Waiting, in Hyrule's opinion, is one of the cruelest things that anyone would ask of him. As a traveler, he is always on the move. The roads may bring the chilling sense of uncertainty, but nothing makes his blood pumping than to know what awaits him at the end of each path. While most of his companions may not share the same sentiment, it did nothing to stop him from occasionally wandering the vicinity whenever they find safe ground.
After an hour of waiting for Gesane's friends, he told Twilight that he would go exploring for a while. The Rancher was reluctant at first, glancing to his mentor who was glaring at the same building for the past hour before caving in. As per their established rule, they have to go by pairs, and the Rancher, who noticed that the others are still poking around the misshapen pyramid, took it upon himself to be Hyrule's exploration buddy. Hyrule did not mind - Twilight is not as annoying and fussy as some other Links he knows - and informed the others before striding toward the direction of Time's place of interest. They passed by Time, whom Twilight patted on the back to get his attention and tell him that they are stepping away for a while; the former nodding wordlessly, finally breaking eye contact from the building. From the way Twilight's face scrunched into worry, Hyrule is certain he will be asking Time about it later.
The walk from the pyramid structure to the stairs leading to the higher ground took them longer than they expected. They passed by a couple of water-logged indentions on the grounds, more ruins, and a litter of machines stranger than the pyramid. The machines, or whatever those things are, were shaped like a spinning top with a wide base and snaking designs imprinted on the surface, similar to those they found on the pyramid. All of them were crusted with rust and grime, with some covered in thick moss. A few have what Hyrule assumed to be legs. When they approached, he half-expected for them to move and make a beeline for them. They did not, but he could not scratch the feeling that they should stay away as far as possible from those things.
"Hey, Twilight." Hyrule called as they passed by the remains of a courtyard and half-burnt monster weapons that were lying around among the debris. Burn marks marred the surface of the already dilapidated stone paths and walls – all too big to be made by a simple fire. An explosion, perhaps? Multiple ones? The traces of black blood did not go unnoticed by either of them. "Does Time know this place?"
Hyrule felt, rather than saw, Twilight stiffened. "I…I don't know." The Rancher admitted. "He never mentioned anything, but he's out of it since we came out of the forest, so maybe…." He trailed off.
"Think this place has something to do with his journey?"
There was a pause. "…Yeah." Twilight affirmed quietly. "That's probably it."
Deciding to drop the subject for now, Hyrule hummed as they stepped into a large hall guarded by more husks of the Sheikah machinery they passed by earlier. Splotches of dried black blood were splattered by the doorway along with broken monster weapons. Sunlight filtered through the gaps on the roof as some of the decaying wooden beams hung above their heads precariously. Most of the left side wall was missing, blown to individual stone bricks, and giving them a gorgeous view of maze-like ruins and vast mountain ranges that stretched as far as the eye could see. Grass has sprung between cracks on the stone floor, and vines poked and slithered through the gaps on the walls and the roof. Weapons and shields rusted of age, and shards of stained glass were scattered on the ground. Up ahead, a humongous Goddess Statue overlooked the entire hall. Six miniature versions of it surrounded the base facing outwards.
Hyrule should be intimidated by its sheer size, but for some reason, he felt rather at peace. Maybe because it is a statue of Hylia, their divine patroness. Maybe because of how it stood firm amidst a place of destruction. Maybe it is because of the shimmering holy light that is shining down upon the statue. Or maybe…
Hyrule froze in his tracks. No. No way…That light, this feeling, this magic, no, this is not magic. This is more than that. It is the softest touch of a feather, the quietest whisper of a breeze, and the warmest of a hug could ever give. It felt like the first rays of the sun on his skin after coming out of a dungeon or the tickling yet satisfying feeling after having the best meal of your life. What he (and Twilight) was feeling right now is divinity – a powerful yet gentle force that neither expected to sense. What is more is the source of it - their patroness herself, Hylia.
Who would even be able to call upon the White Goddess herself and have her respond?
