Link and Zelda I:
Where the World Ends

Chapter 2

The mossy stone of the ancient pillar pressed cold into Zelda's back. When she looked up, a carved dragon bared its teeth above her. Statues like this were found all throughout the Zonai Ruins, and indeed all of Faron itself. Zelda cast a glance left to where Link was hiding behind a twin pillar on the other side of the overgrown path, peering around the edge of the stone at the ruins beyond.

"Has Garini given the signal?" she asked.

"He's hardly moving," Link answered. "He poked one of the Bokoblin's lean-tos about a minute ago and is still waiting to see if any will come out."

Patience wearing thin, Zelda turned to peer around her own pillar and sighed. Standing in the empty Bokoblin camp was a young Lurelin man, clutching a long fishing spear and shaking in his boots. Garini was a far cry from the eager explorer they had met upon their arrival in Lurelin Village. Overhearing that a pair of newcomers were meeting with Elder Rozel for knowledge of Faron's ancient tribes, Garini had marched promptly over to introduce himself as 'Lurelin's leading self-trained expert on ancient Faron', with a weak emphasis on self-trained.

"Wait a minute!" he'd cried on seeing Link. "It's you, mystery guy! Remember? You helped me collect those shards, near the Palmorae Ruins." And then his face had fallen. "O-oh but, you're with...t-the Queen! And you're Prince Consort a-and... oh! Forgive me! I didn't mean to shout earlier!"

Zelda had held out a hand and smiled wide, determined to diffuse the awkwardness with beaming politeness. "No need to apologise! Out here, we're just a pair of researchers, like yourself."

"Oh, well, I'm not one really," Garini said as he nervously shook her hand. "Although I heard about the Royal Academy up north. I wanted to apply, I did. But my wife and I have a little one now, and the Elder needs us here and-"

"Help them, Garini," Elder Rozel interjected. "They will at least need a guide." He turned to Link and Zelda and gave a small bow, side-eyeing Garini as he said, "Forgive our young Garini, Your Majesties. The people of Lurelin have a tradition of storytelling."

After that, Garini had led them north into the dense Faron forests until they reached the fabled Zonai Ruins. As they walked, Garini told them that written record of the Faronite tribes was scarce, and most of what survived were passed down through oral tradition. He could confirm, however, that the Barbarian helm Link and Zelda had found at Lomei Labyrinth was indeed from Faron, but from what tribe it was impossible to tell. And he had absolutely no idea why a Sheikah Shrine lay at the maze's centre, or why a horde of Guardians was kept beneath. That was when he'd spotted the Bokoblin camp, and announced it was his duty to protect his Queen and Prince Consort.

"Lurelinites are the custodians of the Spring of Courage after all!" Garini had muttered to himself as he advanced into the camp. "So we must...have...some…"

Even a seasonal traveller would be able to tell that the camp was empty, but Zelda wanted to humour their guide.

"I'm going," Link said. He drew his sword and walked out into the clearing. Zelda decided then that she should follow, and at least ready herself for a fight, as unlikely as one would be. She let her power flow through her hands, feeling them warm, her flesh held in anticipation. She was not the strongest mage - both her inherited magic and the common magics of Hyrule were still so new to her - but she liked to feel prepared. She grabbed the crossbow at her belt and followed Link into the camp.

Garini startled as Link and Zelda approached, lanky arms flailing for his spear as it fell from his grip, his too-long hair falling across his face. Zelda stifled a laugh, but Link furrowed his brow and gave Garini a clap on the back.

"So, the ruins?" he clipped.

"Right, of course. No need for combat," Garini said with some relief. He nodded to the crossbow in Zelda's hands. "Though I'm sure that would be very interesting, in action."

Link lazily sheathed his sword. "I think these ruins have been empty for a while, Garini." As he spoke, there was a rustle in a nearby tent, and stumbling out through the tent flaps was a sleepy-looking bokoblin. Garini shrieked, Link drew his sword once more, and Zelda trained her crossbow on the monster's face. It froze, mouth dropped open, and Zelda realised then that it was unarmed.

"K-kill it!" Garini cried. Link moved forward, but Zelda out-paced him. Quick and precise, she fired a bolt of energy with the crossbow at the bokoblin's feet. It flew backwards, screeching before landing hard on the dirt.

"Go on, get out of here!" she hissed. "Your crew have moved on. Don't let us find you again!"

The bokoblin was gone in an instant, scurrying up and over a nearby hill.

