I'm sorry for the long, long wait in updates, everyone. These last few months have left me pretty busy and sadly this story suffered for it. Thankfully I'm back and I'll be picking things up from where last chapter left off, Link making one hell of a first impression and making a new friend.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 5-Suspicious Beginnings
The late summer rain pelted the training ground nonstop. Such weather was probably the worst kind to be out in. Naturally, a vast majority of citizens had gone indoors, and those unfortunate enough to be caught in the rain doing their best to get out of it. Looking up to the sky, one could have caught the occasional flash of lightning and heard a boom of thunder, often so faint and so fast that it could have merely been a trick of the rain. Or it wasn't. Rumors were abound that somewhere there was a storm and Hyrule, or at least Castle Town, was getting the outer rims of it. Ultimately, it was weather that no one wanted to be in.
Granted, there were those who had no choice, such as the latest batch of cadets for the Hyrule Army.
"Rather under a blazing sun, dreary rain, freezing snow, or battering storms, we shall fight."
Such was the creed of the Hyrule Army. Reciting it often filled the troops with a sense of patriotic pride and valor; living up to it though? Well, that was a different matter entirely as this latest batch of recruits were finding out.
Almost half of them had never rain through the rain as they were doing now, and definitely not while carrying backpacks filled with rocks. Poking a hole in one's bag or that of another to lighten their load was strictly forbidden. Every year, dozens of students attempted it, be it in harsh rain such as this or beneath a hot spring or summer sun. Every year, dozens of students paid the consequences, especially if they were training under the watchful eye of one of the Sheikah; Impa of the Sheik in particular was feared for her watchful eye. Some whispered that the woman couldn't possibly be normal, others answered that she wasn't. She was after all, a Sheik. They were the bodyguards of the royal family, having the eyes of hawks was a requirement for them. While good for the royal family, for the recruits who were had to train under her…not so much.
Except for one.
One recruit stood out amongst the others, something that was becoming a bit of an open secret.
His name was Link, Link Axely, and he was trotting through the rain with his given pack with little to no issue. While he wasn't the only one doing so, a number of eyes kept on straying toward him, curiosity shining in some and resentment in the eyes of others. Most were simply waiting to see if he would do anything spectacular like sprout wings and begin to fly through the rain.
No such thing happened. Grim-faced, he trudged on, running at an even pace as he'd been ordered to. His blue eyes remained focused on the road ahead, though there were times when they did swerve to a different direction. If he saw someone beginning to stumble or fall behind, he would change his pace, even reach out to help them up. It was a gesture that was largely appreciated, but it left them in awe of how he was able to put up with such training. Some took his example as encouragement and found it in themselves to keep on going, to keep pushing themselves through the cold weather. It helped that there where whispers that when it was all over with, there'd be a nice warm fire place and hopefully some blankets waiting for them.
Though Impa had every intention of bestowing such things onto the recruits, they had to get to the end of the training course first. Cloaked in a shadow robe, she watched them go, her ruby-red eyes peering through the group of twenty army cadets as if they were flowers and she a gardening. She'd spent years doing this, getting the watching down to a near artform, something that she was somewhat proud of. If she couldn't spot the smallest breaches in conduct amongst her recruits, how was she to do her job of bodyguarding? She needed no checkboard as she mentally jotted down every "slip up" she saw; such things were filed away for when the exercise ended and scores were tallied up. This batch of recruits were about to learn that when Impa was out of sight that probably meant that she was watching them. Some may have called it a little harsh, some of her fellow instructors did, but it was how Impa trained future soldiers. Over the years she'd had her failures…and her successes. She could look back on her record and proudly say she'd done well.
Impa's ears buzzed at the faint clap of thunder overhead. This storm was probably going to drag on for the rest of the afternoon and likely only end at night. That time would be used to allow the recruits time to rest and heal; they were going to need it as she could see some of them had been pushed to their breaking point. While she didn't hold it against them, she knew that more training was going to have to be directed their way to toughen them up, specifically without completely breaking them.
Link wasn't going to be amongst that group, he belonged in a different category, which he proved with this latest round of training.
Over the years, Impa had silently observed how in almost every crop, there were a few "golden eggs" so to speak. These were the natural-borne soldiers and survivors, those who possessed either innate or prior training before joining the armor. Most of the time, such people were the children of former soldiers themselves-they'd been raised with their parents combat and survival-centered knowledge. Watching Link over these last almost two weeks had solidified in her opinion that he must have been one of them, or he was one of those with an innate knowledge. But there was a little more to it than that.
He knew a little more than how to swing a sword or ready an arrow, he knew how to maintain them as well. Brief as it was, she'd seen him dip by and give some pointers to his fellow recruits when they were struggling to grasp the basics of weapon upkeep. Then there were times like this such as when he took to the field and showed his physical capability. In the short time he'd formally joined the army as a green recruit, Impa had come to enjoy watching Link in action. It always felt like she was watching a trained soldier at work. Which was something that also worried her.
Impa's ruby eyes narrowed as she saw one of the recruits get close to Link a little too close. She saw through the rain as a lone finger was pulled out; even from such a distance, she could sense the thin pulse of magic circulating through it. Immediately, she felt an impulsive desire to speak out, or even dash forth and stop the recruit, but Impa held herself back. She was supposed to be an impartial instructor, she'd held that record strong for years and couldn't break it.
A second later and she saw there was no need to break it.
Somehow sensing the approaching finger, Link picked up his pace, moving ahead just enough to stay out of his fellow recruit's range. He was also perspective enough to see the coming log that the group was going to have to jump over. Jump over it he did, his would-be-saboteur only half made it, tripping over himself and spilling his bag of rocks across the rain-soaked ground. Laughter and groans sounded from the rest of the group, the groans coming from those in the back who know how to change course to get around the small leak of rocks that would no doubt trip them up. Impa held back a smile on her face and kept on moving through the woods, unseen and unnoticed by her recruits. They were almost finished with three-quarters of the course completed.
For a handful, they'd already reached the end. They collapsed onto the cold ground, panting and wheezing, clearly unable to go on. Impa made a series of hand signs and in a poof of smoke appeared two shadow clones. They quickly dispersed, running toward the downed recruits and taking them up then vanishing in more puffs of smoke. Their bag of rocks were left behind to be collected at another time, perhaps later on in the night when the storm had ended. Speaking of which, Impa looked up and saw the tiniest breaks in the clouds. Just as the obstacle course was ending so too was the storm. Mother nature had apparently decided that this batch of cadets had been through enough for one day. Perhaps next time they'd be able to push themselves further, but for now, Impa wouldn't disparage their progress.
"Shiiiit, I thought that was never going to be end and we'd never feel sweet warmth again!" Gideon groaned quickly wrapping the blanket around himself like his life depended on it. He was far from alone as many other green recruits did the same. The fireplace became a crowded field of shivering army recruits, teeth chatting and curses such as the one muttered by Gideon flying freely. The male brunette felt a sneeze coming on, but held it back as he looked to his fellow recruit. He too was wrapped up in warm blanket, but Link took it a step further.
Holding up his finger, he ignited a small flame. It came after a prayer to the goddess Din, no, it was a spell incantation. Gideon was quietly taken back hearing it. Ever since meeting Link, he'd learned many things by observing him, little by little. One of the things that stood out to him was the blond Hylian had quite an array of skills hidden away, practically one for every situation. Though he proclaimed himself no sorcerer, he knew a little magic. As far as Gideon and several others were concerned, that "little" were game changers and fueled their curiosity all the more. Link stretched out his hand to his friend and allowed the warmth of the flame to wash over him. As he leaned back in his seat, he sighed in relaxation.