Hyrule forced himself to tear his eyes away from the Goddess's face and down to the base of the statue. There, kneeling by the hem of the statue's simple dress and bathed in holy light, was a hooded figure. He could not hear spoken words, but from the looks of it, the figure was praying, and the White Goddess was answering to them. Neither he nor Twilight made an attempt to approach, apprehensive about disturbing a private conversation between the divine and a mortal, and stayed rooted on where they stood. Soon, the holy light dispersed into glittering pinpricks, and the figure rose. They looked up to the statue one last time before turning around, only to freeze on their tracks when they caught sight of two heavily armed individuals.
It was Twilight who decided to break the tense silence. "Um, hello. Sorry to, ah, eavesdrop on your prayer, but can you help us? We're travelers, but we're kinda lost."
Smooth, Twilight. Hyrule mused. It is not a lie, but not the full truth either. Gesane already promised them to send his friends to bring them down to the lower ground; they already got that part covered. Twilight was simply trying to find a way to keep the person in front of them to stay, and later, ask them about what the two of them witnessed moments ago. It unnerved him, however, that there are people here as opposed to what Gesane told them. He glanced to the stranger, who did not move even an inch. Is this person also looking for the Link of this Hyrule?
"We're hoping if you could point us to the nearest town." Twilight continued, keeping his voice polite and amiable. "We're running low on supplies, so we'll appreciate it if you could help us."
The figure remained motionless, and it bothered Hyrule. Did they have a heart attack standing up? He could not see their face, with the hood pulled all the way down. Shadows covered their features, but Hyrule swore he saw strands of honey-blond hair peeking at the corners of the hood. He tried to take a tentative step towards them, which was a mistake on his part. The figure flinched violently at the movement and made a beeline for the exit. One second, they were standing on the platform; the next second, they had already leapt off the platform and were sliding down the slope of the hill on a shield they snatched from the floor.
It took a few moments for Hyrule and Twilight to process what just happened before they scrambled toward the edge of the left section of the hall and watched as the stranger abandoned the shield and disappeared to a field of birch trees at their right.
"Hyrule! Go get the others. I'm going after that person!"
Hyrule opened his mouth to protest, but Twilight was already running down the slope. He cursed under his breath and raced out of the hall, tracing the path they had taken back to the others. He was still ways away from the other Links when they caught sight of him running and waving frantically at them. They immediately picked up on his alarm and the fact that Twilight is not with him and met him by the stairs.
"What happened, Hyrule?" Time demanded, his good eye darting to the sides and behind the Traveler. All oddity from earlier gone in a snap in favor of his concern for his protégé. "Where's Twilight?"
"Short story. We found a person of interest," Hyrule took a few deep breaths, already recovering from his sudden sprint from earlier. "But they ran away. Twilight's going after them." He pointed to the direction where he saw the figure and the Rancher raced to. "They went that way."
If anyone saw the mild relief on Time's face that Hyrule was not pointing to the building, no one commented on it. "Then, let's go after them."
Twilight has to give credit to this fellow – they are darn fast. The hooded figure navigated past the thin trunks of the birch trees and jumped over rocks and fallen logs with the grace of a deer and the agility of a wolf. Not once did they slowed down, maintaining a constant speed without compromising either energy or distance. He almost envied them – once or twice he stumbled over tree stumps or stubbed his shoe on a Hylia-damned rock. He considered transforming into his wolf form to catch up, but he doubted that would increase his chances of convincing them. Goddesses forbid he spook them, and things go for the unimaginable worst! He did not see a weapon at hand, but he is not planning to risk his hide for something he could not see. For all he knows, they might have a dagger hidden somewhere.
He caught a glimpse of a poorly built cabin made of wood at his left. The fire underneath a cooking pot outside is still going, even in broad daylight. He briefly wondered how Gesane missed that and if the cabin belongs to the person he was currently chasing after. The abandoned camp they borrowed last night flashed at the back of his mind. Maybe that belongs to this person too. He scowled, reprimanded himself for letting his thoughts drift away, and focused on his pursuit. The figure is still running ahead, this time, going straight and heading in the direction of a river.
