Chapter Three: Charantanatah
"Well that was stupid." Link said to himself while he traveled up the long winding staircase to Rauru's study. "I should have kissed her back. I should have smiled. I should have at least said 'good bye'." Link drearily pushed open the door to Rauru's study. Rauru was intently looking through his telescope.
"Link, Please! You can worry about your courting troubles later!" said Rauru as he hastily scurried over to a book and began flipping through the pages.
"You heard that?" said Link, as he turned red.
"There is a much bigger problem at hand here." Link suddenly forgot his troubles as he realized Rauru could only be talking about the fierce deity mask.
"Is it the mask?" asked Link in quieter, serious tone. Rauru looked up from his book at Link with grave eyes, and that told Link everything he needed to know.
"I've been researching the mask as you asked me too..."
"It's alive isn't it?" Link jumped in.
"That part is obvious." said Rauru in a slightly curt tone. He then sighed and looked at the mask on the table. "You were wise to bring it to me, Link. I did some research on Termina and learned that masks are the staples of the society. Every federal position, every ritual ceremony, every festive tradition, involves the wearing or exchanging of masks. However masks and magic go hand in hand. So masks are also used as weapons, and as punishment." Link was already aware of most of these facts. He was able to figure out that masks were important in Termina through all the people he helped that rewarded him with masks.
"Punishment?"
"Yes, much like the mask of Majora, it was possessed of evil power because someone put it there. And the fierce deity mask is no different. You see this is more than simply an enchanted mask, Link. It is a prison." The words hit Link like a rolling goron who was in a big hurry. "I referenced the war paint on the mask with a book that catalogs all the known gods that have ever lived. The war paint is that found in a tribe of warrior gods that battled each other for eons before the land of Termina ever took form. The gods' battle prevented life from being created and the land from being cultivatable. There were nine gods who battled each other for supremacy of the tribe. The war eventually came to an end however when the four elemental giants you spoke of appeared and stopped the war."
"So they could cultivate the land and create life?"
"No. They interfered because one of the gods, Charantanatah, was beginning to gain an upper hand in the struggle and came close to winning the war. If one of the gods were to establish supremacy and gain control of the other eight, catastrophe would befall the world. They would be a force not even the elemental giants could combat. And they probably would have found their way into Hyrule."
"Okay, so the giants stopped the fight, then what?"
"Well the giants decided that warring gods were too dangerous and destroyed them all. However Charantanatah was too powerful for even the giants to overcome, so they sealed him in a mask, to imprison him for all eternity. The mask was designed to serve as a reminder of all that is evil in the world." Link looked down at the mask.
"Why is it giving me these dreams then?" Rauru crossed his arms raised an eyebrow in thought.
"All can think of is that Charantanatah needs someone to wear the mask so he can have a door to enter the world again. But there is something else. The time frame was very significant. You see, Charantanatah was gathering power through a celestial phenomenon."
"Celestial phenomenon." Link was having trouble following along.
"Alright, how can I explain this? There was a star that resided in another galaxy, but it suddenly began to move collecting power as it traveled along. And Charantanatah was the only warrior of his tribe who had mastered the art of celestial magic. So as he sensed this phenomenon and began to lure the star towards the planet, and the closer it got, the stronger he got."
"I understand."
"This event happened a millennium ago. And now it has happened again." Links heart sank into his stomach. "Somehow, over his years of imprisonment he has managed to gather enough strength to pull the star towards our planet once again. He is drawing strength from it, allowing him to become somewhat active from the mask. Which is why I think he has begun to poison your dreams. If he gets you to wear the mask, he'll have a vessel to fight with again."
"But, how? I've worn the mask before and I was in complete control of his power."
"He is stronger now. He may be able to take control of you." Link felt so relieved that he knew what was happening. Even though the truths that Rauru spoke spelled disaster, Link almost preferred it that way, because he knew how to handle a crisis like that.
"So..." said Link as he unsheathed his gilded sword. "Should we destroy it?"
"No! Absolutely not! If we destroy the mask, it will only free him from his prison. That would be like uncorking a plague and watching it ravage all of Hyrule."
"So what do we do?"
"An excellent question. I will have to consult with the other sages. If he continues to gain strength, I fear drastic measures may have to be taken."
"I see."
"I'm glad this mask ended up in your hands Link. If it had fallen into the wrong hands..." Rauru feared any of the words that could come at the end of that sentence.
"Well what about in the meantime?"
"I will keep the mask. I will keep it in a safe place until I figure out what to do with it."
"Ah, thank you." said Link with much relief. Rauru smiled.
"Yes, go home and get some sleep, you deserve it."
