tree actually summoned you? Whaaaaaaat! Why would he summon you and not the Great Mido?" he inquired.
"Well, it seems as though our guardian has good judgment," Link said.
"This isn't funny... I don't believe it!"
"Well, believe it because I have to see him so make way," Link demanded as he charged toward the tunnel.
"Wait! You aren't even fully equipped yet!" Mido said, halting Link in his tracks. "How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree without both a sword and shield ready?
"A sword and shield? How would you expect to help him then? You don't have any of that stuff either," Link added.
"You're right. I don't have my equipment ready, but... If you want to pass through here, you should at least equip a sword and shield! Sheesh!"
Link turned away with no reply and vaulted across the pond. He already knew where he could get the shield. It was kept within the midst of the red crowned stump, the Kokiri shop. Link could easily spot its red roof and the small stream that flowed near its entrance.
He decided not to get the shield at the moment since it would cost him rupees, the currency of the land, and besides, he thought, what is the adventure without the sword? But he had to look for one and that would prove to be a small adventure in itself.
Link walked along the path and spotted someone in front of Saria's home, cutting the grass with something sharp. He figured it was a sword and ran toward the boy. The Kokiri's hair obscured the boy's vision and covered his eyes. His hands and face were dirty with grit and he wore green, dirty shoes upon his feet.
"Say, what do you have there?" Link asked the boy.
"Oh, this? That meanie, Mido, made me cut all the grass in front of Saria's house. Mido said that he would cut the grass so Saria would like him, but he told me to do it and now I'm the one stuck with all the work so he gave me the blade to do it with... You and Saria are close friends, so will you help me cut this grass? I'll let you keep anything you find while cutting it."
"I would but I have nothing to cut with," Link said.
"Use something sharp like a sword if you can find one."
"I have to anyway. All the more reason I guess."
Link decided to see if he could spot a blade of any sort in his view. He spied as far as the grassy knolls, amidst every tree, among every boundary but couldn't seek a blade being gripped by anyone. He decided to ask around.
He ran back and followed the path to ask about a sword elsewhere. He followed the fence and noticed a girl near the pond that may help him.
He hopped over the fence and approached the girl. She noticed Link's new companion as soon as they neared.
"Oh, you have a fairy now? That's great, Link!" the Kokiri observed.
"Oh, yeah. She came to me earlier, but that's not important right now," Link explained. "I've been summoned by the Great Deku Tree and..."
"You've been called by the Great Deku Tree? What an honor! He may give a special gift! That's because the Great Deku Tree is our father, the forest guardian, and he gave life to all of us Kokiri!" she casually stated.
Then Link continued, "Listen, I wanted to know..."
"You know, I wonder if the Great Deku Tree gave life to everything in the forest, I mean in addition to us Kokiri?" she continued.
Link thought she was too open minded to talk to as she continued to think out loud.
The girl was stopped short. "Listen, I have to go now. No time to talk," Link said.
"Oh, yes of course. You must hurry to the Great Deku Tree," she said
"Bye and thanks for your... um, thanks!" Link said and began his search once again.
Link stumbled upon his home and found Saria waiting for him to return from the Great Deku Tree. He was glad to see someone he can talk to. As he approached her, she noticed him coming.
"Did you speak with the Great Deku Tree already," she wondered.
"No. Mido won't let me pass through the entrance to the great Deku Tree's Meadow. He said I needed some equipment, a sword and a shield," Link answered.
"Mido won't let you go see the Great Deku Tree?" Saria asked in surprise, "Ohh... that bum! I don't know why he's so mean to everyone! What he said is true, though. The forest... strange things have been happening here lately... You need to be ready for anything. You'd better find a weapon! You can bye a shield at the shop, but there is only one sword hidden somewhere in the forest."
"Thanks Saria. You've saved me a lot of asking to do," Link said as the two said there temporary farewells. He ran back up the hill he came down from.
Link decided to search near the most logical place he could find a sword which would bring him to the training ground. He ran into another girl, this one more courteous with open ears.
"Oh, a fairy finally came to you!" she began when she noticed Navi. "Now you have a lot to learn! The best place to go to learn some new skills is in the Forest Training Center. It's on the hill just above here."
The hill stood near as the path continued upward. He had reached the top as the path ended and found himself atop a large surface of elevated earth. At the training ground Link found the area enclosed with fences that zigzagged into a small arena. The back of the arena was bordered by a wall of trees and earth, the border of the village.
