"Tell me about yourself Kafei"
"Excuse me?"
Of all the things he expected the boy to say, personal questions weren't on the list. That said, Link was obviously no ordinary boy. His appearance alone could prove that. The sleek and slender golden sword that waited patiently for use in its scabbard and the ornate shield with the haunted face could make anyone look peculiar. And even beyond that, the odd clothing, a green tunic with a floppy cap of the same colour, the brown boots that were filthy, the earring on his left pointed ear, the dirty blond hair and the piercing blue eyes that said much more than ever came from the boys mouth.
And a good thing that the boy can speak without saying anything because he never said anything at all. Or at least he hadn't until now...
"I asked if you could tell me more about yourself"
"I- I honestly can't see how that would help in this situation"
The boy's blue eyes shifted from the road to him "I learned early that it never hurts to know who's got your back"
"And do you have my back?"
"I do"
A pause
"Well as you already know I grew up as the son of the mayor of Clocktown" Kafei began. "my Father intended, still intends, I should say, to have me as his successor when he retires, assuming of course that the town still wishes for our family to continue running the affairs."
Link nodded in understanding. One of the things he found interesting in Clocktown was the politics. The people chose who they wanted their leaders to be, very different from the monarchy he was used to in his homeland. All in all it seemed a very fair system but he wasn't sure if he wanted to exchange it for his princess.
"As such" he heard Kafei continue "I was brought up with a good education, I studied philosophy, ethics, economics and law. Anju's grandfather, may he rest in peace, was responsible for my education. That's how I met her you see."
A mature grin appeared on his face as he looked to the distance, probably recalling that memory as he spoke. "She... Would often try to make me blush by saying that I was the prince in her life..."
A pause
"What about you Link? Where are you from?"
The boy thought. He was actually thinking about his answer, Kafei expected the one-word answer from the semi mute boy, but surprises come in all shapes and sizes it seems.
"I come from a place known as Hyrule. It is a place that, in some ways, is very similar to Termina, namely its inhabitants. Gorons, Zoras, Dekus and Hylians living in one Kingdom. However, I have noticed many major differences."
'Really?" Kafei asked, genuinely surprised at the coherence of his sentences "and what would those be?"
The boy just looked at him: "Clocks"
"Seriously?"
"Indeed, in fact, technology in general is much more advanced here than in Hyrule, especially the devices that tell time, we do not have them at home. You can imagine my surprise and confused when I first encountered one. And to build them on such a large scale, the clock tower is a magnificent architectural feat. Actually the architecture in all of Termina is fantastic. Whether natural or man-made. From Snowhead mountain to the Stone Tower just further beyond that cliff. Whether comforting or dangerous, there is always something to admire in Termina for its diverse beauty."
A pause
"By the Giants, Link. You make Termina sound like a paradise."
"Oh I'm we'll aware of the dangers and the problems that Termina faces on a daily bases. And I can draw comparisons to Hyrule, the Blazing Beauty of Death Mountain and the Serene Serenade of the Waters of the Lake. Nature is, by its very nature, chaotic and that's beautiful."
...
"You should be a bard, Link"
At this the boy chuckled
"I met a bard once" Link said "well not 'once'. I met him several times and it turned out he wasn't a bard at all. I'm not sure what he was; a warrior? A messenger? A shadow?
I still can't forget those red eyes"
Link closed his eyes, remembering the man whom he had spoken off. "Either way, he could play the harp really well"
"We don't have many bards in Termina, well I don't know about the Dekus and the Gorons, and the Indigo-Go's are more of a band than a group of bards and of course Guru-Guru who I am well acquainted with thanks to his nightly visits to the laundry pool."
"Gorons have message based system of beating on drums to relay stories and feelings" Link explained "I've seen it demonstrated and even got to participate in one. The Dekus shrubs have a similar thing but with pipes. The Indigo-Go's are a great source of music. I've even met their lead guitarist, a good man. As for Guru-guru... I worry about him."
It was Kafei's turn to chuckle
"Tell me about Hyrule" he asked Link
"I can give you the Creation story if you'd like."
