0 - Prologue
In the courtyard of a magnificent castle, I sat there with you. We were only children, but you radiated such luminous energy that even though the grass we sat on was so immaculately trimmed, the marble walls of the castle so elegant, all I could look at was you. The pink cowl you wore hid your lustrous blonde hair - only a shade darker than my own - and framed your round blue eyes, the royal pink gown you wore only accentuating your beauty. I was just a boy - an orphan, raised in the forest. Yet you accepted my company, welcomed it, even. I could never forget the feeling of your hand clasped within mine.
In a blink an eye, you were gone. The warmth of the sun replaced by the cold, relentless winds of a thunderstorm. The castle had become a prison - your prison. I stood at the base of it; in seven years I hadn't seen you, but my body willed itself into traversing the perilous floors of the nightmare that had become your home. I was older and stronger, but hell only awaited for me at the top.
Then, there was the sea, vast and unending. The gentle salt-tipped breeze of the ocean tickled my nostrils. On our massive ship, you seemed different. Headstrong and brash, but brave. Not even the mightiest typhoon nor the tallest wave would collapse your spirit, and I was proud to sail with you until the end. Our destination was not for the faint hearted - would we even survive when we got there? It didn't matter, because you went headfirst into that adventure, with me alongside you the whole way.
I closed my eyes, and awoke, once again in a castle. Magnificent yes, but something was different about it this time. As my footsteps echoed throughout the deserted cobblestone hallways, I would glance out the windows, seeing nothing but a haze of orange twilight. There was nobody here. Nobody except for you, waiting in a room at the end of that long hallway. You sat alone, a cloak over your figure, solemnly staring out the window as I had earlier. You had nobody, alone in this dark castle with no escape. You shifted, ever so slightly, to look at my figure in the doorway. Your cerulean eyes - before so passionate and full of life - were cold, hard, and calculating. I reached out to you, but you, and the room were in, began to disintegrate into black dust.
I woke up to you calling my name. So early in the morning, yet you would never let me oversleep if it was the last thing I did. You would let yourself into my house and drag me out of bed, making sure I got to class on time. There in our home among the clouds, for the longest time I had taken our peaceful lives together for granted, until it had begun. You were gone again, taken away. What was I to do but chase after you with all the strength I had?
But then we were together again. Although you were a little more stubborn than you've been. We've grown up together, but you always did have trouble trusting me. I followed you like a puppy, not because I wanted to, but because it was my duty. You always carried this flower around, white and blue petals that matched that royal blue top you were required to wear. The flower was named after silence, but it was me who never got to say anything to you before it was too late.
This dream… I can't remember how many times I've seen it. I know what you look like... But I don't even know your name. We are always battling together, you and I, for a unified purpose, something that only we can do. I feel like I know you so well, but I don't even know who you are. Do you know me? Do you have these dreams too?
Who are you?
1 - Peaceful Days
It was a beautiful autumn morning in the village of Ordon. It was small, modest village of a five hundred or so, hidden among the golden expanses of wheat and straw of the Ordonian prairie. Small as it was, Ordon Village was famous across the realm for their agriculture, namely their wheat and pumpkins, as well as for their goats and milk. The village was something of an oasis amongst the wheat fields, as it was situated next to a large and gentle river that flowed the entire length of the province and beyond, with the addition of a large lake merely a stone's throw away from the village.
The townsfolk were already well into their day, many of the villagers up since the crack of dawn. The farmers had begun their work, the spacious ranch already had their goats grazing on the pasture, and the clattering of footsteps on the cobblestones of the town square echoed between the streets. The village's lone church rang it's bell, signifying the true beginning of the day.
A young woman raced through the streets; her short, dark blonde hair flowed behind her as she dodged the various townsfolk going about their day.
"Ilia, be careful!" A middle-aged man holding a large ceramic vase called out as the girl nearly bumped into him.
"Sorry, mister!" She said over her shoulder as she continued running. She wore a simple white dress that cut just above her knees along with a simple pair of leather strap sandals. Ilia, as she was known, was the only daughter of village mayor. On tail end of her teens, she was beloved by many townsfolk for her warm and bubbly personality, and was good looking to boot.
Up a set of stairs she went, towards a small house at the top. Ilia greeted the villagers that she passed by on the way there, the folk of the neighbourhood quite accustomed to seeing her race up the stairs every morning.
She skipped towards the front door of the house and eagerly knocked, awaiting a response. In less than five seconds, she pushed the door open, shaking her head. "Never locks his door…" she muttered, letting herself into the home.
Small, cozy, and lightly furnished, there were only three rooms: a living space with a kitchen, a bedroom, and the bathroom. The bedroom's door was half ajar, and she peeked inside. The curtains on the window inside were shut, so it was rather dim. A young man was sprawled across his bed, covers half lying on the floor. A sheathed sword was propped up against the bedpost.
Ilia took the time to gaze at his sleeping form; it wasn't the most flattering of positions, but the young man was easy on the eyes. He had dark blonde hair, a bit like hers, but it was spiky and messy, never wanting to agree on which way to go. His eyes were sharp, yet gentle, deep cerulean hidden underneath his currently closed eyelids. The most peculiar of his features were his ears - long and pointed, a hallmark of a race of people originating from the nation bordering the Ordona province: Hyrule. At the lobes of his ears were small, light blue earrings.