"Not the worst run through the rain I've ever done, but the first time carrying a bunch of rocks." Chuckled the blond. "You know, I'm thinking a nice hot bath will be an order."
"You better be ready to hustle for it because you're not going to be the only one thinking that. Gah, the good ones are probably going to be taken by the golden bunch leaving the rest of us to fight over everything else." There was a beat as the green-eyed recruit leered at his friend. Leaning in close, he whispered, "Unless you have some hypno magic stored away, if so, we've got some plans to make."
Continuing to laugh, Link rolled his shoulders. "Sorry, but like I said, I'm not a sorcerer, nor do I have any magic like that stored away. Trust me, Gideon, if I did, I've have used it to get us some better barrack beds." It wasn't like Link was expecting special treatment or anything after his…showing at his recruitment audition. From a bird's perspective, he'd made a splash, but he was still another fish in a big lake. Particularly, he was still a commoner amongst dozens of others, some better-off recruits, and of course the children of the nobility and upper class who could use their influence to land themselves better housing even if they were only rookie recruits like him. "Hey, if you want, we could always try stealing some pillows, how's that sound?"
Gideon's cat-like grin glowed brighter than the fire. "Oh, I am so on board with that."
"Why does it sound like you two are plotting trouble again?"
"Because they likely are."
The two males chuckled while wrapped up in their blankets. Both wore absolutely one-hundred percent innocent smiles on their faces as their table was joined by two new members, both of whom Link and Gideon had become somewhat acquainted with during the first rounds days turned weeks of training.
First to take his seat was the one who'd spoke first. A redhead of about five-six with freckles on his face. He looked far more youthful than either of his fellow recruits, something he'd been teased on, in both good faith and in bad. He thought better of those who did the former, and looked past his appearance and saw him for his skills. Said skills lay with the bow making him something of a rival to Link, one that he'd been fostering a growing respect for. Well, respect for his archery and ability to sniff out whenever trouble was coming around, a skill that Link himself somewhat possessed. Azure blue eyes looked between Link and Gideon, annoyance swelling within them before an exuberated sigh escaped him. He clearly saw where the conversation was going and wondered if he had any strength to detour his two friends from following their proposed course of action.
His companion, the fourth member of the group, had seemingly already given up on trying to dissuade them. "If you two are going to steal some pillows, knab me some, will you?" The brunette stood at about an inch taller than the archer, her chocolate brown hair sharply contrasting to her bright caramel-colored eyes. Said eyes looked between Link and Gideon with a small blooming smile on her face. Unlike their redheaded friend, she seemed more willing to lay back and watch, at least until someone did something truly stupid.
"What, the pillows in the girls' dorms aren't as good as all they're cracked up to be?" Gideon chirped with mild curiosity. Women fighting on the battlefield wasn't a new concept, it was as old as the concept of men fighting. Man, woman, when danger was afoot, gender mattered little and actions did. Women were just as capable of being active as men; all one needed to do was look to Lady Impa and the handful of other female army instructors, and one could look further to the professional soldiers defending the kingdom now. On the trainee level, the level that the four sat at, there was still some…division. Said division physically manifested itself in the different dorms-one for the men and one for the women. Sexism was a constant, as was peeping, which happened every year, with every batch of candidates, such was the nature of mankind. Emphasis on "man", though from time to time, the girls were willing to indulge themselves.
"Cath," Link began. "Why do I have a feeling that you want us to go after someone specific?"
The brunette made an expression mock shock. "Who? Me? Having it out for someone, why I'd never! You, Link, on the other hand, seem to have already picked up quite a few admirers."
Once the topic was brought up, the four recruits looked in a single direction, annoyance forming on the faces of three and indifference on the face of the last member. Ironically, it was Link who looked on with indifference in spite of him being the target of the attempted sabotage. Of course, that wasn't to say he was completely indifferent. Like his friends, he was a little peeved at the stunt pulled by his fellow, albeit noble-blooded, recruit. He just chose to move on past it, as he did with most things that were somewhat beneath his notice. That's how he viewed the dirty blonde-haired recruit almost twenty feet away from him, surrounded by his usual entourage. It was a far cry from the small circle of friends that Link sat with, but he would take the four seated around him over the groupies crowding around Ackley Atterton.
Through the crowd, the teenage noble spotted the group's collective glare. He paid them no mind save for Link. Sage green eyes stared back into Link's dispassionate blue. Just like the last several times, Ackley seemed to be searching for a reaction, but as with before, Link gave him none. He silently told him that he was aware of the stunt he'd tried to pull and that the next time he tried one, the results would be the same. Ackley's lips twitched in irritation at the thought, but he covered it fast. As much of a prick as he was, Ackley knew how to keep himself composed, at least in public. That composure crumbled as a kunai suddenly planted itself on the table he was sitting at. Everyone jumped back, all save for two, Ackley and his bodyguard. Green eyes widened, then narrowed as a snarl of annoyance colored the dirty blonde's face. Any thoughts of spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing had effectively been dashed. Link watched with a slight smirk as the rest of Ackley's group began to look around, no doubt fearing that they were going to be marked next.
"Seems like you knew that was coming, Link."
"What can I say, Olin. I know that Impa's eyes are as sharp as a hawk. Try anything funny and odds are she'll catch you. What comes next depends on what sort of mood she's in or how severe your stunt was. For our dear future Duke Atterton, any predictions?" Finished the blond Hylian with a grin that reached his three friends.
Cathleen snickered as she went first. "Doing maintenance work on all the weapons in the armory."
"Having to run another few dozen laps, then having to get up and do early morning exercises with the rest o us." Olin put forth with a slight smile similar to Link's own.
Gideon looked between all of his friends, his hand on his cheek and a lazy smile on his face. "Serving as the practice dummy tomorrow during live weapons training."
"Oh, I like that one." Link laughed.
"Hey, I'd like a chance at him too. I've heard tale of some special anti-magic arrows and I'd love to give them a try. I can think of no better practice dummy than Ackley." Olin chuckled, a sharp glint in his blue eyes. If there was one thing that always lit a fire in the human's soul was the potential to test out his archery skills. Just as Link had stood out for his good showing in open combat, the redhead had made a similar impression when it came to archery. Several had claimed that he was probably the best archer of this latest batch of recruits, a claim that Olin never quite denied. What he did acknowledge was that he still had some ways to go. His mouth opened to speak again, only to be cut off by a sudden sneeze, one that sent the rest of the group recoiling.
"Yeeeah, it looks like someone might have caught a cold out there. Or the makings of one. Come on, let's go to the infirmary to make sure that you aren't coming down with something." Gideon declared standing up and politely tapping the archer on the shoulder. "Better safe than sorry, right?"
"Right, something like that." Olin responded wiping his nose. He was strong, at least strong enough that he could shake off a little cold, but as Gideon had said, it was better safe than sorry. "I suppose if anything happens, we'll hear about it."
"You're going on like if you leave me alone the fireplace will sudden burst forth, change into a monster, and try to burn everyone alive." The blond Hylian joked.
Cathleen snickered again, "Hey, you never know, especially since last I heard that High Mage Leno is still pissed off at you for destroying that automaton."
"Again, it was out of control, thus I acted in the way that I knew I had to." Link defended.
"I second that. Besides, if he hadn't that thing would have squashed everyone at the training field, including yours truly." Gideon called, mock horror in his voice at the memory. In truth, he was actually smiling. "Anyways, if any of that happens, Link, you'll handle it! Me and Olin will come to back you and Cath up!" With t hose cheery words, he departed with the archer, flashing a thumbs up sign on his way out.