"That sounds interesting, please go on"
Link settled himself before pondering how to go about explaining a new religion to this man.
"There are many deities that are said to protect and inhabit Hyrule. The most omnipotent of which are the Golden Goddess who created Hyrule. They are Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru the Goddess of Wisdom and Farore the Goddess of Courage. Each had their part to play in the creation and each has a portion dedicated to them in our holy symbol. I remember reading references to a fourth Goddess but unfortunately I can't find any solid pieces of evidence.
Anyway, they are not the only ones who have a hand in our world. There are what we call; the sages. I... Can't really tell you much about them, I'm afraid. Information on who they might be is scarce and what information there is, is heavily guarded by the church. What I can tell you is that they guard the realm where these deities were said to originate. Deities such as Lord Jabu-Jabu or 'Jabun' for short; the God of Water, Volvagia; the God of Fire, The Desert Colossus; the Goddess of Sand and Spirit, the Great Deku Tree; God of the Forrest, Zephos and Cyclos; twin Gods of Wind, the Goddesses of Fortune also known as the Great Fairies and Bongo-Bongo; God of Shadow. Heh, 'Bongo-Bongo', stupid name, I know, but I don't know what else to call it.
And that's not even all of them; there are spirits that were born outside the Sacred Realm. These would be the light spirits. Unfortunately I only found a very brief chapter in a book about the very same subject were discussing. The chapter only mentioned their names and that three were in Hyrule and the fourth being located just outside Hyrule... I'm not sure why it's there... But there is no mention of them being divines of the Sacred Realm. Apparently their names are Eldin, Faron, Lanayru and Ordona."
And then there's... the Goddess of Time. I can't find any reference to her in any scroll, parchment, book or stone in any of the temples of Hyrule, but I know she exists, after all the oldest and possibly the purest of all the temples in Hyrule is the one dedicated to her. If I have time, I'll search for more information on her. But for now there are only theories, some say she is actually another name for one of the Golden Goddesses, perhaps Nayru or Farore. Others say that she might be the fourth Golden Goddess that remained in the mortal realm to watch over her sisters' creation. I don't know.
...
...
"That's... Wow, just...Wow" Said Kafei
His initial impression of the boy was completely wrong. He appears to be... well it's hard to tell what he appears to be, Link's appearance is strange.
"And all these gods created your world?"
"Not all of them, the three I mentioned first; the Golden Goddesses, are responsible for the world's creation. Din was the one who created the earth, it is said that she welded the plates that connect that land together with her flaming arms, she allowed the water to cool and gather next to the land, and she lifted the mountains so they could watch over the land. Nayru was the one who created the heavens, she set out to create the law that the world would live by. She put the sun and the moon on their course, told the objects that cannot fly that they should hit the ground and asked that asked the shadows that they remain out of sight of the light. Farore then poured life into this world, the created plants that they might drink in the sun, beasts that they might howl at the moon, birds that they might fly above the ground. And men... that they might dwell in the light and fear the shadows.
A pause
"Have you heard our creation story?"
Link looked up interested
"Not in detail"
Kafei settled himself just as Link had done
"From what I remember of the story, ages ago, the people of Termina lived in a single world, united and blessed by the four giants living among them. It was during this time that the giants befriended a small imp. However, there came a time when the Four Giants decided to guard and protect the people while dormant. With the world of Termina now split into four parts by the order of the Four Giants, each of the giants took one hundred steps towards their respective regions, telling their people that if trouble should befall them, they should call them in a loud voice declaring their predicament. This way, their pleads would carry to them, and the Four Giants would come to their aid.
However, the small imp, who had been friends with the giants even before they created the four worlds, became greatly afflicted with their decision and was woefully stricken by their departure. The imp misinterpreted the giants' actions, and, feeling neglected and lonely, he began to spread his anger and frustration throughout all of Termina. Devastated with misery due to the imp's malicious tricks, the people pleaded to the giants for their aid. Angered, the Four Giants, who were still the protectors of the people, ordered the imp to leave the four worlds and return to the heavens; otherwise, the imp would be destroyed by the might of the Giants. Frightened and surprised by his friends' reaction, the imp left the lands for the heavens, and peace and tranquillity returned to Termina."