She walked over to the bedside and began shaking him awake, "Hey, get up."
The young man stirred, before rolling over to face away from her, pulling the covers around him, "Five more minutes…" He mumbled, almost incomprehensible.
"The bell already went off! Come on!" Ilia began shaking his body harder. When it became evident he was not going to rise, she rolled her eyes and threw the curtains open, sunlight blasting into the room. She then took a hold of his blanket with both hands and ripped it off his body, "Link, GET UP NOW!" The force of her pulling the blanket tossed the young man onto the floor, his head colliding with the wood.
A painful groan was heard as he pulled himself up, "The heck was that for?!"
"I am not your servant! You should know how to get yourself up in the morning." She sighed, shaking her head. Ilia began placing the blanket neatly on the bed as Link was gathering his bearings. "Fado already has the goats on the ranch. He needs you there first thing in the morning!"
"Alright, alright, I got it. Just stop yelling." He began stumbling around his room, throwing his pajamas off himself as he looked for a change of clothes, "I'll head over there right now."
"Ugh, can you not change in front of a lady like that?" Ilia remarked, covering her eyes as she began exiting the room.
"Well that's what happens when you waltz into my room like that." He replied, slipping on a pair of light brown trousers. A thick, off-white tunic went over top, and underneath his belt was a wide blue sash. Before stepping out of the room, he grabbed the sword in its sheath and swung it over his shoulder and onto his back. His trusty brown boots awaited for him right next to the door.
Ilia waited for him outside, "You know, I'm getting real tired of having to babysit you every morning."
"You don't have to come by every morning." He remarked, making his way down the long staircase alongside her.
"Well if I don't, then you'll be sleeping in until noon! Fado's real generous letting you work at the ranch." She sighed once again, "You're lucky no one else in town rides as well as you."
"Hey, it took a lot of practice to get that good." Link replied, indignant.
"Epona does all the hard work, having to carry your lazy bum all the time!"
The young man laughed, "That I agree with. She's a fine horse isn't she?"
Ilia crossed her arms, "She is. I've been taking care of her since she was a pony - you better make sure you aren't overworking her, you hear?!"
"I got it, I got it, no sweat. You know she's in good hands."
They made their way through the town, greeting the townsfolk as they walked through the streets. Link, the only son of the town's late blacksmith, was the resident ranch hand at the Ordon village goat ranch. His father had passed away when he was still young, and even then, the man was not Link's real father. Although Ordona was so close to Hyrule, it was very rare to have any Hylians that lived in the province. Link was the only such Hylian in the entire village. His father had found Link as an orphaned infant during a trip to Hyrule's capital, and as he had no wife or children of his own, his father decided to take Link back to Ordona. Little is known about his origin, other than that his name was Link. Truly peculiar, but all he could remember was this small village.
His father was a gentle soul, and was tasked with making most of the tools that villagers needed. The sword that Link carried on his back was one of two weapons his father had ever made. As he was quite young when his father passed away, he only knew about his father from stories the townsfolk had told him. He was apparently a master blacksmith, but refused to create weaponry. They say the other sword he had made was a gift to the Hylian royalty, and it was on that same trip that he had found Link. Regardless, the village deemed that it would be financially acceptable to just import any tools they needed, so they were currently without a town blacksmith.
"Why do you always carry that thing with you, anyway?" Ilia inquired, pointing to the sword on his back.
"Well, it's the only thing my dad left for me," Link replied, shrugging, "I might as well learn how to use it, right?"
"Do you practice with it everyday?"
"Sure do, every evening after the ranch closes down." He began stretching his arms, "I got Fado to help me set up some dummies in the field to swing on. Would be pretty cool to have a swordsman in the village, right?"
Ilia giggled, "Right. But it's not like we ever get any fiends around here. You're better off using that thing to scare crows from the pumpkin fields!"
"True. I'd be the coolest scarecrow ever, huh?" Link did a mock macho pose as they began approaching the ranch in the outskirts of town, to which Ilia couldn't help but laugh.
Indeed, Ordona was a peaceful little province. Very rarely were there fiends, and even rarely were there vagrants. The most they had to deal with were wolves or bears that trickled in from the forests near the border, but they were easily chased off by pitchforks and slingshots.
Ilia followed him through the gates of the ranch, which had a large set of Ordonian goat horns adorning the top. These large goats that were dispersed throughout the vastness of the field were about the size of cattle, and had peculiar horns that joined together in the shape of an O. They were hardy, strong, and a bit stubborn, but generally very docile. The ranch was responsible for most of the village's famous goat milk and cheese that they took great pride in. The stables were also home to a few horses, one if them being Epona, who was Link's main partner for his ranch duties.
"Ah, Link, there ya are!" Called out Fado, who was tending to the horses at the stable. "I was about to die of old age waitin' fer ya to show up."
Fado was, along with his wife, the proprietor of the ranch. He was a built, middle-aged man with a gruff voice. Despite his intimidating appearance, he had a reputation among the townsfolk as being very kind, albeit with a dry sense of humour.