Link watched them go with a lazy smile. That was Gideon Marczak, his best friend, his first ever best friend. Quite interesting considering they'd only known each other for about two weeks, two and a half weeks to be generous. Yet in that time, they two had formed a good rampart. Gideon was the one that Link had stuck to, primarily because he was practically the first person he'd really interacted with since officially joining the army. The two of them were new recruits, just like the dozens of others around the lobby. A seed of friendship had formed and continued to grow. The same went for Olin Balance and Cathleen "Cath" Lynch, the "runaway heiress". Much like Link, she'd gained a fair amount of attention for certain reasons, albeit unlike Link, her familial history was a little more well-known. Her father was amongst the kingdom's newest counts, not to mention one of the richest men in the land. Rumors abound that he'd used his money to sneak Cathleen into the army.
As Link had discovered after his second week, that was nothing more than an attempt to undermine the character of an admittable capable woman. A woman who'd decided to break with her father and pursue the path of a warrior than a soldier. After watching her rather masterfully handle a spear and horse, Link fostered a respect for her. When they were put up against each other in a horse race, he reached out and sparked a friendship with her. Their friendship gave way to one between her and Gideon, himself an equestrian enthusiast.
"You know it's only going to escalate, especially as we start heading off further into the year, right?" Cath began. Though her eyes were closed and face directed toward him, Link knew her focus was actually on Ackley, by now having risen from his seat with the kunai knife in hand. His expression was very much that of a child about to be given a reprimand by their parent; such a sight was cause for mockery and laughter by some. It would be a lie to say that Cath wasn't amongst that grouping. She held a small smile on her lips as she listened to the footsteps of her fellow recruit. Naturally. Brian was moving with him. One look from the black-haired man and some of the laughter ceased.
"Until he actually does something to put himself on my radar, he can do whatever he wants. I can take a little mischief, if I couldn't I never would have made it at my uncle's place." Waved off the Hylian. He rose from his seat and walked over to the tray of freshly brewed tea. Taking two, he returned and handed one to Cathleen. Tea drinking was considered something of a mark of the nobility; Link could never really get into it. It tasted fine and there were some brews he enjoyed, but at the end of the day it simply wasn't for him. Cathleen on the other hand had a taste for it so when in her presence, Link was willing to make do. On top of that, he could use something warm in his system. "From the moment I met him, I knew what kind of person he was. If I can get through my training without bashing heads with him, I'll be happy."
"For someone who's probably the best fighter of us new recruits, you're pretty modest." Cath mused. It was something about him that had interested her-the mysterious golden recruit who'd apparently been scouted out by Impa herself. That by itself was attention-grabbing as Princess Zelda's bodyguard was amongst the most enigmatic figures around. For her to take an interest in someone meant that someone had to be special. So far, Cath could say that she was seeing a little of it in Link. He was surprisingly humble, or maybe withdrawn was the word for it. "Do you see the two of you eventually coming to blows?"
"Definitely." The Hylian responded almost immediately. Cathleen couldn't help but note the slight excitement in his voice.
"Why not just settle this now? Autumn's around the corner and I feel it'd be the perfect time to challenge him, or are you waiting for him to make the first move?" The brunette pressed.
Link laced his hands together, a shudder running through him. "I don't start fights, I end them, or at least…that's how it usual ends."
"Will you ever tell me about some of those adventures?" Cath inquired.
"Damn, not even waiting a month, are you?"
Cath leered at him with razor sharp eyes. Most people saw her as a beauty, which wasn't exactly wrong, Cathleen was quite attractive, a surprising height of five-foot-seven, hourglass hips, short chocolate brown hair and matching hazel-colored eyes. She was every bit the noblewoman that she was likely destined to be, but there was more to Cathleen Lynch than her looks. Her institution was sharp as they came, and she was pretty good with a spear and on top of a horse. When her curiosity was piqued, she followed it; such curiosity had led her to Link, and he could honestly say that a part of him was happy for her at times nosey behavior. Cathleen had deduced that he had a bit of a nosey nature himself making them similar. Strange minds think alike.
"Maybe when spring arrives, or perhaps earlier than that when winter comes and forces us all indoors. I pray that we aren't sent up north."
"Ergh, you and everyone else. I hate the cold." The brunette grumbled causing Link to chuckle. "Tell me, where exactly do you stand on the time of the year when snow falls and practically all life slows to a crawl?"
Link had to admit, Cathleen always had an interesting way of putting things, probably the in-born aristocrat in her. Her words caused his mind to jump back to his first true experience with snow and ice-the fittingly named region of Snowhead in Termina. The land's northern most region, home to the native Goron tribe who were suffering under an endless winter that their champion had failed to stop-yet another branch of the curse the Skull Kid, no, Majora, had inflicted upon Termina. Link had never seen such heavy snowfall before, nor had he ever experience such bitter cold. To say that charting a path through the harsh snow and eventual twisted Snowhead Temple had been daunting would have been an understatement. There were times when Link had quite literally gotten himself trapped with no hope of escape, found himself nearly frozen to death, or even plummeting to his death. When he rewound time back to the start of the first three days he would often gasp at his chest, the fear of death still lingering within him like a wintery chill. More than a few times he'd stared at passing fires, and even wrapped himself up in blanket after blanket, much to the confusion of others. A great sense of power fell over him when he gained the fire arrows.
From there, things grew mercifully easier to handle. It all climaxed in his final battle against not some elemental entity like his journey through the previous Water Temple or some possessed armor or body, no, he'd gotten to fight a giant mechanical bull that could squash him flat if he wasn't careful. In the battle against Goht, he'd called upon all the strength Darmani's spirit could offer, then he brought forth the full power of his newly gained fire arrows when the mechanical monster's vulnerable eye was exposed. How ironic it was that after exploring an ice-based dungeon, his final battle in said dungeon involved his blood racing, friction keeping his Goron body hot, and his bow releasing one blazing arrow after another.
"Let's just say, I know that no matter how cold the weather around you may be, so long as you keep your spirit burning hot, you shouldn't have anything to worry about." Finally admitted the blond Hylian after finishing his reminiscing.
Cath threw back her head and laughed, a jolly sound that brought a bright smile to Link's face. Her laugh attracted some attention, and glares, mostly aimed at him.
"Such sagely words. Speaking of which, was one of your parents a sage? Or a priest?"
"Nope, I'm just a simple young man who's walked a very long and interesting life before arriving here." Nonchalantly responded the teenager.
"Interesting answer for a guy who still hasn't grown any facial hair."
"Hey, I'm trying, just can't seem to stick, at least not yet. Nor do I want to be one of those guys with a shaggy 'ole beard, especially one that needs to be breaded."
Giggling, the brunette leaned over and began to trace an outline on his face. Link's lips again twitched into a smile. "A shame, I think you're one of those guys who could rock the brained beard look. I imagine you'd attract quite a bit of female attention, maybe even the princess herself. That is, if it's female attention you're interested in." Hazel eyes cackled with amusement as she stressed out that last bit. Clearly, she was waiting on a reaction.