There was a sign near Link that pointed toward the fences. It read:
"Forest Training Center:
Don't recklessly cut signs–read them carefully!"
He thought that there was sure to be a sword in here, for the sign presented evidence of the use of a blade. He decided to move into the fences finding himself surrounded by small bushes. The training ground was covered with them. He encountered another sign which read:
"Thrust Attack!
"To thrust with your sword run toward your target focused. Then swing your sword in a stabbing motion."
There was another sign near by but Link neglected to read it. These signs gave tips to anybody seeking training which he didn't need quite yet.
As Link continued he found the thick shrubbery annoyingly persistent. That's when he recalled what the boy across the village trying to cut the shrubs had told him. He said if you cut them you can keep whatever you find within them. The thick shrubbery in the training ground could contain many treasures that other village folk would easily lose forever in the sea of shrubbery. When he realized this, Link went down on all fours greedily searching through the thicket, wondering what values it may hold.
He quickly gripped and pulled at a bundle of pointy, serrated leaves but they didn't give. He expected them to tear as soon as he had jerked it but alas, Link had no experience in any gardening and didn't know the plant that he pulled on was too strong to uproot with his bare hands alone. Gripping the same bundle, he tried once more only this time he constantly wrenched on them. His grip soon gave and his hands slid along the leaves' keen thistle edges, cutting his hands in the process.
He fell back but recovered from the fall. His hands started to bleed from the little slice. He groaned in frustration at his pathetic failure doing his best to ignore the pain and soon enough his cuts no longer caused much agony.
He hopped the fence and entered the arena, doing his best not to disturb a boy out of respect whom was training his hand-to-hand combat skills. Upon entering the arena Link spotted a log that protruded from the back wall of earth and tree. The log was hollow. He ran and knelt near it to gaze within it and saw a light at the other end but the exit was too far from him. He picked himself up and read the sign that stood next to the peculiar site:
"Caution!
"The tunnel before you should not be traveled lest you are claustrophobic, for the path you seek may be too tight a squeeze."
"Go on," Navi said, "I think there is a good chance that the only sword in the forest is hidden on the other side of that tunnel. You did see there was a light at the other end, right?"
"Yeah, I saw the end but I'd rather look for a better source of information before I travel in a strange hole. Why should I trust a sign? "Link said as he turned toward the boy training near by. "I'll ask him if he knows anything about it," he said walking toward the boy. He asked the tired Kokiri: "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt."
"No problem. Why, what do you need?" the boy said halting his training.
"Do you know anything about this little tunnel in that log? I'm searching for a sword and am having trouble finding one," Link explained.
"Hey, you're the one the Great Deku Tree summoned, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, and Mido said I can't go and see him unless I retrieve a sword," Link answered.
"Well I've been here to train often and every time I've been here, no one's gone in there. No reason to is my guess. That's all I know about it," the boy said continuing with his jabbing technique.
Link turned toward the tunnel. He knelt down and asked Navi, "can't you fly in there? You can come back and tell me what you see."
"Now that's using your head, I'll be right back," she said and then immediately flew into it. A minute or so had passed and soon Link saw his friend flutter out. "Inside there were halls of earth and root, corridors with a ceiling of branches and leaves. A large boulder bigger than any other in the forest, rolled at a constant speed upon a leveled surface. It rolled within a square shaped corridor by some sort of magical force. But that's not all. I found a large wooden treasure chest!"
As Link heard all of this he desired to witness it for himself, "I'm going in to see this for myself!" He knelt down and peered within the small opening. He began to crawl slowly inward in order to test it.
"I can fit!" he shouted gleefully.
"I guess you're the smallest to have ever tried to crawl within it," Navi said as she followed.
Link started his way toward the other end, seeing the glow of green and yellow light of nature's growth. He was delayed by cobwebs and spiders but soon enough he had reached the exit. Compared to the tunnels bleak and dark interior, the light outside was bright.
It was as Navi said it looked like. Small corridors of earth, ten feet high, guided Link along the way. Roots protruded from the walls and tall trees atop the walls extended their branches to give the illusion of an exotic ceiling as small beams of sunlight seeped through.
He made his way along the hall until it split up in three other directions. The center corridor continued to a sign. Hoping the sign would provide some useful information about the area, Link quickly ran and read the sign:
"Walking sideways can be a very important technique in dungeon corridors. Practice this while you have the chance. It may prove to be useful."
