Chapter 27
"So, what now?" Sierra asked as we walked back outside to where the statues were.
"Um, I have no idea actually." I didn't remember anything else that happened after Link got the Master Sword. Midna appeared from Link's shadow.
"There's actually something I want you guys to see. The Mirror of Twilight is a gateway to my world. I suspect that Zant might be hiding there, so if we can find it..."
"We can defeat him right there!" Rune finished. "So, where is it?"
"I don't really know where it is in your world." Midna looked down sheepishly.
"Oh, I have an idea!" Kris bounced up and down. "I bet the Resistance knows something about it! They've been all over Hyrule!"
"Yeah, and while we're there, you guys can meet them! Officially, I mean," Sierra added, looking at me.
"That sounds great!" I agreed enthusiastically. I was really looking forward to actually getting to talk to them!
"Alright then! Midna!" Link called. "Can you teleport us to outside Castle Town?"
"Sure. Come help me Rune." Together, they warped us all to right outside the gate.
"Hey, I noticed that there was a cafe in the town center," Kris began, "how about we take a break and get lunch?" As soon as she said that, I realized how hungry I was.
"Ooo, can we? Please?" I directed my question at Link, since we usually seemed to look to him for these decisions.
"Well, we did plan on meeting the Resistance first..."
"Aw, come on Link! We haven't eaten in forever! Can't that wait just a few more minutes?" Rune grabbed his arm. He gave in.
"Alright," he sighed.
"Yay!" Kris and I cheered.
"Wait a second." Sierra was looking at the map. "Look here, in that section of field south of the town." I looked over her shoulder at the golden icon.
"That's where the Hero's Shade is!" I said excitedly.
"Well, I guess we should eat after our lesson." Link glanced at Rune. "If you don't mind, that is."
"Ooo, I have a better idea!" Kris smiled. "We can eat at Telma's place! That way we can talk to the Resistance while we eat!"
"Does she even serve food?" Rune folded her arms.
"Yeah, I think so. We can wait there while Link and Lily learn the next move!" Kris smiled brightly.
"Sounds good to me." Rune shrugged. We all walked through the town to the south road, where the alley branched off to the bar.
"Okay! We'll see you guys at Telma's!" I waved, then Link and I walked down the south road. Outside the town, there was a large stone floor, with stairs leading down to the open field. A small pool of water surrounded by flowers was in the middle of the stairs leading down. I saw a girl standing by the flowers out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't really pay attention to her.
"Nice place," I commented.
"Alright, the wolf should be behind that wall." Link pointed to the rail next to us. I looked down and saw a golden glow.
"Yep!" I led the way down the stairs and around to a section of field shaded by the wall. The golden wolf was waiting for us. He jumped at me, and I shielded my face with my arms. I fell to the ground. When I opened my eyes, Link and I were in the strange misty land. The wolf howled, and the Hero's Shade stood before us in his skeletal form.
"I see you have been working. You both look stronger than when we last met. Before I teach you the fourth hidden skill, I must test you to make sure you have mastered the back slice. Now then, young hero, come at me!" Link drew his sword and faced the shade. Link bashed him with his shield, causing the shade to stumble. He rolled around the shade, and jumped up spinning. Link's sword sent the shade flying forward. He got up, unharmed. "Now you Lily." I drew my sword, a little apprehensive. I faced the shade, and he swung at me. I blocked his sword with a side slash, making him stumble slightly and leaving an opening. I rolled around and performed the back slice easily. I guess all that tree slashing paid off. "Excellent. It seems you both are certainly capable of performing my lost art. Are you ready to learn the next skill?"Link and I glanced at each other, and both nodded at our instructor. "The next hidden skill is...the helm splitter! Let it be hewn into your mind!"
"While the back slice is effective against enemies guarding their front, some will also protect their back. When you encounter an enemy like this, perform a shield bash or other disarming technique, and then flip over them, swinging your sword at their head as you do so." He demonstrated on Link, swinging his sword just above Link's head. "Now, come at me, Link!" The two warriors crossed their swords, and as they did I noticed something about the shade that I did not before. He was left-handed, just like Link. Interesting, I thought, but forgot about it as I watched Link flip over the shade's head and send him to the ground with a powerful swing of the Master Sword. I smiled and nodded at Link as he landed. The shade stood up. "Impressive. Now, you try!" I stepped forward, and he raised his sword. I clashed mine against him, then dropped into a fighting stance. I waited, tensed, for him to strike first. He swung his sword horizontally, and I saw an opportunity. I jumped backward out of the way, then jumped onto the flat of his blade. He clearly didn't expect it, and kept his sword raised, easily holding up my weight. I pushed off the blade and flipped over him, performing the helm splitter. He got up, and if a skeleton could look shocked, he did. "Very creative. Be sure to catch your opponent off guard before attempting the technique." I grinned, proud that my idea worked. "The fourth hidden skill, the helm splitter, has been passed on. Do not neglect your training between now and the next time we meet. Farewell." The misty world faded, and we got to our feet in the field.