Link decided to give her one as he politely pushed her finger back. "For the record, I'm into women. In regards to that, there's no girl out there that's caught my eye, nor do I rank attracting women high on my list of priorities. I can think about all of that stuff after I've made it through one year of training and I'm on my way to knighthood." He proclaimed in a slight assertive voice. Link truly had spoken his mind; romance indeed wasn't high on his list of priorities, especially since for all the time he spent around his female coworkers at the Verdant Wind, love was still a…tricky subject for him. Again, his mind drifted back to Termina where he witnessed the romantic bond between Kafei and Anju, a bond that had engrained itself into his mind. Over the years, he'd seen others, but that first impression stuck with him. Attempting to replicate it, especially when he was still so considerable young was…not something he wanted to think about. "What about you, Cath? Surely at some point your father's going to start pestering you about getting married."
Her smile morphing into a frown, the round-eared woman crossed her arms and pouted. "Yes, I'm quite aware of that, Link. And quite frankly, like you, I'd like to keep that thought as far away as possible, albeit I feel our reasons may slightly differ. Tell me, in your encounters with the cold, have you ever met any yetis?"
Link blinked at her. "Yetis? I think they exist, but no, I haven't met any. Have you?"
"The remains of one." Cath responded taking a long sip of her tea. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the way Link's eyes rose, ever so slightly. She knew that he'd done some adventuring before joining the Hylian Army. It was evident in the way he moved and responded to others, the quickness of an experience warrior along with the tempered control of a veteran. A small spark of joy flickered in her knowing that she had apparently seen something that he hadn't. "It's skull is on display in one of my father's trophy rooms. Heh, well, trophies that he bought instead of really earning. Looking at it, I vowed that one day, I'd have a yeti skull of my own, though taken from a defeated yeti instead of bought for a pretty penny."
"The things that people will spend rupees on." Link bemoaned.
"Hey, when you have the money for it, why not. Not to mention, when you're trying to impress people, you sometimes have to be prepared to pay out some money. That is if you care about stuff like that. It never really took to me, but my father is one such person. One day you may end up meeting him."
"How's about meeting all of us?" Gideon's cheery voice sounded. The blond and brunette moved to see the green-eyed recruit approaching them with Olin in toe. Somewhat surprisingly, there was a light blush on his face. Link and Cath shared a quick look between one another, their curiosity being piqued yet again. The archer was carrying two cups in his hand, as were Gideon who took his original seat across from Link and beside Cath while Olin sat beside the Hylian. "I heard some talk about love and parents. Anything we need to be made aware of?"
"Yes, I hate this blend of tea." Link drily muttered even while taking a sip of the cup Olin had brought. A second passed and his face brightened. He looked to Olin then to Gideon, both humans grinned at him. "Did you two get these from a different place than ours?"
Olin's eyes flashed and his blush brightened. "You could say that. Ahem, a toast to surviving another day of training?"
The other three raised their cups and toasted, smiles on all their faces. Long gone was the coldness born from running through the rain, which had stopped outside. Several had gathered near the window to watch as the rain stopped. Late summer sun light shined through the clouds, even creating a rainbow in some places. It was quite a wondrous sight, perhaps the last rainbow that some would be seeing for some time.
Hyrule Castle, Mage Corps…
Impa's skin tickled at the cost tingle of magic in the air, such was the nature of the side of the castle she was now in. Hyrule Castle was a massive on its own, but what made it even larger was how connected it was to some other institutions, several of which were tightly tied to the daily affairs of the castle. For starters, there was the sector she worked in, the military. The army barracks were the "right arm" of the castle grounds, containing a majority of the army barracks, training arenas, armories, and so forth. Such a position was decided upon centuries ago during Hyrule's founding. The army had held the position of "right arm" with pride for all these years; it was pride that Impa carried with her.
Opposite of them was the magical side of things-the Mage's Corp as it came to be called about one-hundred fifty years ago. Hyrule had a substantial amount of magic-users, especially the royal family; the daughters of the royal family almost always bearing the divine power of the goddess Hylia. While mighty, it wasn't the only magical power in the land. According to legend, Hyrule's first queen had openly invited traveling sorcerers to come and settle down in the blooming kingdom. It was a decision that yielded great benefit years and years down the line. The Spellcaster's Ward had gained the title of "left arm", which fitted as the kingdom's sorcerers took up domain to the left side of Hyrule Castle. Seconds within stepping into the territory, one could feel the raw magical power in the air, borne from the hundreds of sorcerers and sorceresses that moved about the area, often casting at least three spells on average a day.
An average day was what this was. Young and old mages alike walking down the halls, some of them being tailed by mystical familiars either assigned to them or created. Impa was aware that the art of summoning was one of the offered courses, as well as one of the ones with the most potential to yield a "golden egg". Commanding nature spirits, monsters, and otherworldly spirits all fell under the umbrella of summoning magic. Impa had encounter the art herself and could personally say that it could be quite powerful; of course, there was also the margin for error as just because someone summoned something didn't necessarily mean that someone could fully control it. There was a long history of summoners' summonings going out of control, at times ending fatally for the summoner in question. Above all else, the summoning of demons and dark spirits was strictly forbidden. Mercifully, it'd been several years since the last "incident" and no mage, either young, middle-aged, or old, had attempted such a feat. Part of that might have been because there were other magical interests to pursue.
It was one of those interest that had brought Impa here. Well, sort of.
She knocked once and was given permission to come in, which she did without hesitation. The office was quite large, as befitting of one of Hyrule's strongest sorcerers, one of its four Archmages to be precise. Several book cases lined the walls, not all the shelves stacked with books but instead ideals and flasks containing various oddly-colored liquids and mystical artifacts. Like the rest of the left wing, it was heavy with the feel of magic, the strongest concentration of it being the man sitting behind the massive desk in front of her.
"Impa," He spoke in a cordial voice while silently offering her a seat without looking up from the massive tome that he was currently invested in.
Such a sight was quite familiar to the Sheik. "I have a request." She immediately stated.
"Of course you do." Leno responded still not looking up from his tome. Impa waited a solid two minutes for him to respond; in passing that margin, she realized he wasn't going to turn down her request. Not immediately at least. "What is it?"
"I would like a list of materials you require to fix the automaton." Immediately stated the Sheikah woman. Leno's eyebrows rose in curiosity to her statement; he knew that there was more to her request than that. Impa continued to hold his gaze, her demeanor remaining as unreadable as it usually was. "Not only that, I would like to know what materials are needed to create a more…sufficient one. I wish to create more to use as sparring dummies for army recruits."
The arched eyebrow remained raised. "Last I checked, we could simply carve out wooden dummies, animate them with magic and your recruits will have everything they need to whack at for."
"I want them to have more sufficient training, which will require better sparring opponents. The type of wooden dummies that you're suggesting wouldn't last through a single day of training."
"Impa, I severely doubt that." The sorcerer shot back without missing a beat. "Should the matter be that important, just put stronger enchantments on the practice dummies."
Internally, Impa rolled her eyes. It seemed the mage was really going to make her spell out what she wanted, or rather, what she could offer him. Not exactly surprising, but annoying none the less. Fine, she'd play this game with him, it's not like she hadn't done it before. "Alright, let's put it this way-you can use this opportunity for more research." She saw it, a flash interest in his eyes that told Impa that she had him hooked; all she had to do was reel him in, which would be child's play. "As you know, that automaton was created from technology taken from the Delos Ruins. Let me go bring back some more material from there. I did promise that I would pay for the golem's damages, didn't I?"
Leno laced his fingers together, his sharpened eyes never leaving Impa's crimson orbs. "That you did, and frankly I would have taken respirations." It wouldn't have been the first time, and it certainly wouldn't have been the last. For as much as he enjoyed heckling Impa on whatever damages some new sword-wielding buffoon incurred, Leno knew that the kingdom's magic corps could be no better. They could in fact sometimes be worse. "I'm more than willing to accept your offer, Impa."