"You got it."
"Well that was stupid." Link said to himself while he traveled up the long winding staircase to Rauru's study. "I should have kissed her back. I should have smiled. I should have at least said 'good bye'." Link drearily pushed open the door to Rauru's study. Rauru was intently looking through his telescope.
"Link, Please! You can worry about your courting troubles later!" said Rauru as he hastily scurried over to a book and began flipping through the pages.
"You heard that?" said Link, as he turned red.
"There is a much bigger problem at hand here." Link suddenly forgot his troubles as he realized Rauru could only be talking about the fierce deity mask.
"Is it the mask?" asked Link in quieter, serious tone. Rauru looked up from his book at Link with grave eyes, and that told Link everything he needed to know.
"I've been researching the mask as you asked me too..."
"It's alive isn't it?" Link jumped in.
"That part is obvious." said Rauru in a slightly curt tone. He then sighed and looked at the mask on the table. "You were wise to bring it to me, Link. I did some research on Termina and learned that masks are the staples of the society. Every federal position, every ritual ceremony, every festive tradition, involves the wearing or exchanging of masks. However masks and magic go hand in hand. So masks are also used as weapons, and as punishment." Link was already aware of most of these facts. He was able to figure out that masks were important in Termina through all the people he helped that rewarded him with masks.
"Punishment?"
"Yes, much like the mask of Majora, it was possessed of evil power because someone put it there. And the fierce deity mask is no different. You see this is more than simply an enchanted mask, Link. It is a prison." The words hit Link like a rolling goron who was in a big hurry. "I referenced the war paint on the mask with a book that catalogs all the known gods that have ever lived. The war paint is that found in a tribe of warrior gods that battled each other for eons before the land of Termina ever took form. The gods' battle prevented life from being created and the land from being cultivatable. There were nine gods who battled each other for supremacy of the tribe. The war eventually came to an end however when the four elemental giants you spoke of appeared and stopped the war."
"So they could cultivate the land and create life?"
"No. They interfered because one of the gods, Charantanatah, was beginning to gain an upper hand in the struggle and came close to winning the war. If one of the gods were to establish supremacy and gain control of the other eight, catastrophe would befall the world. They would be a force not even the elemental giants could combat. And they probably would have found their way into Hyrule."
"Okay, so the giants stopped the fight, then what?"
"Well the giants decided that warring gods were too dangerous and destroyed them all. However Charantanatah was too powerful for even the giants to overcome, so they sealed him in a mask, to imprison him for all eternity. The mask was designed to serve as a reminder of all that is evil in the world." Link looked down at the mask.
"Why is it giving me these dreams then?" Rauru crossed his arms raised an eyebrow in thought.
"All can think of is that Charantanatah needs someone to wear the mask so he can have a door to enter the world again. But there is something else. The time frame was very significant. You see, Charantanatah was gathering power through a celestial phenomenon."
"Celestial phenomenon." Link was having trouble following along.
"Alright, how can I explain this? There was a star that resided in another galaxy, but it suddenly began to move collecting power as it traveled along. And Charantanatah was the only warrior of his tribe who had mastered the art of celestial magic. So as he sensed this phenomenon and began to lure the star towards the planet, and the closer it got, the stronger he got."
"I understand."
"This event happened a millennium ago. And now it has happened again." Links heart sank into his stomach. "Somehow, over his years of imprisonment he has managed to gather enough strength to pull the star towards our planet once again. He is drawing strength from it, allowing him to become somewhat active from the mask. Which is why I think he has begun to poison your dreams. If he gets you to wear the mask, he'll have a vessel to fight with again."
"But, how? I've worn the mask before and I was in complete control of his power."
"He is stronger now. He may be able to take control of you." Link felt so relieved that he knew what was happening. Even though the truths that Rauru spoke spelled disaster, Link almost preferred it that way, because he knew how to handle a crisis like that.
"So..." said Link as he unsheathed his gilded sword. "Should we destroy it?"
"No! Absolutely not! If we destroy the mask, it will only free him from his prison. That would be like uncorking a plague and watching it ravage all of Hyrule."
"So what do we do?"
"An excellent question. I will have to consult with the other sages. If he continues to gain strength, I fear drastic measures may have to be taken."
"I see."
"I'm glad this mask ended up in your hands Link. If it had fallen into the wrong hands..." Rauru feared any of the words that could come at the end of that sentence.
"Well what about in the meantime?"
"I will keep the mask. I will keep it in a safe place until I figure out what to do with it."
"Ah, thank you." said Link with much relief. Rauru smiled.
"Yes, go home and get some sleep, you deserve it."
"You got it."