"Where did you learn that move?" Link looked at me, impressed.
"I just...made it up I guess." I giggled. "It was pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah, even he looked surprised!" Link laughed. "Well, let's go meet up with the others. I'm getting pretty hungry!"
"Yeah, me too!" We walked back to Telma's, talking and laughing.
The Resistance seemed to be taking a lunch break. Rusl, Shad and Ashei were sitting at the table in the back, while Rune, Kris, and Sierra sat at a round table closer to the front. They were all talking and eating happily when Link and I walked in.
"Hey, guys." Rune waved to us. "Sorry, we started eating without you. I was dying of starvation, you know?"
"That's fine!" Link grinned. "Nice to see you, Telma!"
"Aww, it's nice to see you both again!" Telma smiled back warmly. "I'll get you something to eat!"
"So, this is the notorious Link, yeah?" Ashei said jokingly. "It's nice to meet you in person!" Link and the female warrior shook hands. Rusl, wearing his helmet, stood up and walked over to us.
"It's been a long time." He took off his helmet, revealing his face.
"Rusl!" Link laughed and hugged his friend. Rusl slapped him on the back, also laughing.
"Link! You look different! It's so great to see you again!" The two continued talking, catching up on what they've been doing the past few days.
"So, I'm guessing you're Lily?" Ashei walked over to me.
"Yes," I said, a little shy as she shook my hand. These were clearly very experienced people, and I wanted to make a good impression.
"Your friends told me a bit about you. I'm Ashei. I grew up in the mountains, where my father raised me as a warrior. Manners weren't part of the training, so forgive me if I come off as rude, yeah?" I laughed.
"My friends told me about you guys. I've been really excited to meet you!" Shad walked over to me while Ashei started talking to Link again.
"My name is Shad. I hear you are a warrior?"
"Well, mostly. I'm kinda still in training," I said softly, looking at the ground.
"That's good! I'm afraid fighting's not exactly my strong suit, but I try to help the Resistance in any way I can!" I smiled at him.
"What do you do?"
"I'm more of a scholar, really."
"That's cool! I've never met a scholar here before!" Shad smiled shyly.
"Well, it's not exactly the most fascinating job."
"It sounds interesting! I've always wanted to learn more about Hylian history!" I really was curious about how well they had documented the other legends about the previous heroes like Link.
"Well, I'm glad to see you share my view!" Shad looked very excited. "Perhaps I could show you some of my research sometime?"
"Sure!" I smiled. I found it easier to talk to Shad than the others for some reason. A curious expression came over his face.
"Something about you seems familiar."
Uh oh. Did he recognize me as the dog? That would be really awkward to try and explain.
"Well, I've only been here twice, and you weren't here the first time."
"That does seem odd. I think I would have remembered meeting a girl like you." He blushed as he realized what he said. "I-I mean, a warrior, th-that's a girl, besides Ashei I mean...goodness that didn't come out the way I planned it." I giggled slightly, trying to hold back laughter at his embarrassment.
"That's okay, I know what you meant. Ashei is the only female warrior I've met so far, besides my friends of course." He looked relieved.
"Well, you're probably hungry, so I'll just let you eat now." He walked back to the table, still looking a bit flustered. I covered my mouth and laughed quietly.
"Hey, Lily, ready to eat?" Link called me over to the table near the front. I quickly jogged over and sat down. Telma had made some sort of meat dish with vegetables. It was good, and very filling.
"So, what do you guys think? The Resistance is pretty cool, huh?" Rune grinned, already finished with her food.
"Yes. Rusl said there was someone else, a retired soldier named Auru," Link mentioned.
"Yeah, he's cool! We met him here last time," Kris commented.
"What did you think of them, Lily?" Sierra asked.
"I like them! They would make great allies, and it might be fun to hang out with them when we take a break."
"You and Shad seemed to hit it off pretty well." Rune grinned teasingly.