"I figured you would, Leno." The Archmage's lips briefly curled into a small smile. "I'll be asking you for a list of specifics."
"You know, I could always send some of my mages with you, just make this an actual expedition." Offered the hazel-eyed sorcerer. A minute passed in which he watched the ninja warrior, quietly reading her intentions as he always did. "Ah, so this will be a personal venture just as much as it is an apology. Well, it's no secret that the ruins have their fair share of booby traps that I'm sure a Sheikah like yourself would be keen to test yourself against. Does Princess Zelda know about this?"
"Not yet, but I intend on telling her. It should be a quick mission, lasting maybe four days at the most."
"A bit of a bold assumption. The ruins can be quite complex and dangerous, such is the reason why we believe we've barely explored ten-percent of them so far." Cautioned the gray-bearded man.
"I'm aware, Leno." Impa replied leaning over and placing her elbows on his desk. Tomb exploration was a dangerous business, though that was also part of the glamor of it, a glamor that lured in countless adventurers. More often than not, the danger was found, sometimes more than what the explorer in question was bargaining for. Impa was humble enough to admit that sometimes that had been the case with her. Luckily, she had several years of wisdom and experience on her side. "So, what do you say?"
The archmage leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard, a habit that indicated he was sitting on the idea. Now more than ever did Leno look like the model of a sorcerer-dressed ins his wizarding robes while sitting in this book-laden office, a heavyset tome which held his attention before she came along. Such an image was one that Leno worked hard to cultivate. He was a self-admitted traditionalist, at least when it came to the mystic arts. He was a proud magician, and with that pride had came a rather stereotypical low view of warriors who fought with wood and steel. Though the Sheik could fit into that category, they were not just warriors, they were bodyguards, spies, assassins, and even sorcerers who had developed their own magical arts. Leno knew that when he first met Impa those thirteen years ago; he'd seen traits belonging to those roles over the years and they'd left him with a quiet respect for the red-eyed woman.
Even amongst her fellow Sheik, she stood out, she'd strived to stand out; she'd succeeded. Impa was without a doubt one of the most capable individuals in the entire kingdom.
By his count, she'd been out on twenty-eight solo missions, and either whole or bloody, had returned alive from each of them. He was confident that this time would be no different.
"Alright, just let me get the maps for you, otherwise you'll be stumbling around in the dark and potentially at risk of losing a limb. Or touching something you'd best not."
Impa smirked. She remembered how on one of her earlier exploratory ventures there was a quiet debate about if a Sheik could be cursed. Her people were of the shadow affinity, of all things dark and deadly. If anything, they were the type to inflict curses on unlucky individuals. Ultimately, she'd came back none the worse for wear putting the rumor to rest, for a time at least. It flared up every now and then, especially when she went some place particularly dangerous, this seemed like it was going to be one of those kinds of trips.
Granted, given the location she was heading to, Impa severely doubted that the rumors would flare up too intensely. After all, she was heading to a place that was heavy with not necessarily magic, but technology. Which happened to be fueled by magic the likes of which the Mages Corps had been salivating to get their hands on and study. Impa would be the one to perhaps give them their wish.
"Give me a list of materials, I'll come back for it tomorrow morning." She proclaimed. "Before you ask, I plan on telling Princess Zelda before supper. I'll ensure that she has adequate protection while I'm gone."
"Which I'm sure won't be long." Leno chuckled. "On the positive side, with you away, perhaps it'll give the Princess an opportunity to push herself." He paid no mind to the sudden sharpness her eyes took on. All he did was chuckle then lean back over his desk, his eyes refocusing on the time that still lay in front of him. "Thank you for stopping by and presenting this offer to me, Impa, I appreciate it."
That was his way of saying the conversation was over, for now anyway.
"Thank you for your time, Leno." Drily spoke the Sheikah woman, spinning on her heel and heading for the door. All things considered the meeting could have gone worse. At the very lest he wasn't directly asking for Link to make respirations. It wasn't that often that recruits were asked to, but it could happen from time to time, especially if Leno was in a foul mood.
As she walked out of the office and into the halls, she turned her mind on the various meetings she was going to have to be making, the arrangements as well. First and foremost, she had to notify the princess, and ensure that she was in capable hands until she returned.
"On the positive side, with you away, perhaps it'll give the Princess an opportunity to push herself."
Impa mentally rolled her eyes recalling the remark. Of course, Leno just had to throw that jab in. He was just in a long list who saw her protectiveness of the princess as being overbearing…not that it was that. She was merely doing her job, and some days that job was harder to do than most knew; ironically, that meant that Impa was doing her job well. It wouldn't bode well for the public to know how often the royal family came to death or some other unfortunate mishap. Such things were best left either buried in the shadows or known only centuries afterward. Yet again, that would be another example of a job well done as far as she was concerned.
On the subject of safety, she'd have to devise a training regiment while she was gone. There were plenty of army officers who could oversee it and the recruits while she was gone, some of whom would even look forward to the whole thing. A thin smirk formed on her lips at the possibility of putting the recruits through some "heavy duty" training; normally, Impa was against such things, but this year's batch seemed a little more…skilled than she'd been expecting. Or namely, there was one recruit who possessed a level of skill that had aroused Impa's interests.
Truth be told, that was the other thing that she'd be disappointed over-the inability to oversee Link's training, to find out more about him.
What is it about the boy? Given her job, reading people was something that Impa had developed into a skill, a necessary skill at that. Detecting when someone was hiding something was a necessity, and she could tell that Link Axely was hiding something. She didn't believe that something was insidious, but it bugged her. By her nature, she couldn't allow that to continue, especially if her first assumption turned out to be wrong; Impa knew all too well that sometimes, by the time that realization was reached it was too late to do anything about it. Hm, I shouldn't focus so much of my energy on him. I shall wait and see for my own eyes who and what he truly is.
Above all else, Impa knew one thing for sure regarding Link-he was going to have an impact of some sort. Whatever impact that was…Impa couldn't' deny that she was curious.
Hyrule Army Mess Hall, the Next Morning…
"Something's got all the mages excited, my guess is they're going to be getting a new toy to play with." Gideon proclaimed in response to the question that had been lingering on everyone's minds. It had just been answered, somewhat. After Gideon's proclamation, practically everyone turned their attention to Link.
He took the joint gazes with stride, as he always did. "That automaton that I busted up on my first day?" The Hylian drily inquired. A series of nods affirmed his suspicion. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his seat. "I suppose I'm lucky that I'm not being personally asked to account for it."
"To be fair, asking you to make any sort of respirations is so ridiculous I'm not sure anyone would take it seriously." Cathleen stated. "If anything, more heat would come down on the Mage Corps since the automaton was their responsibility. In running amok is primarily their fault."
"Yep, but you cut it down thus you got one hell of a rep boost." Olin chuckled, which set off a reaction from the rest of the table save for Link. "Call it a hunch, but maybe this means you'll have a bigger and killer robot to go up against."
Admittedly, Link felt his lips twitch in excitement at the thought. He wouldn't exactly say his battle against the automaton was anything to write home about, though it had posed a greater challenge than the animated practice dummy that he'd been fighting before. A thrill raced through him at the possibility of fighting an automaton that actually knew it was in a fight and could fight back beyond wild wailing.
"See, he's already daydreaming about hacking and slashing his way through legions of killer robots." Gideon chuckled, his voice brining Link back to reality. A twinge of embarrassment pulsed through him as the rest of his friends snickered at his short-lived daydreaming; he knew at heart though he wasn't the only one thinking of what a challenge combat training could be. Such feelings were evident in the grins in on their faces as he looked each of them in the eye. Link suspected that if he reached beyond their little corner of the table, his sentiment would be shared. It wasn't like Link was the only battle-hungry one amongst their class, far from it.