"Sorry, gramps," Link replied, scratching the back of his head, "I guess I slept through the morning bell."
"Ah, save it. When do ya ever not sleep through the bell?" He swung open Epona's gate and with a handful of hay for her to munch on, began getting her saddle set. Link immediately slid over to help, propping his sword onto one of the walls of Epona's stable. "Sorry for makin' ya always go and get him, Ilia. I know ya only come by to see Epona."
Ilia, who had joined them in spoiling the horse, giggled, "It's okay. Someone has to get him in line, right?"
"Hey, you said you were getting tired of it." Link remarked, grunting as he made sure the saddle was secure.
"Even a parent gets tired of having to deal with their kids sometimes." Ilia chided.
Fado gave a barking laugh, "Bwahaha! That may be, but it don't mean ya gotta say it like that!"
Epona, a young mare, was a beautiful thoroughbred. She had a deep chestnut coat, with splashes of white around her hooves. Her mane and tail were both a shimmering white as well. She was the finest horse that the ranch had stabled - strong, reliable, and remarkably fast - but she had a quick temperament and was notorious for refusing to accept any rider that wasn't Link or Ilia. While Epona more or less belonged to Link, she was technically Ilia's, as Fado had given it to her as a gift when it was just a pony. She rarely rode it however, being afraid of the height, and was more than content with just tending to it.
When they were all done spoiling Epona, they guided her out to the field, where Link would go and do their daily warm ups around the ranch together. Ilia would sit near the farmhouse and watch for a bit, before eventually returning back to town to help her father with errands.
During midday, Link would help out with all the farm duties, which included cleaning the stables, milking the goats, and repairing any of the fences. Hard work it was, but honest too; all the manual labour kept Link in great shape, so he wasn't complaining. Fado often sent him home with extra milk or cheese on top of his payment, so he never really worried about going hungry.
As he was orphaned for most of his adolescence, Fado had become something of an uncle. They never confided each other in personal issues or anything of the sort, but the man often took it upon himself to at least watch the boy's well being. After the day's work, he would set up fences in the field for Link and Epona to practice jumping over, and he'd even helped Link make the straw dummies that he'd slash at during dusk. Link was truly grateful for everything Fado had done for him, even if they never showed it to each other.
"Link! Round up the goats, will ya?" Fado called out from the barn, as Link was in the stable scooping up a steaming pile of horse manure. With a grunt he tossed the poop into a wheelbarrow and impaled his pitchfork into the dirt, resting a hand on it before wiping the sweat on his forehead with the other.
He looked up at the sky - the sun was on it's way down. "Sure thing, gramps." Epona was grazing on the field with the other horses. He did a quick whistle and she immediately began walking towards him. "The days sure pass quick when you're busy, huh girl?" He said, giving her an affectionate rub on the neck. She responded with a small whinny. Swiftly, he got up on her saddle and took the reins.
Herding the goats back into the barn was probably the most fun Link could have at work. He and Epona could let loose and just chase the goats around, giving Epona some well needed exercise and Link some well needed exertion.
After about thirty minute or so, all the goats were inside the barn and accounted for.
"Good work kid." Fado said, locking up the barn for the day. "You want me to get the fences set up today?"
Link, still mounted, shook his head, "Nah, I think we're good. We'll do a few rounds of the field before calling it."
"Suit yerself, kid. Just lemme know when you guys are done messin' around." The man retreated to the front steps of the farm house, sparking his pipe as he watched the two practice.
The young man was undoubtedly the best rider in the village. While it was true he had the most practice working on the farm all day, Fado had mentioned offhandedly to Ilia that he had never seen somebody pick up the skill so naturally. Link and Epona were incredibly synced, almost as if they were made for each other.
It wasn't long before the sun had begun to set, so Link decided to get Epona back in her stable. For some reason he felt quite keen on getting to work on the straw dummies near the ranch gate that day, and he made haste getting everything locked up.
He never had anybody teach him how to properly swing a sword. For all he knew, all the strikes and swings he would practice everyday were probably wrong. But when he pulled out that sword from its sheath, the metal ringing ever so faintly, his instincts took over. There were times where it felt like he had done this countless times before. It felt very natural, and not once did he ever feel lost. Maybe it was his father guiding his movements from where he was in the sky.
The sword itself wasn't the most spectacular looking weapon. It was plain; double edged and broad, with a thin fuller running almost the entire length of the light colored steel. The hilt and cross guard were both simple, just a darker steel color. The grip was sturdy, wrapped with a navy fabric, and the pommel was equally as unassuming. However, the sword was perfectly balanced, the edges very sharp. It took minimal effort to be able to swing the weapon, owing to both its lighter weight and balance. In all, it seemed to be designed for easy use and maximal durability.
Overhead swing, wide slash, stab. Parry, riposte. Link would run through the motions his body told him to. He spun around, giving the dummy a vicious spinning strike, before doing a back step and lunging forward with a jump slash. The dummy probably wasn't going to last very long with the amount of abuse he gave it, but it was simple work to get it repaired.
"Wow, so cool!" He heard a voice call from down the road. Ilia was walking up, a basket of groceries in her hand.
Link wiped the sweat from his brow and waved at her, "Back already?"