"No need for combat," Zelda repeated. "We're here on a survey, I will not have you two soiling your clothes with monster blood."

With that, their expedition continued. Few mages fought with weapons, Zelda reflected. Many were purists, refusing even a staff. She wondered how the ancient mages fought, if they were well-respected, how they were trained. Impa had told her that the golden age of Sheikah technology had been brought on in part by breakthroughs in the understanding of Sheikah magic. But that didn't answer her real question: what did people think of them? Were the mages feared?

Finally, they reached the innermost part of the ruins, to find what Garini had been leading them to; carvings in stone like the ones of the statues, and like those they had seen in Lomei Labyrinth Island.

Link pointed to a pair of mirrored swirls into the stone. "There, that's what we saw on Lomei."

Garini examined the markings and frowned. "I'll be honest, I don't know much about the symbols, only that they survived. We call it the mark of Faron and use it on our buildings and flags, but as to what they really mean…"

"It reminds me of something," Link muttered. "Like I've seen it before...or in some dream…"

He cast Zelda a knowing look, and she sensed the words he had not said and could not say in front of Garini. Or some past life.

"They're on most old Faronite structures, so you might have seen it around," Garini said. "What it tells us is that Lomei Island was built by our people. Why they would put it in Akkala...well, do you have any theories?"

"No," Zelda admitted sadly. "Is there any way for us to date the labyrinths? I've heard that some ruins pre-date even Hyrule itself."

"Whatever the truth, these places are old," Garini nodded. "But funny you've been to Lomei Island. I reckon those are the newest."

"The newest?"

Garini gestured around them, to the crumbling stone and weed-creeped paths of the Zonai Ruins. "They don't look like this do they? When those labyrinths were built, this place was long gone. My people were already dying." He clutched his spear close to his chest, suddenly solemn. "Anyway, that's all I know. I wish I could give you more."

"It's okay, thank you Garini," Zelda said softly. "You cannot be blamed for the hand history has dealt."

Garini chuckled. "I guess that's the way this Kingdom is, hey? Everything goes real well and then - crash - big monster comes to tear it all up."

"Never too late to rebuild," Link said, appearing at their side them with the Sheikah Slate in hand. He had a new location selected on the map, and Zelda saw that it was in the middle of the desert. He held it up for Garini. "That's another one isn't it?"

"South Lomei Labyrinth," Garini nodded.

"There's two of them?" Zelda asked.

"Not two," Garini grinned. "Three. And I don't envy you. They're not exactly easy to reach."

Their next steps were decided immediately: Link and Zelda parted ways with Garini and promised to report their any findings from the other labyrinths directly to him. He had been right about South Lomei Labyrinth, however; it lay in the very southeastern tip of Gerudo Desert, across a stretch of sands so laborious and besieged by storms that even the Sheikah Slate could not map them. It took Link and Zelda two whole weeks to travel from Lurelin to the second Labyrinth, even though the two were comparatively close by.

Once they reached the entrance of this new labyrinth, Link noticed the carvings immediately. Swirls, just like those on Lomei Island, just like those in Lurelin, and the Zonai Ruins. They found more and more of the markings as they worked their way into the labyrinth. The place was overrun by bokoblins and Malice - Zelda's crossbow and Link's sword both saw a fair share of use as they neared the maze's centre - but strangely, they met no Guardians.

"Malice forms where Ganon corrupts, and yet there are no Guardians here," Zelda noted. She racked her brain for a possible explanation, but it was Link who offered the answer.

"Maybe they left," he shrugged.

"Pardon?"

"Well, it's not like they could leave Lomei Island. Here, all they'd need to do is walk away. Maybe the Guardians here left, or were destroyed by the Gerudo."

"It would explain the Malice…" Zelda said.

They reached the Shrine chamber, much to Zelda's relief. Exhausted, she sat down against the stone wall and drained her waterskin, the water warm and murky.

"I'll be back in a minute," Link said, crouching down to give her a kiss on the forehead, but Zelda didn't hear him and barely felt him. Beside her, the Shrine flashed orange, then blue, and Link disappeared inside. Drifting in the heat, she took another sip, and let herself fall into a light slumber.

Zelda awoke to see a barbarian standing over her, with a red mane and rank old clothes. She screamed, scurrying along the floor away from him, but shuddered to a halt when she realised it was just Link, dressed up in the spoils he had no doubt pulled from the Shrine. He laughed and apologised as he helped her stand.