"So, is there any actual concrete information out there, or is all of this just speculation?" Link inquired.
"Ahem, I believe I can shed some light on that, if you're really that interested." Called an unidentified male voice from further down.
As one, four recruits looked downward, in Link and Olin's case, to their right, and Gideon and Cathleen's case, their left.
At first glance, his charming face should have put one on guard, it certainly did for Cathleen, who'd been the initial target of his attempted charms. His dark green eyes were what had given him away-the fake charm in them that hid something else, something that put Cathleen on guard. Well, it was that and his history as a former thief. Ren didn't exactly try hard to hide his past, probably because he knew it would have been a waste of time.
"Alright, Ren," Link began, his blue eyes meeting his fellow Hylian's dark green. "I'll bite, what's the word?"
"Impa herself is taking a few days off to head to the Delos Ruins to find replacement parts for the bot you smashed." The black-haired recruit confessed, a thin smile pulling on his lips. It grew as he watched the way his fellow recruits' eyes lit up. "Knowing her, I'm willing to bet she might have made arrangements since she's going to be out for a little while. Sorry, but doesn't look like we'll be getting a few days off."
"Luckily, no one here's stupid enough to believe that we'd get off that easy." Cathleen declared. The rest of the group, including Ren, laughed. Especially Link.
But behind his laughter, the gears in his head were turning. Delos Ruins…well, it's not the worst possible place to be. I mean, at the very least there's no power-mad Gerudo warlord trying to dig up buried weapons and technology to bolster his power. Or eliminate any potential threats. On the positive side, this meant that any potential treasures that were there would be found and in Hyrule's hands. Hell, maybe if he was lucky some of those treasures could fall into his hands. Just go grab 'em. It'll be easy! You've done it hundreds of times before! A voice in the bellows of his mind declared. He…didn't openly say it, but it was true. Link had made dungeon exploring his hobby…after he'd spent two adventures having the fate of the land depending on him exploring ancient, creepy, and danger-filled temple complexes. Traversing said complexes had left him with The thing was, there was one big thing keeping him from indulging in his "habit"-he was no longer a traveling hero, or hell, just a traveler at all.
He was now a rookie recruit in the Hyrule Army, a literal grunt amongst thousands others even though he had experience and skills that far outstripped them all and put him on an entirely different level. For many in the mess hall at the moment, including his own friends, the thought of dungeon exploring was perhaps a fantastical dream at best; to Link, it was practically normal.
Which also raised another issue-if he ever did go dungeon exploring in the company of others, how would he explain how so easily knows what to do?
The answer hit him as his gaze drifted to Ren. Naturally, their eyes met and a silent tension enveloped the two of them.
Just as Link had been able to tell something was different about him, the former thief had been able to detect something not quite right about Link. He was far from alone in that category, but Ren approached Link with an air of caution that he wouldn't say was underserved. Personally, Link bore him no ill-will, especially considering his past occupation as a thief. From the black-haired Hylian's end, that lack of ill-will still wasn't enough for him to entirely let his guard down.
Something caught Ren's attention, Link could see it on his face. He immediately followed his gaze to the other side of the mess hall, two tables down. For Link's sharpened eyes, it was easy to follow his line of sight so he could see what had caused the sudden nervousness.
Link didn't know their names or faces, but Ren's alertness toward them told him that he needed to memorize them.
They were Hylians, which is something Link tried not to think about too much. One was a redhead, another a dirty blond, and the last one had blond hair of a similar shade to the second one, similar facial features too right down to the bright green eyes. That was enough for Link to deduce they were related by blood in some way, brothers perhaps. As for the third member, his eyes were blue, an azure blue that briefly met Link's own.
He felt his heart slam against his chest and a shiver run up his spine; Link knew the feeling all too well. A second after his eyes met the other recruit's, he looked back down at his food. He dared not look up, if he did he'd give himself away. Staring back down at his plate, he made it seem like his attention was back on filling his stomach instead of elsewhere. Odds were, his ploy wouldn't work, but it wouldn't hurt to try. At best, it might also buy him a little time to realize what sort of game he was getting drawn into.
Whatever it was, Ren had been pulled in as well. Link could see that when he briefly looked back at him, their gazes meeting. Street smarts was how people like him stayed alive, and such smarts were definitely useful in the army. Link was the same way as he'd gained some street smarts of his own; Ren recognized that in the brief seconds their eyes met. A silent agreement was made between the two of them.
"Link? Link? Still daydreaming?" Gideon called. "Any reason we should expect our food to be poisoned come lunch?"
Blinking, the blond Hylian looked back at his trio of friends. Indeed, there was a major difference between his past self and where he was now-he wasn't alone, and he wasn't the only skilled individual around.
I their own way, all of them were looking back at the other table where the trio of humans sat. None of them returned their gaze; even so, Link knew that they knew they were being watched.
"Cath?" Olin inquired.
The brunette let a smidgen of her annoyance show. "No, I don't know them, just like I didn't know most of you when I joined the army. That said, I suppose I can…ask around a little and see what I turn up."
"So, we have another enemy to add to the list? Geez, it hasn't even been a good two months." Olin muttered, seemingly disappointed that the only attention their little group seemed to be drawing was negative. The sharpened eyes the redhead prided himself on briefly swerved to the other table where the mysterious trio sat. They hadn't noticed him yet, which he was silently grateful for. "The one with the black-hair is ( ), he was another one of the recruits that was scouted out by army officers. Like you, Link, he's got a bit of a reputation to him. Supposedly he ran was raised by a mercenary company that taught him all you'd need to know about the battlefield."
"Which raises two questions, why the hell did you look to me on his identity." Cathleen drily sniped to which the other three boys chuckled. "Question number two…any chance of you two having a sparring match?" Her question was directed at Link, who stood up straighter, an indicator his attention had now been seized.
"Hey, maybe something can be arranged while General Impa's gone. It wouldn't surprise me if they arranged some sparring matches between the best students. If anything, I actually see it as something they'd use to motivate the rest of us. Heh, or make us look bad." Gideon offered causing the rest of the table to chuckle. His face grew serious once his gaze shifted to Link. Though he was in a joking mood, it was only a front. He'd been watching Link, and who he'd been watching. With his own eyes he'd seen the reactions he and Ren had when laying eyes on them, and having their surveillance discovered. "Olin, what else do you know about him and the other two? Do you have names for them?"
The archer shook his head. "No, but like Cathleen, I can ask around if you want me to." There was a pause as the four army recruits look around to each other. The pleasant mood they'd had had seemingly evaporated. After two bites from his apples, Olin finally voiced what he was sure everyone else was feeling. "Do you think they're going to be trouble?"
There was an air of uncertainty in his words, and it was clear to the other three. Was trouble referring to Hyrule…or was it referring to their little group? They already had the latter with Ackely and his entourage. That kind of trouble they could deal with rather easily, even make sport of it.
But Link had a feeling it wasn't that. Delos Ruins… He repeated in his head while he put on the appearance of going back to focusing on his breakfast. Gradually, the rest of his circle of friends did the same. It wasn't an entirely false façade as they all did have to get some food in their stomachs, today was going to be another day of training and for that they were going to need something to keep their bodies going. At least until they made it to lunch, which hopefully, they'd have provided no one did anything stupid. Lunch…maybe that'll be the time to ask her…
Yet again, another crazy idea had formed in Link's head, one that he felt was going to end either with him running extra laps and doing extra push-ups…or open the door to an avalanche of questions he wasn't ready to answer.