"W-well, yeah, he's a nice guy." I looked down at my food. My face felt warmer than usual. Rune laughed.
"Gosh, Lily! You know I'm just teasing!" I laughed along with everyone else, trying not to feel embarrassed.
"Link, did Rusl happen to mention where Auru was going?" I asked, a thought occurring to me.
"He said he was at Lake Hylia, investigating an old legend about some sort of prison in the desert."
"That sounds pretty interesting." I grinned. "I'd say that's worth investigating! How about we go meet him later?"
"Already? But we just got here!" Kris looked disappointed.
"Don't worry, Kris, we probably won't be gone long! Besides, we don't all have to go," Sierra pointed out.
"Link, you should go with someone. I think you'll want to meet Auru!" I chuckled.
"I could go with you," Rune volunteered. "Seeing as I'm done with my sandwich and all."
"Sounds good!" Link finished eating. "You three can say here and hang out, we shouldn't be gone long."
Link and Rune called and mounted their horses. They had decided to just ride to the lake since it was a nice day and it wasn't far away.
"Hey Link, race you!" Nightmare took off with Rune crouched low to his back. Link laughed and ran after her. Epona and Nightmare were pretty evenly matched, so they only ran for a little while before slowing down. Link and Rune were out of breath and laughing as they got off their horses.
"I guess they got tired and decided to stop," Rune laughed.
"Yeah, racing was kind of pointless if they can both run fast!" Link caught his breath and grinned. "Let's walk the rest of the way. We're not too far," Link suggested. Rune nodded, still smiling. They met with a few monsters on the way, but they were no match for the two teenagers. They arrived at the lake, talking and laughing as though they had been friends forever.
"Hey, look at that tower." Rune pointed to a tall stone building high up on the land next to the lake. "I never noticed that before."
"Well, let's go check it out!" Link held out his hand and Rune took it. They helped each other climb up some of the steeper slopes leading to the tower.
"Hey, Link! I found another howling stone." Rune ran ahead to part of the land protruding far over the lake.
"What? Where?" Link clambered up one of the tall ledges in the earth.
"Up here!" Rune grabbed Link's hand and helped him climb up. Link looked at the howling stone.
"Midna, can you turn me into a wolf?" She appeared out of his shadow and nodded. Link suddenly fell to the ground, and his form darkened and shifted. He shook his head as a wolf, and trotted over to the howling stone. Rune sat down on the ground to wait. Link howled along with the wind. Rune sighed as he fell to the ground, and started chatting with Midna while they waited for Link to finish meeting with the gold wolf.
After about a minute, Link stood up. He trotted over to Midna and sat up, gazing intently at her.
"Um, you want me to turn you back?" she asked. Link nodded, and his form darkened again. He stood up again, holding a hand to his forehead.
"That hurts. I don't think I'll ever get used to transforming," he groaned. Rune stood up and patted him on the back.
"We'll try to avoid it whenever possible. I'm sure Sierra would be more than happy to howl at the stones for you. C'mon, let's go check out the tower now!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him up the hill.
"So, want to walk around town for a while?" Kris suggested after finishing her food.
"Maybe later. I want to talk with the Resistance some more." I wanted to get to know them better, they were really cool!
"I'll go with you, Kris." Sierra finished, and they walked out of the bar, Kris skipping excitedly and Sierra smiling and jogging to keep up.
"Hey, Telma!" I sat down at the bar to talk to her.
"Hello! Can I help you with anything?"
"Well, I kinda just wanted to talk. What exactly do you do in the Resistance? Have you been in any battles?"
"You have to ask the others about that!" Telma chuckled. "My bar is sort of a safe house for them; we all live here. My job is to keep it running smoothly. Of course, I run it for the customers as well. It's usually open at night, but every once and a while I close it down for the meetings."
"Cool! Where do you all stay?"
"I run a small inn behind the bar. Not many people stay there, since most customers live here in the town, but I keep a few extra rooms for travelers. Maybe you will stay there sometime, you and your seem to travel a lot!"
"Yeah, I guess we do. I would like to stay here sometime, this place is very nice!"
"Thank you, sweetie!" Telma smiled. "I think someone wants to talk to you!" I turned around. Shad was standing, waiting for me to finish talking. He gave a small wave, looking a bit shy. "Go on!" Telma winked at me. I rolled my eyes and smiled.
"Hello, Lily!"
"Hi!"
"I, well, we didn't get to talk much earlier. I guess I'm just a bit curious about you and your friends."