"That imp" muttered Link
"I think it's time to change the subject" Kafei thought
"So tell me Link, do you have family back in Hyrule? One as young as yourself, don't you have parents? Wouldn't they be worried about you?"
"I think they would. But, I'm an orphan you see"
"My condolences"
"It's alright. Both my parents lost their lives in a civil war that raged in Hyrule. My father who was a knight in the king's army was called to fight and mother, who just managed to escape when the opposition took their castle, gave me up to an old man who fathered many children. That man raised me as one of his own; it was during his final moments in life that he informed me that I wasn't his son"
"And after that you went in search of your real parents?"
"I wish, no, as a last request, the old man who was dying of sickness asked me to deliver something to someone and so off I went, I was 9 years old and I went into the world"
"That seems an incredibly young age to leave home"
"Oh, you think I went alone? No, the old man sent someone with me, the most faithful friend I could ever have asked for... the same friend of whom I am searching for. That search lead me to Termina, and here I am"
...
"Your father was a knight?"
"Indeed"
"Your nobility?"
"Now that you say it, yes. I am. A lord over one of the greatest estates in Hyrule."
"What's it called?"
"It's very difficult to manage" Link said more to himself than to Kafei
...
"You are a very strange person, you know that Link"
"It has been mentioned on occasion, yes. Why?"
Link already knew the answer, but he wanted to see how close Kafei could get to it.
"well for one your behaviour, you look like a child and yet you act like a man, your foreign and I don't know your customs and it might be normal for one as young as yourself to behave like an adult but here it is strange. The way you walk, the way you talk, when you talk, you could be as old as me."
Link chuckled again. It was at this point that Kafei was reminded that despite the fact that he retained his grown up voice, his grown up strength and his grown up thoughts he was, by all appearances, a child.
"I mean you look so young to be doing something like this"
"I could say the exact same of you, Kafei"
"Hehe, yes well appearances as far as similarities go I'm afraid. I am an actual adult" he grimaced and turned away from Link.
Link saw his chain of thought. "I know what it feels like, Kafei"
"What do you mean? How do you know how I feel?"
"I too know what it's like to look like one thing and to be another"
"Not like me you don't"
"You're too rational"
"Excuse me"
"In a world where an adult can turn into a child, don't you think that something similar could happen to someone else?
...
"Who are you, Link?"
...
"A bard"
...
"We are very similar, Kafei, too similar in fact."
"How old are you?"
That's difficult to say"
"Why?"
"Because the estate I manage is very complicated"
"What is this estate?"
...
"...Time"
...
"How old are you?"
"I'm too old to be this young. That's for damn sure. The honest answer being? 'I don't know'. I don't know how old I am"
"How long have you existed?"
"In this incarnation? No more than a few years. I am still a child, whether I like it or not. Still, when I grow up it won't matter. Collectively, however, I've been around since the beginning. And I'll exist for as long as I'm needed.
"And so that's how you know all these things, because you've lived through them."
"Not exactly"
"How exactly then?"
"Knowledge and memory is not carried over. But who I am, what makes me 'me'. That is what I retain. So all these things I know, I have to learn them again."
...
"The old man that raised me was the Great Deku Tree. Volvagia was my pet for a time. Bongo-Bongo just wouldn't stay silent. Zephos and Cyclos were never in one place for me to track down. The Great Fairies are far too lewd. And... Jabu-Jabu ate me. Literally, I gave him a fish and he ate me."
Kafei chuckled
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I know what it feels like to be older than you actually are. Maybe that's why I want to help you, maybe that's why I feel like I can talk to you."
...
"Kafei?"
"Yeah?"
"He's coming"
Both men ducked beneath the rocks that would guard them from Sakon's line of sight
A small ball of light with wings started to fly around Link's head before whispering something in his ear and disappearing into his hat