Chapter 1:
Rain pattered its wet hands heavily across the lands of Hyrule. Nowhere save a few choice places escaped its dreariness. Paths turned to streams, rivers flooded, and lightning streaked the sky like the world was ending. A lone figure hurried as fast as the muddied streets allowed him to move. The end of his cloak was stained from fresh and previous travel. Head turned just enough to keep the rain from blinding his eyes.At last Link found an tavern labeled: Sunny Side.
How appropriate. Link thought as he gave the heavy door a shove. A blast of warm wind was the first thing to greet him, then the sounds of tankards being filled, laughter littered with bits of gossip in between. Across the room was set a modest fireplace roaring hungrily for more fuel, while at the same time providing what the people needed.
"Hoy! You there!" the bartender called over his other customers, "Would you be lookin' for a place to stay, mate?" his mustach was beaded with sweat from his work. Link knew him as a foreigner from the coast of which he'd never been to. Come here to retire from the sea.
"If you have a room open that would be nice. I don't feel much like trudging across the plains to get home in this weather." replied Link.
The bartender nodded, "Right then. Hoy Shelley!" he called one of the female maids, "Ready a room for this here young man! And be quick 'bout it!" he turned back to Link, "My name's Gregory Hashmal. Come sit down and enjoy your stay! We've got a fine selection o' drink an I'll be gettin' ye a bit to eat soon." Gregory suddenly excused his new customer for the summons of another.
Link nodded with a smile, "Much obliged, sir."
Now that the elf had settled himself he smelt the food already from the back rooms. His clothing steamed slightly as the heat of body and fire dried them. It had been a hard week on Link that was for sure, and the crummy weather didn't help any. Strings of music suddenly worked its way through the tables as a story telling bard began song. Most everyone began to clap to the beat, some more deep in their cups laughed at everything while managing to make a few inappropriate jokes. Link smiled at this while taking a sip from his mug of hot mead.
"Your room is ready when you are sir." the waitress from earlier said snappishly, obviously the day had not gone well at some point. She handed him a key, "It's the last one down the second hall, 11. A nice view even if it's raining." she left before he managed to thank her.
"If there's one thing I don't like, it's crouded city taverns." a small cross voice seemed to say out of thin air. This earned a few looks from his fellow patrons.
Link smiled politely before removing his floppy green hat and forcing Navi out into the open, "And if there's one thing I don't like, it's you openning your trap when you don't need to." a tiny bell sounded when the fairy shook vigerously showing she was irritated by her charge's dealings.
"Hey you a Kokiri boy?" one patron, a burly man about twice Link's height and a red beard, asked.
"I grew up with the Kokiri yes." Navi flew to her usual perch hovering over Link's shoulder.
"I heard that if they leave the forest, time would catch up to em' an they'd die of too fast agin'. So why ain't you?"
Link nodded with a little grimness, "That's true, but pay heed to my words. I said I grew up with them, I never said I was them." this fact came with the sad truth of not being able to keep his promise to his best friend Saria. She was always fastinated by the stories he told of the world outside the forest, making her want to see it with her own eyes. The only thing restricting Saria was what she was.
"Have you no respect for the lad?" another man stood slightly to get a better look, "This is the Hero of Time. Link I think his name be. He serves her Higness and the Great Sages all over Hyule." A murmer of awe and admiration rippled across the counter and nearby tables.
"Tell us then Hero, what's the greatest creature you've e'er brought down?" Gregory asked, wiping a wine cup clean.
The first thing that leaped into the Hero's mind was Ganon. But it occured to Link that Gregory was a little more intellagent than his outward appearance gave, "By monster terms or creature?" he asked just to be safe.
The bartender picked up Link's mug to refill, "Creature o' course, we all know that bastard Ganandorf was one of the true monsters." many men muttered their agreements.
Link pushed his still damp bangs back thinking. It was sometimes hard to pick between all of the Temple creatures he'd faced but atlast came to a decision, "Volvagia, the Dragon."
"Did you have to return the great Master Sword?" one man asked quickly. Link was a little sad at saying yes, the sword strapped to his back now was a finely crafted bastard sword given to him by the Gorons. Although it didn't have the qualities the Master Sword did by far.
Gregory hushed everyone before they barraged Link with anymore questions, "Very good laddie, that beastie upon the mountain is a great foe indeed. But have you ever faced a creature that burned into ashes as it died. Only soon after to rise again?"
This intrigued Link, he'd never heard of something that could come back to life like that, "What would this one be called?"