Link figured since this particular technique didn't require a sword, it was a good chance to test a skill that a sign suggests. He did this, facing toward the corridor's wall. It proved to be more difficult than it seemed due gnarled floor caused by all of the protruding roots. He kept this pace until the wall he faced opened up into one of the other halls. It was then he realized what this particular technique was useful for: peering around a corner to watch for anything that may be around the corridor's corners. Of course, this technique would prove useful in other forms.
He continued down the alternative corridor and found nothing but weeds. After a closer inspection, Link spotted a blue gem that glinted in the light. He swiped it up for later use. He decided to continue and make his way down the final corridor that he saw.
"Is this the way, Navi? Is the treasure chest..." Link was silenced with disbelief. He was crippled in his tracks with fright, for an immense boulder had turned the corner and crashed its way down the corridor that Link shared. He began to run the opposite direction to flee from the monstrous object that hurtled toward him when Navi intervened.
"Wait! Don't run from it. That's the giant boulder I told you about. The one I saw. Just watch and wait," Navi said but to no avail. Link couldn't stop his panicked legs from running. Eventually, his retreat was ceased abruptly by the entangling roots that covered the floor, tripping to the dirt. He turned to face the giant boulder only to find an empty space through the hall where a giant stone should be rumbling its way toward him.
"It's... It's gone?" Link said.
"Don't you remember what I told you about what I saw?" Navi explained. "That boulder turned into another corridor by some magical force. It constantly rolls around this corridor. A spell binds the rock to its everlasting tumble through this corridor, probably to protect the chest."
"So is it gone for good?" Link asked.
"No," Navi answered. "It should be coming back soon from where it came from since it keeps revolving around the corridors. Don't worry, though. It will only roll in the path it was told."
Link thought about the circumstances at hand and concluded on what was to be done, "My guess is that it can't be dispelled and stopped. I had an idea to follow the rock's path once it passes by another time and find a safe place to rest if it becomes too dangerous or if we stumble upon the treasure chest."
"Sounds logical. Just be careful," Navi said.
It only took a short while before the boulder returned. Link was able to hear and feel the rock's rumbling rampage as it came barreling around the corner of the corridor down the hall. As it grew in size the closer it rolled toward him, Link couldn't help but get a little nervous. As soon as it approached Link, it immediately jerked the other direction just before it was to smash Link. This was his chance. He ran into the corridor that the rock rolled into and followed it. He tried to keep up with it but its speed was too fast for him. Luckily the boulder's eternal pace kept the floor in these corridors flat and free of tree roots, easing Link's passage.
By the moment that the rock had turned the other corner, Link was only half the distance to that corner. When he eventually did reach it, there was a small enclosed area opposite the corridor that turned. Within this area were more of those weeds and another blue gem that he snatched for his collection. After a hasty search for more and turning up nothing, he headed down the corridor that the boulder had previously rolled through and discovering from a distance that the end of this hall also turned, as expected. As he approached the end of this corridor, a loud crash and rumble was heard. He had almost forgotten the stone boulder which, by now, had successively made its way around and behind him. He turned when he heard the crash of the boulder turning from the last corridor to share Link's own. It rumbled its way toward Link as he acted quickly. Sprinting, he headed directly toward the other corridor, possessing no plan of action for the moment until he noticed another corridor that split off from the hall Link was within.
This was his chance to gain his safety. The trumpeting boulder was directly behind him when he leapt for the outer boundaries of the magically forced rock, which, in Link's mind, was after his life by its own will. In the scenario where he could have been crushed between the stationary wall of roots and the speeding wall of stone, instead, he was able to escape with his life as the rock scarcely grazed his foot leaping for safety. He recovered from his fall and quickly turned to observe the effects of his actions. The boulder rolled away in the opposite direction around the corner continued its path, turning the other corner out of sight.
It became quiet and calm as Link gave a sigh of relief and then disappointment, for he had thought that he would never discover the treasure. However, that is, until he turned around. Standing before him upon a large, round pedestal of wood was a large wooden chest with iron facets and clasps that held it together. It appeared sturdy in condition and looked very ancient but what was held within it surely would prove much more valuable than the chest alone. Link approached the chest cautiously. It was bound to have a trap or snare that was set upon it from the time the chest was placed here, in addition to the magically enhanced boulder to guard it. As he neared it, reaching his arm out to test the safety of it, Navi prepared herself for what ever might happen. Link slowly tapped the chest with his finger and pulled his hand away immediately afterward. Nothing happened. Giving another sigh of relief, he sensed no danger. Placing both hands upon the top of the box, he attempted to crack it open, and found it unlocked. A blinding light seeped through the small crack he had made. He threw open the lid, allowing the bright light to fill the area as Link shielded his eyes with his arm. The magical light soon receded allowing him to search the chest. When he spied within it, a short sword lay upon the wooden bottom.