"Oh, okay. Um, what do you want to know?"
"Well, where are you from? Where were you trained?"
"Um..." I didn't know what to say. I couldn't exactly tell him we were from another world. "Well...we..we've sort of been traveling all over the place. We sort of learn as we go, I don't think any of us had much training before we met..."
"So, you learn by applying yourselves? That's amazing!" I smiled. "How about we sit down?" Shad suggested. I nodded, and we walked over to one of the tables in the main part of the bar.
"What about you? How did you join the Resistance?"
"It's sort of a long story, but basically, my father was doing research on the sky people. They are called Oocca, and they have fascinated me since I was a child. Telma was an old friend of mine, and she thought my research skills could be helpful to her little group."
"I'm sure she was right!"
"I suppose. I do know quite a bit on the different provinces. Most of them aren't explored much, but I've managed to track down some documents."
"Your job sounds pretty fun!"
"I imagine you've had many adventures yourself, since you travel so much."
"Oh yeah, we've seen lots of cool stuff!" I told him about some of the things we had done and seen. Ashei joined us, and we told stories about our adventures. I learned more about Ashei's childhood in the mountains, and how she had joined the Resistance because she wanted an opportunity to use her skills.
"Guess the soldiers don't want me because I'm a girl," she huffed. "I'm a better fighter than any of them!"
"That does sound pretty unfair. But at least you got to meet us!" Shad smiled.
"Yep! I wouldn't trade my life now for anything!" Kris and Sierra came in, laughing about something. They joined us, and we all talked and laughed for hours, until Link and Rune got back.
Link was out of breath by the time he climbed up the tower after Rune. He smiled as he reached the top, and stood next to her. The view was worth it. The entire lake was spread out below them, and even more breathtaking was the sunset highlighting the cliff that rose far above the waters below. Link could see some sort of symbol on the horizon, but the light shone in his eyes too much for him to make it out.
"Link, I'd like you to meet Auru!" Rune smiled as the two warriors shook hands.
"I've heard quite a bit about you, Link. Your friend thinks very highly of your courage and skills in combat." Link glanced at Rune, and she blushed. "So, what can I do for you both? You must have a reason for traveling all the way out here to find me."
"We heard you knew a lot about the desert, and thought maybe you could tell us if there was anything of interest in there," Link explained.
"We thought it might be cool to travel out there and check it out," Rune added.
"Well, the desert is an interesting place on its own. But, there is an old legend about a strange magic that exists there."
"Do you believe the legend?" Link leaned forward, interested.
"I do. Supposedly, there was a prison in the desert, hundreds of years ago. Only Hyrule's worst criminals were sent there. The guardians of the prison used a strange magic to make the prisoners vanish. No bodies were found, but the prisoners were never seen again. Some say they were sent directly to the underworld. I, for one, find that to be a bit far-fetched, but I know that the prison still exists."
"How do you know?" Rune asked.
"See that symbol on the horizon? That is the Hyrulian crest. It rises far above the ground, so it must be on some sort of building. There is definitely something there, and I believe that legends always have some truth to them."
"Wow," Link breathed.
"I would give almost anything for an opportunity to explore the desert. But, sadly, I am not getting any younger. Would you like to explore the desert for me? I'm sure it would be a great adventure, and you could tell me what is up there."
"Yeah. Exploring the desert sounds great!" Rune looked pointedly at Link, and he understood that what they were searching for was most likely there.
"How do we get there?" Link asked.
"I know a man named Fyer. He works down by the lake, runs an amusement ride of sorts. He owes me a favor, and I believe he may be able to help you. Give him this." Auru handed Link a letter.
"Thanks. We'll tell you all about the desert when we get back," Rune started climbing down the ladder.
"It was great meeting you!" Link shook hands with Auru again.
"And you as well. Take good care of your friend." Auru winked. Link's face turned a slightly darker color, and he followed Rune down the ladder.
"It was wonderful talking to you all! We have to go now, but we'll come back later when we can!" I rose as Rune gestured from the door of the bar. Link, Kris, and Sierra had already left and were waiting outside.
"I'm glad I got to know you all better." Shad bowed. "I hope to see you again soon." I bowed back, and giggled.
"You too! Bye Ashei!" I ran to the door as Rune shook her head, grinning.
"Finally. C'mon, we found out where the mirror is." I glanced back and smiled at my new friends, as I walked outside to find out what Rune and Link had learned.