"Already? It's been the whole day!" She replied, laughing. She fished into her basket and pulled out a small sandwich, "Hungry?"
The young man immediately sheathed his sword and walked over, "You are a godsend."
"Well I noticed you didn't have too much food in the pantry back home. Can't have you dying of starvation." Ilia laughed, "Fado would have to find someone else to run into the ground and I don't think anyone is masochistic enough to be up to that task."
Link grinned as he took a bite of the sandwich, "You mean you'd get lonely without me."
She scoffed, "Oh please. I've got plenty of friends in the village. Unlike you, ya hermit."
"Yeah, I never was really good at meeting people, huh?"
"Uh-huh. A lot of the girls think you're really cute." Ilia pointed out.
"Unsurprising. I am quite the catch." Link replied, nodding sagely as he crossed his arms.
"A dork is more like it," She laughed. "We are of that age though. Father's been pushing me to find a husband for ages."
Link leaned against the fence next to her, "And? Why don't you?"
She hummed, "I dunno. Doesn't feel like there's anybody here for me."
"You're busy too, right? Helping your pops?"
"Yeah. Learning how to manage people and all that political crap." Ilia sighed, "Since I'm his only daughter he's been fully expecting me to succeed him when he retires."
"Quite the shadow you're under." He remarked.
"What about you? Just gonna work the ranch your whole life?" She asked, leaning back on the fence and gazing at the sky.
The sky was a brilliant orange, with swaths of purple underneath the scattered clouds. The sun was slowly making its way beneath the horizon.
Link paused for a bit, before humming, "I've been having these weird dreams lately."
Ilia looked over to him, "What kind of dreams?"
"It's so strange," He began moving his hands animatedly to articulate himself, "This person is always in them, a woman. She looks a little different every time, but for some reason I know it's always her."
"Ugh, one of these dreams?" She said, doing a joke cringe.
"Hear me out. There's always some kind of disaster, some kind of evil, and the situations are always different, but she and I are always there to fight against it." He shook his head, "I don't understand. Lately, it's all I've been able to dream about at night."
"Maybe it's some kind premonition." Ilia offered. She took a second to gaze at him, who was looking at the sky with the sandwich in his hand. His left hand, the one holding the sandwich, had a very faint birthmark on it, right underneath his knuckles. It was hard to make out, but it was strange and triangular. She always remembered him having it, but it seemed to be a little more prominent than it had been before.
"Could be." He paused once again, deep in thought. "I was thinking I might go to Hyrule. To the capital."
Ilia seemed taken aback by this, "Seriously?"
"Yeah. Maybe become a knight or something. Or not. I dunno." Link shook his head, "I can't help but feel like there's something I need to do there."
The young woman could help but furrow her brow, "That's quite the trip you'd be making."
"I wasn't thinking of going right away." He popped the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, "I just thought I'd see what my homeland was like."
"I see. But I guess that does sound exciting!" She put a finger to her chin, "Now that you mention it, you are the only Hylian in the village."
"Well, that isn't really a big deal to me," Link shrugged before making for the gate, "It's not like I don't enjoy the village. Everyone here is great, the weather is great, the food is great, and me, you, and Epona get to mess around everyday. What's not to like?"
Ilia followed him, putting her hands behind her back, "But…?"
He grinned. She knew him too well. "But, like I said. There's something waiting for me out there. I can feel it."
She laughed once again, "Right, right. Just make sure you don't forget about us if you ever decide to go play hero."
"You'll be the first one I mention in my hero speech." Link said, winking.
"The heck's a hero speech? That isn't a real thing!"
They continued their excited banter down the road and all the way home. At the day's end like this, it was always just the two of them. Ilia's father used to mention that the two of them were inseparable as children, and evidently it seemed to stay that way. Until today, it seemed that they would spend their whole lives in that village, basking in the sun, living in that gentle pace. Link never told her about the dreams that he had, and it came as a shock to her that he was contemplating leaving - even if she didn't show it.
She had to admit, it made a lot of sense. Other than herself, her father, and those at the ranch, Link didn't really have anything tying him down in Ordona. She watched his face and his body language as they conversed the way they usually did. He was always cheery and upbeat - that didn't change. But there was definitely something different about him, even if it was very minute. What were those dreams like, she wondered? So vivid and powerful that they would whisk him away from her like that.
Maybe she took their time together for granted. It was only normal, after knowing each other for basically their whole lives. When he dropped her off at her house and they exchanged their goodbyes, she decided, for the better, to just keep enjoying his company like usual.
After all, it wasn't like he was gone already, right?
"Link…"
I stand alone in the middle of a dark forest. Trees were all around me, but I could see nothing beyond them. Her voice keeps calling to me, but I am unable to figure out what direction it's coming from.
Aimlessly, I begin running, and her voice keep getting louder. Where are you? Over roots, vines, and grass, I press onward through the forest. The only sounds are her disembodied voice and the crunching of leaves beneath my feet.