No, wait…that is not a river! Twilight felt his heart jumped to his throat as the stranger vaulted over the ravine - a goddess-damned ravine! The Rancher skidded to a halt, barely stopping at the edge of the abyss. His eyes widening as he watched the figure deployed a contraption akin to Sky's sailcloth, gliding to the opposite cliff. The contraption dispersed into strings of blue light just before the figure slammed against the rock face. They swung an arm up, grabbing the edge, before effortlessly hauling themselves up. They did not even spare a glance to their pursuer as they jogged ahead and fucking scaled the side of the mountain without any gear like it is an everyday occurrence.
Twilight could only witness the incredulity of it all as the figure finally reached the top and disappeared toward the icy landform looming above. His eyes glimpsed something orange and blue attached on the hip of the stranger before he heard familiar voices calling out to him. He turned to see his companions running towards him with Hyrule leading the charge. The Traveler's eyes flicked to their surroundings, no doubt searching for the person, as he addressed Twilight.
"Did you catch them?"
"No." Twilight shook his head. "They got away. Climbed the mountain."
Legend, who was still catching his breath, did a double-take. The side of which he assumed that Twilight and Hyrule's mystery person scaled is steep, which no doubt spells imminent doom if one made a wrong move. "I'm sorry. Did you just say they climbed that freaking mountain?"
"As ridiculous as it sounds…yes."
"Oh, goddesses above!"
Time stepped beside Legend, gazing at the mountain before them. Sweat dripped from his brows, but he chose to ignore it. "They mustn't have gone far." He said before looking back to Twilight. "Hyrule told us some, but what exactly happened, Pup?
The way how the figure was awashed in the divine light of Hylia flashed back in Twilight's mind. He swallowed thickly and began explaining. "Hyrule and I went in that building. From the looks of it, it seemed to be the ruins of a temple. We found a Goddess Statue and someone praying inside." He was gesticulating now; whether it was because of the adrenaline still pumping in his veins or the fact he is recounting something beyond his wildest dreams, he did not care. "They're not just praying, Time. If you just saw it, the Goddess, Hylia herself, is responding to this person!"
"Wait. What?" Four looked at him with eyes blown wide. The others also heard him and have inched closer, especially Sky who perked up at the original name of his goddess-incarnate lover. "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
"Of course not!" Twilight exclaimed exasperatedly. "Ask Hyrule. He's with me."
The said Traveler nodded his head vigorously. "I know magic when I sense it." He added. "But what Twilight and I felt back then was more than that. It is more than magic. It is divinity! I can't exactly explain it in words, but I'm sure of it! That was Hylia we felt.
"We have to find them." The Rancher insisted. "If they could freely communicate with the Goddess, it could help us with our quest."
The other six Links looked at each other before four pairs of eyes turned to Sky and Time - Sky, being the closest to Hylia's incarnate, and Time, being the de facto leader of their chaotic family of Links. Twilight did not miss the way Time's Adam's apple bobbed as the latter glanced at the building at their right.
"The Temple of Time…"
So, he really did know that place.
Time cleared his throat. "I think I saw a way up to the mountain behind the temple. Twilight," The Rancher withdrew his eyes away from the building and back to his mentor. "You go ahead and bring Wolfie with you. See if you can track down our…friend. If you do, don't approach. We can't afford to scare them away. Wait for us. We'll catch up to you."
Twilight considered requesting to bring someone with him but dropped it. Something told him – A feeling? A memory? – that it would be better for him to come alone. As a wolf. It is safer for him or to any of them, though he could not pinpoint where that self-assurance was coming from.
He nodded and immediately turned his heel to the path Time indicated. He slinked out of their sight and grasped the Shadow Crystal hanging from his neck. Almost immediately, shadows cloaked his form, and voices whispered at his ear within the inky black darkness. He pushed down the nagging thought that the voices sounded nearer, louder, and frighteningly clearer compared to his previous transformations. As quickly as it appeared, the shadows dispersed, and he stood on all fours underneath a crumbling stone arc. The beginnings of the frigid mountain air ruffling the fur on his back and the snowy mountain ahead glistening in blinding white, as if taunting him to try braving its dangers.
Too bad. Twilight is a Hero of Courage, and he cannot just say no to that challenge.