The sword was intricate. Its hilt was brown, representing the wooded forests that it has been hidden within, with a round pommel and a crescent guard. Embedded within the guard was a green gem, bordered with gold to represent the rich, green forest's lush vegetation. The blade was short and broadened at its tip. Its sharp edge was useful as a tool and a weapon for combat. The blade also came with its sheath attached to a durable shoulder strap made from length of leather.
Navi, having a stockpile of information about items all over the world, informed Link about the item she has just recognized, "You've found the Kokiri Sword, the hidden treasure of the Kokiri! I must warn you to be sure to practice with it before you really use it for combat."
Link was thrilled to finally find the sword, being another step closer to going to the Great Deku Tree and, undoubtedly become the talk of the village.
He admired its beauty with wonder. The Kokiri Sword was a treasure of the forest but Link knew that if he was to become a hero, he would need its might by his side. But what good is such a blade without the skill to use it, he thought.
After he obtained what he had came for, Link threw the blade over his shoulder and headed toward the way out of the small labyrinth of corridors by followed the rolling boulder.
Before he made his way out he spotted a patch of shrubbery, the same kind that had injured him earlier. This was his chance to test his skill with his newly found weapon. Link unsheathed the Kokiri Sword from his back, jumping at his target with fury as the blade glinted in the sunlight. He finished with swift, rapid chops at the innocent shrubbery, reducing the plants to shreds. The cleared foliage yielded yet another gem that he seemed to be finding in all the nooks and crannies of the forest.
"Impressive display of your sword wielding abilities Link," Navi said, "but you're not going to get anywhere in battle with a hack and slash approach to it. We have time to train a bit if you're up to it."
"You bet! I want to master this blade," Link said unhesitantly.
After he emerged from the wooden tunnel he had crawled in, he looked around to size up the arena. Unsheathing his sword he began to practice all that he knew about sword play, which was limited.
Once the forest youths saw Link with the glimmering Kokiri Sword, they were eager to help him improve his dexterity with the blade. The young boy who practiced his combat skills was first to see Link and his new weapon. He noticed him crawling out from the tunnel but didn't realize he had found the sword until Link started swinging it around.
"Woah, Link! You found it after all! What happened? How'd you get it?" the boy exclaimed astonishingly.
Link stared intently as he thought up his explanation. "Yeah, it turns out that the only sword in the forest was in there. A magical boulder that I had to dodge past protected its dwelling which was trapped inside a box," Link explained, swinging the blade around.
The boy caught on to Link's little exaggeration and ceased to encourage his ego with awe in his expression and instead became unimpressed. "That's all impressive and all but you don't seem to have the skill worthy of wielding such a weapon. You show it just through the way you hold it, let alone swing it. Unless you don't want to give up the blade to someone more appropriate, you'd better let me teach you a thing or two about weapons," the boy suggested.
A blank expression overcame Link, as he thought he had been doing quite well with the sword. "Uh, it probably would be a good idea to get a few pointers, heh," he replied.
The two began training for some time. Link's teacher first taught him some dodging techniques. He showed him how to roll and jump away from harm and how to back flip. Soon enough, they moved on to sword techniques. Among them was the fierce jump attack. It was the downward slash from a jump using both hands for maximum speed and strength in an attack. Much of the training atop the training ground was witnessed by many Kokiri throughout the forest, as the blade could be seen shimmering with sunlight with every swing. Curiosity grew among the village folk, most of whom has gotten word of Link's appointment with the Great Deku Tree.
Link's teacher also showed him the proper ways to swing a sword horizontally and vertically. Finally, he taught Link how to thrust or stab, and how to use diagonal slashes and all of what his teacher has taught him in combinations, complimenting each other. Link would never have mastered these techniques within the time his teacher showed him. Only in battle will the true test of his skills be displayed and learned.
Link possessed an amazing natural talent with the sword, but he was eager to sharpen his fighting skills. Even though he learned the fierce jump attack, he knew that he would need to be just as good as defending himself as he was attacking. His destination now was the village shop where a deku shield can be found.