Shrines

Shrines are similar to temples. They are made as sacred places to honor things. Shrines are considered to be old. Shrines have an archaic décor that is intricate. The themes in them are both understated and present in every room.

It took Link several hours to get to the nearest town. It was nearing midday when he dismounted Epona and sent her off to graze in the fields. She whinnied, took a look at Link, and trotted off to find some grass to eat.

Link walked into the town and was met by several strange glances due to the large burn on his face and the other minor injuries that were scattered over his body. When he reached the town square, he found a woman that was standing off to the side, watching her children play in a group of their peers.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Navi called out. The woman looked over at Link and jumped back at his appearance. "Do you know where a healer is?"

She straightened herself and nodded. "Oh, yes. You're in luck, the Prince's cousin, Bheesty just came into town this morning. They'll be leaving in a few hours to reach the capitol city, but I'm sure she'll be glad to help you. She's staying in that inn over there." The woman pointed out a building on the opposite side of the square.

Link nodded. "He says thanks." Navi told the woman.

Link jogged off, all of his things clattering as he ran and attracting the attention of the children. They looked at him eagerly, but continued to play once he passed.

"Hey, do you think Phlo will be with her?" Navi asked Link.

Link shuddered at the thought of seeing Phlo right now, he knew that the Prince's cousin would lecture him on both his etiquette and lack of regard for his safety. "I don't know." He thought to Navi.

Link opened the door to the inn and walked inside. The innkeeper looked up at Link and gasped. She pushed strands of dark hair out of her face and examined him.

"Can I help you?" She asked after a length of time. Link nodded.

"Yeah. He'd like to see Bheesty, if he can."

"Oh, I don't know if you can." She said as she warily stood on edge, noticing the weapons Link carried.

"Hm? Who would like to see me?" A light voice called. Bheesty walked into the lobby, followed closely by Aeon and Phlo. She pushed her blue hair back and looked at the innkeeper without spotting Link.

"He would, ma'am." She said and pointed at the young hero.

"Oh please," Bheesty lightly chided the innkeeper, "Call me Bheesty. I have no need of such formal titles." She looked over at Link and gasped, placing her hands over her mouth. "Link!" She cried and ran over to him. Aeon and Phlo followed her as well.

"Come with me, quickly, please." She said and tugged on his arm. Link followed her pulling to a room upstairs. She sat him on a chair and pulled out her golden harp. It seemed to have strings of silver.

Bheesty sat on a chair in front of him and played a small song on her harp, it was similar to the tune Link had used to cure Impa. She placed the harp on the table to her right and reached out hands, which glowed blue, to Link's face. The burn's receded and left him with a barely visible scar. Then she moved on to the other wounds that littered his body.

"I'm afraid I can't get rid of that scar, Master Link." Link shrugged, slightly irritated by the form of address, but he passed it off. It didn't matter much to him right now. She asked, "So, how did you get such grievous injuries? I pray it wasn't at the Water Gate, for you were there several days ago."

Link shook his head. "No. He was in the Terminian Mines yesterday. The beast that was the source of the curse upon that Holy Site is what did that to him. He thought to seek a healer in town as he needs to go this way and potions wouldn't heal that."

"That's correct. I am glad that you thought of that. Where are you headed now?"

"He's going to a place he heard about near the lake. He thinks something might be there to help him."

"I see. Very well then. I won't hinder you. I understand that your recklessness must be cause by your concern for Princess Zelda and an extreme time limit."

Link nodded, grateful to not be lectured. He stood and made to leave. He thought about something and turned back to Bheesty. She knew a lot about the lore of Greater Termina and Hyrule.

"Yes, what would you like, Master Link?"

"Link would like to know if you ever heard of a crystal with great strength and power that gathers over time."

"Oh yes." She said politely. "It is said to have been fashioned by Lei, the Goddess of Time. No one has ever seen it, and there isn't much to be said about it. But I can tell you what I do know.

"When the Golden Lands were first made, all of the goddesses fashioned three objects. One was a weapon, another an item of use, the last an instrument. I'm sure you know of the items of use. Each of us have one. You have Faeore's Robe, the celestial object that allows you to traverse any terrain. I have Nayru's Guidance, it gives me the ability to heal. Phlo carries Din's Blades, able to cut through any material. And Aeon has that crystal, which allows her to see through any illusion, without magical power. The instruments are the Wind Waker, an instrument to conduct winds, Flame Destroyers, tambourines that create a destructive fire, Harp of Light, granting the ability to heal and control water, and the Ocarina of Time, an instrument to control time.

"The weapons are the Master Sword, a blade that can only be wielded by a hero of immense courage, the Mirror Shield, the item that reflects everything like the surface of the water, The Light Blade, a weapon that like fire will destroy any shadow, and Lei's Crystal. It is said to wield a terrible power over time and fate. It is said to be able to bring the dead back to life, at the cost of the wielder's life. Its power is said to become strongest when it is held in darkness for long periods of time. The truth in that, I do not know. It has never been seen since the day the goddesses created the Golden Lands."

Link nodded. "He says thanks for the information, though. That clears some things up."

"You are welcome, Master Link. Do you require anything else?"

He shook his head and waved to Phlo and Aeon before leaving the room. He walked down the stairs and out of the inn. Link left the town and called Epona to him. He mounted the mare and rode off towards the lake. It took him the rest of the day to get to the next town. He arrived in the early morning so he merely made a camp at the outskirts of the town and rested for a few hours.

In the morning, Link got up and went into town. He got some dried meat, more carrots for Epona, and some other sundry items. When he was finished refilling his supplies, Link left the town and filled Epona's saddlebags. After he did that, he mounted the mare once again and rode to the forest south of the lake.

At the forest's edge he sighed and dismounted Epona. The mare could not get through the tangled brush, so he took off some of the saddlebags that he thought he might need before allowing her to run off. Burdened with the extra weight, Link pushed his way into the forest.

It was dark in the forest; he was barely able to see the sky through the canopy. Link found himself having to cut a path through the forest many times. By the time night was falling, Link broke through a line of shrubs and low trees into a large clearing. Link stared at the visage he was greeted with.

In the clearing stood a large, low, and sprawling white marble building. It was covered in vines, but the forest did not seem to dare to grow closer to the shrine. Gardens that looked like the might once have been orderly were run through with weeds and strong flowers. The red rays of the sun glinted off of elegant stained glass windows. Through the windows Link could see that there were torches that were lit.