"It be called a Phoenix, laddie. Absolutely the most beautiful creatures on the Fourth Continent. They seem like the birds of angels, not fit for this world. They say there once was so many that the continent was known as the Holy Lands, or Twilight Lands whichever you prefer. No one was allowed there but the priests and other holy ones 'cause it was said angels would come to tend to their birds."
Link's brow furrowed with puzzlement, "Continent? What's that?"
The bartender didn't take this as offense however, "What we're standing on, Hero. Being the forest lad you are I wouldn't imagine you've ever been to the ocean. But a continent is the biggest land mass there is, and there is four known to me. I sailed to each of them, one more bizarre than the other it seemed. Hyrule is the most cultivated in general terms." Gregory explained.
"You mentioned that there used to be so many Phoenix's. Are they dying out?"
He shrugged at his audience, "For sum odd reason or 'nother. They just started to die. It didn't seem possible because every two hundred fifty years...no make that five hundred 'scuse me memory... a phoenix would be required by the Sun God their father to die of a natural death. But there was sumthin'special they had to do I think. And then they'd be reborn anew. But, should the Phoenix's not complete this ritual of death," he paused to add tension to the silence around the table, "They'd never return from their grave."
"Wow..." Navi said with authentic awe, "I may have seen a lot but a phoenix is not one of them."
Gregory's mustach twitched upward in a slight smile at the puffball of light, "I heard some rumors at the dock before I left that some of the more powerful birds can take on a huminoid form. But I wouldn't know, gossip tends to get mixed up with facts. I think that is just o' bit o' child's tale."
"Are people colonizing the Holy Lands?" Link asked.
He shrugged and picked up a used cup to wipe, "Around the edges, no one's allowed to go inland 'cause it too dangerous I hear. More than just Phoenix's there. Alright everyone! Meal time's over the cook's gone home! If ye want to linger do so quietly or go to yer rooms! Ya'll need your rest no doubt." Gregory's voice boomed over the crowd's noise. A few tables cleared to return home or to their rented rooms. Some of the female waitresses were tempted but refused to be anyone's whore that night. Link washed the last bite of food down with his mead before getting up.
"Oh wait! Gregory!" Link called as he remembered something, ""Have you actually ever set eyes on an actual Phoenix before?"
Gregory's chuckle was low yet strong, "Laddie, if I hadn't a seen one do ya think I would be able to describe it? It's beautiful even with one with a limited vocabulary as me!" both burst out into laughter at the sad truth of ill education, "Oh, but mind ye Hero. Should her Majesty ever send you go across the great seas and you venture to the Fourth Continent, listen for Their Song. To me they are the angels of the earth." and with that their conversation ended.
Link found his way to his room with no trouble at all. The room was small and rectangular, with a bed against one corner, and a table with a vase and washbowl set under the window. Everything simple but clean atleast. Navi flew to the window that was clouded over with mist of the rain. Her glow cast an eerie sense to the shadows until Link lit the lantern hanging from the wall.
"Shows how small we are sometimes." Navi murmered more to herself than her partner, "We think we're the only ones when in reality we're just the corner of the bigger picture."
"I thought metaphors was for the Sages." Link stretched as he sat on the hay stuffed mattress, "But that's a good one, Navi."
The fairy faced him, "You could be a little more fancy in your words sometimes. Atleast you'll sound as intelligent as you really are."
"Hey!" Link glared playfully, "I resent that." he followed Navi with his eyes as she fluttered down onto his hat he'd placed onto the table. The fairy didn't answer for once, instead burried herself under the faded green cloth to sleep. For a long moment all was silence except the muffled pitter patter made by the rain. Light flashed then a few seconds later the clap came loud and obnoxious. A mouse skittered along the edges of the door as it poked its wriggling nose in to see if there was a few crumbs to steal. When it saw the occupent awake it vanished with a squeek. Link suddenly felt cold despite the more or less warmth of the small room. It was a lonely cold though, as if he missed someone. But the Hero had no obligation to remember - or rather the ability - to remember past his Kokiri life.
His thoughts instead strayed to Gregory's story. He tried to imagine such beings of beauty and strength... it was hard he found with disapointment. Everything he'd faced that was supernatural had either been trying to kill him, or was one of the Sages or Great Fairies. I guess this is one of those things you'd have to see with your own eyes. Link smiled grimly to himself. The Hero opened the glass door of the oil lamp, a sharp breath inside plunging the room back into darkness.
Hope you'll enjoy this fic of mine! By the way there IS such a sword called a 'bastard sword'Don't ask me why they call it that they just do. But it was the closest thing in reality the Master Sword is. Review your opinions please!