Finally, after what seems like eternity, I see a light. A way out of the forest! Full speed ahead, i charge towards the glow…
Only to step onto a battlefield. The sky is blood red. Around me are innumerable soldiers in the heat of war, doing their best to repel a disgusting horde of monsters. Orcs, moblins, bokoblins, the whole lot. Clashes of metal fill the air, along with the guttural roars of both man and beast. Looking down, I see that I too am a soldier. Silver armor, a longsword in one hand and a metal buckler in the other. Far in the red horizon, I can see the outline of a massive castle, almost as tall as the mountains. This is my duty, is what it feels like.
An orc has finally taken notice of me standing motionless in the sea of battle and death. Stepping over a body he begins approaching me, steam coming from his nose. He is two heads taller than I, skin a pale green, various tribal tattoos adorning the parts of his body that weren't covered in armor. He pats his greataxe as he continues to swagger towards me.
He breaks into a sprint, lunging at me. With a mighty swing, the orc attempts to cleave my skull in half - to no avail. I step out of the way, running my sword along his axe as I deflect the attack. There's a metallic screech and some sparks, and in a split second, I swing upwards, leaving a deep gash along the beast's shoulder.
He's angry now. He takes a wide, uncontrolled swing. This one is deflected off my shield. Not today! I drive my sword into the orc's chest, yelling as loud as I can. Blood pours from the wound as I impale him. He roars, using one of his massive hands to throw me off of him. I tumble to the ground, looking up just in time to see the results of my handiwork. He's on his knees now, clutching the grip of the sword that was protruding out of his back.
Scrambling to my feet, I mercilessly pull my sword out of his chest.
"Finish… the job… human…" He utters with his dying breath.
Heeding his last request, I nod, bringing raising my sword to put him out of his misery.
I blink, and the orc is suddenly replaced by Fado. The same wound, the same amount of blood.
"F-Fado!" I choke out, kneeling down. Did I do this?
"H-help the others…! Ya fool!" He wheezes.
My eyes widen as I look around me. We're in the village, in the middle of the square. The sky is still blood red. The bodies of dead soldiers have been replaced with the bodies of the villagers, some of them that I know. The buildings are on fire, in between them are orcs and moblins running amok, slaughtering anybody trying to escape.
"Ilia…!" I can't help but cry. I leave Fado to his inevitable death, dashing through the streets towards her house.
A bokoblin tries to get in my way. He tries a bumbling swing with his club, and it was easily parried by my sword. In a flash,off is the arm holding the weapon, blood spraying in the air. I don't have time for this. I push the creature out of the way as it begins to cry at the loss of its limb.
I continue my way down the street; Ilia's house should be right around the corner! I turn the corner, only for my heart to completely drop. It is set ablaze. On the doorstep are two bodies - Ilia's and her father's.
I slowly walk towards them and drop to my knees. Ilia's gentle face was covered in blood, her silk blonde hair matted like it'd been splashed with red paint.
"Link." Calls a voice from behind me, the same one from the forest.
I turn around to see a figure standing in the middle of the street. I can barely see her face, but I know who it is.
"You again."
From where she is standing, she nods.
"Why do you keep doing this to me?" I can't help but ask.
"War approaches." She warns. It is a simple, yet ominous message.
"War? With who?"
"The dark one. It's only a matter of time."
"Until when? How much time?!"
"You can save them. Save us."
I quickly tire of these cryptic messages, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
She stops for a second, the sounds of distant battle being the only thing I can hear.
Then, she laughs. It is a pure, gentle laugh.
"You will know eventually… Hero."
It was the end of another long day at the ranch. It was already dark, the dummies Link struck only lit up by the lanterns that faintly illuminated the road. Beads of sweat ran down his face as he continued to fiercely go through the motions.
For two weeks, he would have these recurring dreams. Day after day they would only get more terrifying, more violent. He would see his loved ones get slain among others whose faces he did not know, but stayed vivid in his memory. That woman kept calling to him.
Ilia did not know it, but he'd made up his mind. He needed to go to Hyrule, lest he live with these nightmares. The birthmark on his hand, that peculiar triangular birthmark, had grown more and more prominent each passing day. At this point it looked almost like a tattoo. Almost.
With a grunt, he gave one last heave, cleaving the dummy he was striking clean in half. It flopped unceremoniously onto the grass, straw spilling into the air and onto the ground. Another bead of sweat dripped off his chin as he panted for air. What am I doing, even… He thought to himself, leaning against the fence as he fished for his water sack. Taking a greedy gulp, Link looked up at the stars beginning to form in the sky.
"What's got you all worked up?" Came a voice from a bit further down the road. Ilia was making her way towards the gate, evidently finished her errands for the day. As usual, she had a basket in hand.
"Ilia," Link greeted, wiping some sweat off his face, "Long day for you, huh?"
"Dad's been drilling into me these days," She sighed, reaching into the basket. This time, she pulled out a wedge of cheese, handing it to the young man. He took it gratefully, immediately biting off a chunk. She took a second to observe the mutilated straw dummy on the grass, "What did that guy do to deserve this?"
Link chuckled, "Sacrifices needed to be made."
"Clearly. Don't work yourself too hard or you might sprain something." She chided.
"Well if that were too happen I'd just get you to take care of me, right?"
Ilia laughed, "Sure, but don't go using that as an excuse to hurt yourself."
Link motioned for them to start heading down the road, and she followed suit.