"More armour from Faron," he said proudly. He was still wearing the helm they had found on Lomei Island, but now a pair of leather arm wraps, a leather skirt and a bolero with fur-lined sleeves worn over his blue tunic. Zelda squinted at him, suddenly captivated. Link, believing the look to be something like infatuation, grinned wider and posed.

"Pretty cool, huh?" he said.

Zelda could not look away. "You look familiar, somehow."

"We spend every day together. Shouldn't I look familiar?"

"No...something else…Wait!" She startled. "Did you talk to the monk inside? They may have known about this place, about the tribes!"

"Huh? Oh. No, I mean I don't usually get a chance, they just kind of…" Link made a wave motion with his hands, to signify the way the monks passed on.

"Well, we need to talk to one of them. Garini said there was one more Labyrinth, in Hebra." Zelda leapt to her feet, hands firm on her hips. "I think we're onto something here, Link. Something the Sheikah and the Faronites wanted us to find."

And then a wave of nausea washed over her, fierce as the desert heat. She knelt back down, breathless. "But not before we get some more water."

As I walk, I keep my head high. I observe the beauty of falling snow, no matter how heavy, or blinding. In the absence of will, I let my legs carry me forward. I feel the pain, but know it will not last, and so I move forward.

Each year, the Tabantha Tundra is said to kill one dozen travellers. It is so brutal, so unforgiving, so empty that only the truly hardy would travel to this place. The very northern tip is the most dangerous; aside from having the worst weather, its long, flat plains are devoid of any life, flora and fauna. If one gets lost, and travels too far north, they may never make it to civilisation again, for there is no civilisation in north Hebra. Only cliffs, and a blank, empty sea.

It is in this place that one of the labyrinths must be built. Ka'loh has sent me here as part of my training. Not only as a final test of my strength, but also to see the work of the Faronites, and to see where the world ends.

Each step north leaves another step behind, deep black holes in the snow that mark my steps. Lynels patrol these parts, but I manage to skirt around them. Many have been killed anyway, to make way for the workers and the transport of materials. In fact, this labyrinth has carved a path through the tundra, but it is not one I wish to follow. I am not meant to be seen, only to see.

I carry little with me, only basic provision and a staff for light and warmth. It burns blue - Sheikah flame, the mark of our magic. When I reach the summit of Mount Drena, I see what I have come for. The black, intricately carved stone of the labyrinth is an anomaly on the starch white landscape. Shapes move around its base, at work, some dressed all in white as I, others in every colour under the sky; the Faronites. In the years of our new truce, I have come to learn that each tribe under their nation wears its own colours, but that they are unified under the symbol of their Goddess.

It is surreal, to see the labyrinth rising out of the snow. It was, in part, my idea. A small spark that I dreamed up some years ago in that first meeting that Ka'loh passed on for me. I wonder what it will house, what its ultimate purpose will be. Another monk, Maag, designed these labyrinths. He wants them to be fortresses, the maze making them impenetrable to outsiders, but he forgets; predicament usurps our plans, again and again. All things find a purpose altered from their intended one. It is the way of our world.

From the mountain, I see another landmark. A Shrine. There is only one here for many miles. I see its orange light along the cliff face that rests in the shadow of Mount Drena. It is empty now. Once the Calamity passes, it will be filled with a test for the future hero. The thought worries me - I feel it despite not wanting too - for the current hero has yet to make themselves known.

"Quite the sight, hey?"

The voice soars over the mountaintop, clear in the cold air. I half think I've imagined it. I spin, ready my staff, summon flame to my fingers, and the figure emerging from the snow throws up their hands.

"Hey, hey, calm down little mageling." He steps forward, and I see; he is a Faronite. By the purple colouring of his armour, he is Lomei. Don't call me mageline, I want to tell him. I'm a Monk of the Sheikah, a servant of the Goddess, and if anything I'm more mage than mageling, at least. But I say nothing, for I recognise this Lomei.

He was at the meeting that Ka'loh snuck me into those years ago. I remember his smiling face, the way I yearned to be as free as he looked. He is older now, scruffy hairs on his face showing the end of adolescence, a scar here and there, but I know it is him. He has no right to call me little, for I am taller than him by a head, but I don't say that either.

"Sorry if I startled you," he adds to fill the silence. I put down my staff and empty my hands of my magic to show I am no longer hostile.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else up here," I say. I should apologise, but the words are backed up in my throat.

The Lomei shrugs and looks towards the labyrinth. "Maybe we came here for the same reason."

For a moment we stand, still at an awkward distance, and look down towards the labyrinth. Then, the Lomei approaches, stands by my side.