Training Field, 2:23 PM…
Here goes nothing! Exclaimed the blond Hylian as he wiped the sweat from his brow. New sweat took its place thanks to the flame of nervousness burning within him. It was countered by the voice of reason telling him to simply let this entire thing go. That's what he told himself he'd do weeks ago when he successfully joined the army...but as with many things, that was easier said than done.
His eyes found Impa's sentential figure at the far end of the training field. She was speaking with two other army officers; it gave Link a little bit of cover as he quietly made his way over to her while the rest of his fellow recruits headed indoors. Finally, it was break time, and everyone was more than a little eager to grab a bite while they could. Link would have liked to as well, but if he was going to eat it would be after he spoke with Impa. That talk was probably going to leave him wanting to stuff his face; he'd have to hope that Gideon and the others would will have saved some food for him.
The closer he got, the more he could hear what Impa and the two soldiers were discussing. Apparently, there'd been an attempted theft on the castle armory. His pointy ears twitched as he felt that was someone worth looking into, but it would have to wait. Either that or he could trust someone else to deal with it; the thought left a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth. While attempted theft was nothing new, Link had an idea of what had been amassed in the castle armory, more than just finely crafted swords and spears and bows. There were quite a few magical weapons that would have either fetched a pretty price on the market or caused some real damage in the wrong hands.
Wait a second, the armory and Impa's heading to the Delos ruins…could there be a connection? In his mind, he saw the dots beginning to connect. Some of the weapons and automatons there need a power source to operate, not to mention some of them flat-out need to be armed with weapons. The more he thought about it, the more he began to entertain the possibility that there was a connection, one that he felt a desire to uncover before it was too late. However, all of that was put on the backburner as his blue eyes found the ruby-red of Impa's, Link felt his heart quicken in his chest.
"Ah, Link." Impa called. His timing had been pretty good, she'd just finished up her conversation with the two soldiers, who shot Link a momentary glance before departing. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Um, actually…I…actually think I have something I can help you with, Master Impa." When it came to training, she was nothing short of professional, especially with recruits like him. She was fine with being addressed as sir, ma'am, and most popularly-master. Only rarely did she permit being called Miss Impa; such a thing never stood with her students, whom were her juniors in every way. Link had very much felt that way about her in the future, and made the mistake of calling her Miss Impa several times. Once she realized that he was still mentally growing up, she'd made an exception. Mercifully, he'd learned how to call her just Impa by then.
He would have liked it if he could see her as just Impa and for her to see him as just Link…but that wasn't what they were now. Especially given what was just said.
She was now looking at him with naked curiosity…and a slight air of caution. He knew that this was the reaction his words would have on her. "…Do you now?" The Sheik inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Swallowing the invisible boot in his throat, he spoke the next words as calmly as he could manage. "I know that you're heading to the Delos Ruins, I've…been there myself, once." For a brief second, her eyes widened as he successful cleared the first hurdle. In clearing that hurdle, he'd also just incriminated himself. "I think I know a thing or two of what you'll be running into."
"Ah, then you can write down a list of things I have to be weary of." She responded with an air of professionalism. At the very lest she wasn't immediately turning his advice down. "Thank you for offering such information to me, Link. It will make my journey easier."
"I can think of another way your journey could be easier." He added. Less than a second later and he was cursing himself.
Impa could practically see his inner thoughts and fully agreed with them. "Uh-huh…no, Link. You will not be accompanying me. You still have training to do." Her tone made it clear that this was to be the end of the discussion.
The logical side of him told him to agree with her. Trying to pressure his luck any further wasn't going to end well, especially since odds were Impa was already cautious about him.
"I do still have some training to do…but I can get more training, better training by going with you to the ruins. The automatons that lie there…the ones you'll encounter are four times stronger than the one that the Mage Corps brought back and managed to get working. That also means if a whole bunch of them activate, you'll end up getting swarmed." Amazingly, he was able to stop short of saying that she could actually die. It was a possibility…but one that hovered just below ten-percent. Link felt his innards tighten as Impa's gaze sharpened-she was peeling away the skin from his body and even the muscles beneath them to see what truly lay within him.
He sensed her frustration in that she wasn't able to see all of that. She wasn't the first one to hit that wall, and she certainly wasn't going to be the last. The thing was, Link felt like she would be one of the few to penetrate it in time.
She'd gotten one step closer to doing that.
"You've…explored the Delos Ruins before, haven't you?" Slowly asked the Sheik, already knowing the answer.
"Yes ma'am, I have." He couldn't give an inch in answering her, it would only make the situation all the more difficult, which was saying something.
In spite of the sun being out in full force, the atmosphere around the two had turned unapologetically arctic. Onlookers from the other side of the field took note of it and wisely kept their distance; Link had a feeling that this could backfire on him, in multiple ways, but he was pressing on ahead.
Impa saw that, she both respected that and felt a twinge of nervousness regarding it. Why is he so adamant on this? Something she found rather interesting was how Link was avoiding directly saying he wanted to accompany her on this little expedition. Had he done so, she would have likely shot down his request, except as smart as he was, he should have known that was going to happen regardless of how he phrased it. What caught Impa's attention was the argument he was giving, the reasons he was giving for his unspoken request. The Hylian was further demonstrating he was no fool, he was also no strange to making odd requests. Even more, he seemed to have little fear of her taking his words as an attempt to get out of training in her absence; if anything, he was attempting to put himself into an even more grueling position. If the dangers he spoke of were real, then he would have been better off here at the castle with the rest of the recruits.
She found something admirable in that-it further aroused her curiosity regarding this young man.
Oh, what the hell. If he tries something, I'll be able to counter and subdue and if need-be, kill him. Should I discover some of his secrets on this venture… She let the thought linger as she sucked in a breath. Link tensed up as he sensed a decision was coming. His face gave indication as to which one he was expecting; Impa quietly gazed that he'd accepted his request being turned down. "Very well then. Link, you will accompany me on my expedition to the Delos Ruins. That said, you will follow my every order to the leader, is that understood?"
There was something vaguely amusing in the way his face lit up, his formerly determined expression crumbled allowing relief to shine. It was short-lived as he realized whom it was he was still standing in front. "Y-Y-Yes ma'am! I will! I promise!" Declared the Hylian looking her straight in the eye. She could see the determination in his eyes, it made her believe he'd honor his promise.
"Report to the stables at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Make sure you've eaten breakfast by then, and be prepared because we won't be eating for another five hours." Her commanding voice sounded. It caused him to stand at attention, something that Impa enjoyed seeing. "Since you seem to know what it is we'll be facing, I'll be expecting you to pack accordingly." There was a near excited twinkle in his eyes signaling he actually looked forward to such a thing. I wonder if he'll be bringing his own special equipment. The ninja mused. "The finer points of the mission details will be explained to you tomorrow. Until then, continue on as normal, Link; should I find you slacking off then not only will this deal be terminated, and I will ensure that you receive disciplinary action in my absence. Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." He affirmed.
"Good…now hurry up, you're late for lunch." She finished.
He smiled at her in a way that made Impa feel…odd. Link's smile was so genuine that it seemed like he was seeing her not as his mentor but almost as an old friend. Of course, she kept such sentiments to herself. She did watch as he gave her a slight bow, turned his back to her, and then broke off into a sprint. His speed was impressive, no doubt fueled by hunger. Impa placed chuckled as she mused about how she was probably entitled to a bite or two herself.