Tomorrow, they both had the day off from their chores and duties. Ilia suggested that they do something different and go fishing at the lake. Link happily accepted of course, very much the fisherman. He wondered if that would be the best time to tell her he was going to leave, though. He had mentioned it to Fado - didn't give a concrete date or anything, but he knew where Link's sentiments laid. Of course Ilia knew too, but until today it had been just a maybe.
He thought about what the journey was gonna be like. How long would it take to get to the capital? It was far, far away. Would Ilia let him take Epona? What if the village got attacked while he was gone? These thoughts were all on his mind as they walked down the road together.
"Father said he'd lend me his rod for tomorrow," She said.
"Ah, that's right. You don't go very often, huh." Link winked at her, "Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes."
"How about we bet who can get the bigger catch?" Ilia suggested, a sly smile growing on her lips.
"And what would we bet for?"
The young girl hummed, before smirking again, "How about the loser has to buy the winner anything they want at the tavern?"
Link's face lit up, "Oh-ho! Now we're talking! You know how much I can eat. You sure that's a smart bet?"
"I think I'll surprise you," she said, "I'm a quick learner."
He crossed his arms, "That may be, but I have to live off the fish I catch sometimes. I'd be prepared to lose, if I were you."
"We'll just have to see about that tomorrow!"
Ilia's confidence never waned as they continued into the town. During the evening, when mostly everybody was done their work for the day, the square was bustling with townsfolk. There were a couple of taverns in town, and they were quite busy at this time of the night. Ordon was very close to one of the main roads that ran through the province, so they had their fair share of travelers and merchant wagons that passed through as well.
It was unfortunate, but the two of them lived on opposite sides of the town. It wasn't long before they parted ways and Link was all back to his lonesome. He used this time to admire the town's peaceful scenery. There were travelling merchants around the square peddling their wares, drunk townsfolk conversing merrily, and children running through the streets.
His head throbbed and, for a second, the view he saw was replaced by one from his dreams - a scene of fire, panic, and death. He clutched his forehead, shaking off the thought. The answers to the questions laid in his dreams was in Hyrule.
Link was sure of it.
Ilia couldn't help but rest her chin on her palm as she waited for her rod to get a nibble. The two of them were sitting in a rowboat in the middle of the large lake that was down the road from Ordon. It was another beautiful day, the sun glistening off the calm waters. Every so often, a splash would be heard as a trout broke the surface to do a merry jump.
"This is actually so boring." She said, hanging her head in defeat, "We haven't gotten a bite in almost half an hour! Maybe we should've done something else..."
Link hummed and looked over to the pail they had on deck with them. Empty. He closed his eyes and nodded, "There is nothing more relaxing than testing your patience with a rod in hand."
Ilia rolled her eyes, "I thought this lake was full of fish! What happened to being a master fisherman?!"
Her partner put a finger to her lips, "You'll scare the fish. They can sense impatience." She slapped his hand away and pouted. Link adjusted his posture on the boat and began reeling in his line. "Let's try this…"
He looked across the surface of the water and squinted. After a moment, he nodded, and pointed down shore, "You see that part of the lake where all the fish are at?"
Quizzically, Ilia also squinted and looked in the direction of his finger. The lake's water was very pure, pure enough that they could see several feet beneath the surface. Sure enough, a small school of fish were circling around in that corner of the lake. "Yeah, I see them!"
"Okay, let's try recasting the line over there." He helped Ilia get a good grip on her rod, "One… Two... !"
Together, they whipped the line across the lake. It traveled a nice distance before plopping on the surface a few feet away from the school of fish. Link gave her a thumbs up, before going ahead and casting his own line in in the same area. "Okay, now what?" she asked, holding onto her rod.
"Now, try reeling the line just a little bit. Like this." Link gave the reel a small nudge, enough to make the lure bounce underneath the surface, "You see those tiny little ripples the lure made?"
Ilia tried it herself, getting the same result, "Uh-huh."
"Well, if the lure moves around like that, the fish can get fooled into thinking it's alive," He did it a couple more times, and Ilia could see the lure jiggling around in the water, "That'll make them want to bite on it! Well, that's how the theory goes anyway."
She began doing it a few times, just like he said, furrowing her brow in concentration. Within seconds, she felt a heavy tug on her rod, "I-I think I got a bite!" She cried out in excitement.
"Nice! Now start reeling it - don't do it too hard though, or else the line might snap!"
Ilia leaned back, pulling on her rod as she madly cycled the handle on the fishing reel, "C'mon ya stupid fish! Make Link pay for dinner!"
Link couldn't help but sweatdrop and twitch an eye, "Didn't I just say not to reel it in too hard...?"
It seemed that she was either having trouble with the line or that her bite was quite large. Link didn't recall many large fish in the lake, but the river did run through it so maybe some new fish got washed in from upstream. Ilia growled and stood up suddenly, stomping her foot on the side of the boat for support. The small rowboat rocked violently, causing Link to nearly stumble out of his seat.
With a final heave, her line exploded out of the water, a humongous Hylian Pike (accompanied with a dramatic spray of sparkling water) was attached to the end of it.