"It's beautiful," I say quietly, allowing myself one glance towards him. His eyes are so bright, they burst from this blonde hair and red mane.

"It certainly is extravagant. Though, my people think it is too much."

"Too much!" I laugh. "Look at all the monuments you've left scattered around!"

"Monuments crumble and disappear, as they should. The Zonai Palace was a ruin before my father's father was born. What makes these mazes any different?"

"They can serve a dual purpose. They will be manned by our Guardians-"

"And when Ganon comes, what purpose will the labyrinth serve?"

"Not everything needs to be about Ganon…" I mutter and am surprised to hear the Lomei laugh.

"That we agree on, mage." He looks me in the eye, claps me on the back. I almost fall from the mountain, but steady myself and show no reaction beyond a restrained smile. The Lomei then puts a hand on the hilt of his broadsword. "Still, I look forward to the fight! What about you?"

"I'm not much of a fighter," I answer.

"Surely you must be, you're a mage."

"All monks are. We have to be."

This catches his attention, and I know I have gotten myself into trouble.

"I'd like to see a mage fight," he beams. "We should find a camp of bokoblins…"

"I hear there are lynel in these parts," I say sheepishly. I can't help it now. His enthusiasm is pulling me from myself. Hearing this, the Lomei all but draws his sword.

"Even better!"

We walk down the mountain together, towards the valley where I had seen the Silver Lynel. The entire way, the Lomei plies me for tidbits about my people.

"So you're the ones powering those towers, and the Shrines, and those great mechanical beasts?" he asks. He isn't teasing like I expect, but seems genuinely interested.

"Our duty is to the Sheikah empire, and to its blessings. Our magic allows us to supplement the advancements being made, but I am just a Monk. I'm a...watcher, more than a doer." I am rambling, saying too much, but I don't care now. I want to talk, and I want to talk to him.

"You don't seem like a watcher," he tells me with a smile, and then, on the horizon, we see it.

The Lynel is prowling the flats, broad, curved sword held ready, an emblazoned shield at its back. My new found laconic state flows from me, and I tense. I have trained in combat, in the martial use of magic, but I've never fought a lynel. Never fought anything more than the odd bokoblin! The Lomei turns to me.

"Let's go! You provide cover, I'll take it down!"

"Got it!" I say, having not really gotten it. I ready myself again, reach for my staff, and scurry across the field to a vantage point between the Lomei and the Lynel. Perhaps I can distract it at least, stun it with a fireball or two. The Lomei rushes in, his sword held at the ready, and fights like no other man I have ever seen. I lob a few lances of energy towards the beast, once even managing to stagger it, but the Lomei does most of the work. Not ten minutes later, the Lynel is dead, and the Lomei is sauntering back to me with little more than a cut on his arm.

"Are you hurt?" I ask.

The Lomei looks at his arm and scoffs. "This? No. This was practice. Did you see the way it roared, when you hit its flank? Fantastic!"

I rock back on my heels, lean against my staff, try to sound casual. "Yeah, well, I suppose."

This just makes the Lomei laugh. "I can't wait to tell my father. A Sheikah Monk helped me kill a lynel! That'll make me stand out at that fancy knight school they're sending us to."

"Wait, you're going to the Hylian Academy?"

"To join the fight, yes, as soon as this labyrinth is complete. My father says there is a forest there too, near the Castle, that once belonged to our ancestors. I have my travelling to do yet. And you?"

"I should probably head back home, I have my training and…"

"Duties, of course. " He thrusts a hand forward, and when I take it, I am pulled into a percussive, brotherly hug. "A joy to meet you, mage. Perhaps when the Calamity comes, we will see each other again, on the battlefield?"

"Perhaps," I say coyly, and he gives me one final smile, before turning towards the labyrinth site, and disappearing into the heavy snow.

I stand there beside the Lynel for a long time, replaying the encounter, picking it apart, trying to understand how and why it had happened. For one hour I was no longer a monk. I was no longer faceless, no longer voiceless.

I wanted to promise the Lomei that I would be there with him when the Calamity came. But monks make promises only to the Goddess. I couldn't even give him my name. It belongs to my Shrine and my people alone. As much as I wanted to hear him say it, to stand close, and with a roguish grin whisper, Come then, fight by my side.

How long had it been since I had told another my name?

What would it sound like to hear it spoken in return?

Looking to where the Lomei had disappeared into the snow, I realise that in my pondering of own my name, I never asked for his.