Army Recruit Barracks, 11:44 PM…
"Okay, you have got to tell us where you've been and who you were before you joined the army."
It was rather sweet how there was no mention of "if he came back alive", probably because his two male friends had absolute assurance that he was going to come back alive. They'd seen enough of his skill to have full faith that this surprise expedition wasn't going to be the end of him, especially since he was going with the bodyguard to Princess Zelda, Impa. That said, one question lingered in Olin and Gideon's minds-would Link use this chance to shine or would he end up making a fool of himself? It ate at the two new recruits that they wouldn't be there to see which it was, and Cathleen too, who'd expressed her displeasure at diner. She'd also point-blank asked if Link was trying to cozy up to their instructor for some ulterior purposes. Link had responded that it wasn't anything of the sort, he just…felt an impulse since he'd been to the ruins once and knew what lay there. That had only deepened the curiosity of his compatriots.
Unfortunately, they'd have to wait until Link and Impa returned, which wouldn't be for four days at the least.
Link laughed at their words as he finished zipping up his bag. He had all that he believed he would need for the trip; as he'd learned though, on every dungeon-dive there was the possibility that he'd gather new tools that would help him progress deeper. Indeed, that's how he'd progressed through several temples before. Their place always seemed almost convenient, but Link rarely complained about them. In a way, it was almost like walking away with treasure, which he did from time to time.
He'd been as discrete as possible in gathering his things, which had primarily came about after the day's training had ended, before and after supper. For his friends and those who took a harder look at him, it was easy to tell he was giddy with excitement, only the former knew why.
Sadly for them, their curiosity could potentially keep them from getting any sleep; they fully intended to blame Link for it.
"Tell you guys what, I might be willing to talk when I come back, assuming you're not slack-jawed at what souvenirs I bring back." Winked the blond swordsman.
Both Gideon and Olin groaned in disappoint. They'd seen his reaction coming, but that didn't make accepting it any easier, it actually did the opposite. Link merely chuckled as his two male friends fixed him with hard glares, their attempt to pry more information out of him. Unfortunately, Link had experienced worse, not to mention he knew even they ultimately wouldn't push things too far. They were do to blow out all the remaining candles in a couple of minutes anyway.
Gideon was the first to concede. "Now listen, you better make sure to bring us some souvenirs. I'm talking some good stuff too!"
"Which includes perhaps jewelry? Which you'll give away to the prettiest girl you can find?" Link inquired with a cheeky grin.
The green-eyed recruit merely chuckled while Olin snickered. At least he wasn't denying it, on the contrary, Gideon was more often than not something of a proud flirt. To his credit, he had a bit of a successful track record to draw upon, something that he was quite proud of.
"So, I go dungeon-diving, bring back some rare artifacts, give some of them to you, who then goes on to use them to wow some damsel." Link jokingly asked.
"Hey, that's what friends are for!" The dirty blond shot back moving away from Link's bed and stepping up the letter to his bed.
"Uh-huh, I'll make sure to remember that." Coolly shot back the secret time-traveling getting comfy in his bed. He knew he was going to have to wake up earlier than most of his other recruits. That said, he knew when he went out, the training grounds wouldn't be empty, nor would the rest of the castle. There were more than a few early risers in both the army and as a part of the castle staff. He was especially conscious if he ran across any member of the Mage Corps, the ones who would be the ultimate benefactors of this quest.
"Hey, Link, would you at least be willing to tell us why you're doing this?" It wasn't the first time that Olin had asked that question. Practically everyone had asked it when Link told them that he wasn't going to be training with the rest of them, but instead heading out on an actual quest. To say that they were stunned would have been an understatement, they were also curious. Especially Olin, who felt there was more at work than Link was letting on. "Are you worried there's something in the ruins you don't want unearthed?"
The Hylian paused went dead still as the question sunk. "…You could say that. Listen, Olin, I know all of this may seem strange, but please, I need you to understand."
"I do" the redhead responded, his sharpened eyes having softened. "Whatever it is, whatever this is, just don't let it consume you. Besides, remember to stay sharp. Rumor is the last time the kingdom sent an expedition to those ruins, eight people, including two mages, died."
"Yeah, I heard the stories. Though the place is thousands of years old, it's still got its traps. Even before the Mage Corps got their hands on that old tech, some of it was still working."
"Well, it'll be part of my job to make sure some of that working tech gets back to the kingdom for future use." Link stated.
"Whelp, here's hoping when that happens, they'll be able to shut down the power before it kills anyone." Sounded Gideon's voice from above the blond Hylian. "Of course, if you're there, Link, I'm sure everything will turn out for the best."
Propping himself up on one elbow even though Gideon couldn't see him, Link laughed. "Good to know you still haven't lost faith in my skills. Speaking of which, here's another possibility-you could actually step up and stop the rampaging automaton or monster or whatever yourself, that'll win you some glory. And it'll even be entirely yours instead of won off my back!"
"Hm, good idea, I'll consider it!" The human laughed back.
"Whelp, seems like we all have a lot to look forward to. Maybe I'll be able to get some of that glory for myself." Olin wondered as he made himself comfy in his own bed, which sat parallel to Link's. Like him, as well as Olin, he had a stash of personal items along with his mandatory items in his bunk drawer beneath his mattress, and the wooden drawer that lay to the side of their beds. And that wasn't even account for whatever stuff they snuck in beneath their pillows and mattresses. The invisible threat of bunk inspection loomed over all of them, all of them. Thankfully, said threat was at least a month away so they had some time to think of ways to prepare. "Hey, Link, if you find anything that would make for a good bow and arrow, make sure to bring it back for me."
"Considering we're heading to Delos, you may be in luck." Offered the former bartender. While the sword was his true calling, Link had developed a love for archery; he and Olin had bonded over that love. If Link really did discover any archery-related artifacts, he knew that it would be best to give them to Olin. That's what he would do…well, that or he'd hopefully find enough spoils they could split it between the two of them. "Guys, I'll be back."
"We know you will." Gideon spoke again, unseen from the top bunk. "Just try to come back with all your body parts intact. It'll suck if after all of this you come back missing a limb or two, we've only just started."
Somewhere inside, Link wanted to laugh at the irony of his friend's words. Maybe he would laugh in his dreams. Just started…well, maybe my adventures with you guys, but as for me personally…no, this isn't a beginning. This is just a continuation of my life…a life that's spanned two timelines. A life that's heading off into a brand new direction, but some beats of the old one. He'd always found a mixture of comfort and uncertainty in that notion. The former was obvious as it meant that time wasn't a fixed stream, destiny wasn't set in stone and one's actions could have an effect on the flow of time. Such a thing was precious miracle. But that also meant that one would have to face the great darkness that was the unknown. Anyone, even a person like him, could feel a little unease at that.
But just because the darkness of the unknown lay ahead didn't mean it was the end of the road, quite the contrary. Link had stared that darkness down countless times, and each time he'd advanced into it, the light of his will illuminating the blackness. Whatever monsters that were found there would face his blade, and with it would come their end.
Excitement bubbled within the teenager as he shut his eyes and dreamed of his future exploration, and what could potentially lay beyond it.
That seems like a good cut off point for chapter number five. Link's first arguably big adventure in the works and it will of course be putting him in close proximity to Impa, who's equal parts curious and cautious around him. As far as her and everyone else is concerned, Link is still a massive unknown that came out of nowhere, and no one knows he has the Triforce of Courage yet either. Speaking of which, they reveal I can say is coming just around the corner so that's something to look forward to. Until then, stay safe and healthy, everyone!