"A pike!" Link exclaimed, not believing his eyes. When Ilia managed to reel the fish to their boat, they both couldn't help but marvel at the size of it. It was long enough that from the top of Ilia's head, it's tail was just above her knees. Every time it squirmed it would give the pair a little spray of lake water. "Never thought I'd see a pike in our lake here! What a catch!"
Ilia laughed as she gushed over the fish, "It's so big! Hahaha!" She glanced over at Link, "Looks like you're buying dinner!"
He was utterly defeated. "I shouldn't have given you those pointers after all," He said, hanging his head.
In the end, under Link's advice, she tossed the rare catch back into the water. They had fished for another hour, but Link was unable to catch any fish even remotely close to the size of the pike. It was okay; the small row back to shore gave him enough time to come to terms with his wallet getting emptied out.
After making sure the boat was tied securely to the small dock, Link scooped up both of their rods and helped Ilia onto the platform. She was grinning ear to ear, and it warmed his heart to see her enjoying herself. Before heading back to the square to eat, they first needed to put away the fishing gear.
"That was fun, right?" Link asked, nudging her on the side.
"Mmhmm! Although I don't think I'm cut out to be a fisherman, if I can be honest." She replied, scratching her head, "I did tell you I pick things up quick, though!"
"I would appreciate it if you attributed some of that success to my teaching, thank you very much." He huffed, joking.
"Sure, sure. You're the best teacher a girl could ask for!" Ilia cooed, clearly insincere.
"Ah, whatever." Link pouted, eliciting a laugh from her.
After dropping off Link's rod back at his place, it took some time before they were at Ilia's. Her house was much larger than his, that was for sure. Of course, it helped that it also belonged to the mayor.
"Ah, how was the fishing trip, you two?" The mayor, Bo, greeted as the pair walked into the house. He was a heavy set man with eyes that seemed to be permanently closed, with a peculiar pencil moustache above his lips. The house itself was exceedingly spacious, with many hunting trophies from Bo's glory days on the wall. Pictures of him as a youngin', back when he used to wrestle with the Goron in Hyrule accompanied them, along with photos of a young Ilia.
"It went great, dad! I caught a pike! It was thiiiis big!" She said excitedly, stretching her hands out in an exaggerated motion.
Link handed the rod to Bo, shaking his head, "She beat me fair and square. I dunno what else to tell ya."
The old man gave a big laugh, "Bahaha! Ilia's always full of surprises ain't she?" He put a finger to his chin, "Although I don't recall there ever bein' any pike in that lake…" He leaned over to whisper in Link's ear, "You sure she ain't lyin'?"
"Dad! I can hear you!"
Bo gave another great big laugh at his daughter's expense. His carefree and relaxed attitude was what made the villagers so fond of him. When Link was young, Bo often took care of him when Link's father was busy manning the anvil. He would always be grateful to him for that.
After loitering around the house for ten minutes or so, Bo shooed the two of them out, "C'mon! It's your day off, go outside and have fun!"
Ilia decided that they go to one of the taverns for food and wine. While she wasn't a particularly big drinker, she figured that it was a good a day as any for a little celebration, and Link couldn't help but agree.
Although it was only the late afternoon, the tavern was filled with townsfolk dining and drinking. There was excited chatter from all corners of the establishment, Ilia and Link greeting some of the people as they went to procure a table. It wasn't that rare for them to go out and eat like this, but they were usually so drained during that the week that they often just ate at home.
A waitress came by to their table and set down a couple mugs of water, "Hey you two! Finally got some free time, I see!"
Ilia giggled, "We thought it'd be nice to change things up today."
The waitress nodded, "Well don't hold back. We've got a lot of new stuff on the menu this week. Take a look!" She set down a pair of menus on the table.
Ilia ended up order a huge platter of meats, cheeses, and breads. There was braised pork, a steaming seasoned meatloaf, various Ordon specialty cheeses, along with several loaves of hard bread. They also ordered a jug of mild red wine to wash it down with. When it got to the table, there was barely any room for them to rest their arms. She might not have looked it, but the girl could definitely put food away.
Dinner went by with comfortable small talk made between the two. As they expected, the food delicious. The wine was made locally in the village, with several vineyards making their home in the hills of Ordona. It was sweet but not overly so, and the alcohol content was low enough that they could drink a lot of it without being completely intoxicated.
When the bill came, Link couldn't help but cover his eyes. It was about 25 rupees, which was about a half day's work at the ranch. It didn't seem like much in that perspective, but the working class had to be frugal in this realm. He pulled out his wallet, placing a couple of coins on the table. The 20 rupee coin was a large silver coin with a small red gem in the middle, and the 5 rupee coin was a smaller nickel coin with a tiny blue gem in the middle.
Once the table had been cleared, the two decided to loiter for a bit longer as they finished the jug of wine.
"That was so delicious!" Ilia exclaimed, rubbing her belly. Her normally light skin was tinged with a rose hue from the alcohol.
"Glad you enjoyed it." Link smiled, trying to block the memory of paying for the meal, "Don't drink too much though, you don't want to get up with a hangover tomorrow."
She waved him off and took another sip, "Oh it'll be fine. It's not like there's any work to do tomorrow. You have to be at the ranch though, so maybe you should be the one slowing down!"
Ah yes, the ranch was open bright and early once again the next day. He wondered how much longer he'd be working there.
"I've decided to go." Link said, abruptly.
Ilia nodded, "Yeah, I figured as much." She looked down at the deep purple-red of the drink in her mug, her reflection shimmering in the surface of the wine, "You wouldn't stay even if I asked you to, right?"
Link gave a solemn smile, "You know me better than anyone; I'm too stubborn for that."
"What do you hope to find, I wonder?" She asked, pouring more of the drink into her mug.
He shook his head, "I don't know. It's hard to explain." He tapped his finger on the table before recalling one of his dreams, "War approaches."
"War?" She repeated, confused.
Link nodded, "The visions I've been having… They're almost like looks into the future. I tried to brush them off as my imagination going crazy at nighttime but they're so vivid, so real." He pulled back the sleeve on his left arm and showed her his birthmark. It had fully manifested - three triangles stacked together in the shape of a larger triangle.
"That looks like… The symbol on the royal Hylian crest?" Ilia gasped, tracing her fingers on his hand.
He nodded once again, "I don't know what it means exactly, but I at least know that the answers will be in Hyrule."
Ilia's face looked troubled for a second, until she sighed, "Like I said earlier, I'm not gonna stop you," The fingers that were tracing his hand eventually clasped over, "Just… Don't do anything out of your league, okay?"
Link returned the gesture and softly held her hand. "I'll try my best." They stayed like this for a few seconds before he smirked, "But I can't make any promises."
Ilia let go immediately and shook her head, laughing in exasperation, "If you get yourself killed I am totally not going to your funeral."
"I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun haunting you if that does happen."
For one of the final times, they spent the night bantering with each other the way they always did.
The sound of Epona's hooves slowly clopping along the dirt road echoed between the trees as Link was making his way through the forest at the edge of Ordona's border. It was still midday, and Link reckoned that he would be in Faron by the evening. Rays of light that seeped in through the forest canopy illuminated the road. The further down the road he travelled, the more likely he'd be running into wolves, bears, and even worse, fiends.
On top of his regular off-white tunic, he wore a thick brown hooded cloak, grey wolves fur lining the hood. The grip of his sword poked out from underneath the cloak, just behind his neck. Over the blue sash he wore was a large leather belt, with small pouches attached to it. Slung around his right shoulder, opposite his sword, was a larger leather satchel that hung at his waist. The sleeves around his forearms were wrapped in navy fabric, which tucked into a pair of brown fingerless gauntlets. Epona's saddle now had several large saddlebags strapped to the side, a plush blanket rolled on the seat behind Link. His spiky blonde hair, which had grown a little longer, was tied into a small ponytail.
On his lap, just beneath the reins, he was consulting a map of Hyrule and the surrounding areas. The road he was on would continue into the southeastern Hylian province of Faron. It was quite large, with a varied landscape of temperate conifer forests, marshlands, and warm grass plains to the far west. Hyrule's capital was in the Central province, north of Faron, and it would take possibly weeks to get there since Faron was so large. Along the road were quite a few settlements, with a small town just past the border that he could probably lodge at for the evening. Another point of interest he made note of on the map was Faron's capital, Faron City. It was off the main road by a little bit, but he thought maybe it could be interesting to do some sightseeing since he would be in the area.
Sightseeing. Link set off on this journey because he had something to do, but why couldn't he enjoy himself a little? Maybe because he felt guilty for leaving Ilia back in the village. He didn't know how long he'd be gone for. Maybe he would never come back. He imagined coming back home after years; Ilia would have found a husband by then, maybe even started a family. Or the village could have been war torn - destroyed by this war he had visions of. It had been only a few days since he'd left, and he was already starting to feel a little homesick. He convinced himself that if he didn't do this, then there wouldn't be a home to come back to.
Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he rolled up the map and slipped it into one of the satchels he wore on his waist.
"C'mon girl, giddy up." He snapped the reins, letting Epona break into a canter. He had a long trip ahead of him, and he decided it was time to get moving.
Author's Notes/Rambles: This is my first story that I've actually posted in a veeeery long time. After putting over 250 hours into BOTW, replaying TP for the gazillionth time, and listening to ZREO's Twilight Symphony and vaporwave Nintendo music for hours as I studied for my midterms, I really really wanted to write something Zelda-related. I've always wondered what a grittier, more realistic Zelda game would be like, but we ain't ever gonna get that shit so I thought it would be fun to envision my own. I wish for this story to be a complete Zelda tale, with interpolations of TP (obviously), BOTW, and Hyrule Warriors. I really enjoy series that are episodic in nature and feature a lot of travelling, with my main inspirations stemming from Spice & Wolf, Berserk, Mushi-shi, Samurai Champloo, The Witcher, and much more recently, the new adaptation of Dororo.
Side note, Link and Ilia are 20 and 19 here, which makes them eligible to drink in most countries that aren't the US - in case you were concerned about a couple of teenagers downing jugs of wine.
Please feel free to leave any constructive criticism! It's been a long time since I've written with readers in mind and I would love to improve my writing. If you enjoyed the chapter, thank you very much! BUT please expect slow updates, as I am very busy with school and work.
- K