Chapter 10: Set Sail
Link
We made our way further across Hyrule until we arrived at Lurein Village. The boy's excitement escalated as we entered the village.
"Here we are, Outset Island!" he said.
I scratched my head, "Are you sure? I've been here before, and the locals called it Lurelin Village."
He looked up at me sheepishly, "Well it hasn't been called Outset or been an island for quite a while, but it's still the Outset I've always known!"
It hasn't been called Outset for quite a while? What did he mean by that? Was this kid older than he was letting on? More questions, no answers.
"Anyway, the World of the Ocean King should be that way. It's sadly um… difficult to get to… to say the least. But you can get to it using my boat, come on, I anchored it over here!"
Well, nothing bad had happened yet, so despite Revali's continuous protests, we kept going.
Revali
Something seemed off about this kid, and yet I still couldn't put my feather on it. Anyways, the boy led us to a large, red painted boat with a lion-like head beached on the shore. This was his ship? I couldn't help myself as I whistled in surprise and admiration. I expected something the size of a dinghy, not a full-size ship that could easily host a full crew in Hyrule's Navy.
The boy laughed, "Not bad huh?"
I turned to face him with a stern look, "It's an impressive vessel, I'll give you that. But let me ask you this, we have 3 Rito and a Zora, what's stopping us from just flying or swimming to this World of the Ocean King?"
"Distance, Time, and Navigation. It's quite a ways away from shore there are maps inside the Captain's quarters. Last time I checked, you're trying not to get caught by the Yiga or Ganon's forces which is exactly what will happen if you get lost. Trust me, this is the best way to do it." He said.
He smirked.
"And don't worry, you guys won't be going alone."
Suddenly, the Ship's masthead came to life, bending down and turning to look at us all on its own. In fear and shock, we all backed away as weapons were once more drawn from sheaths and backs.
The boat spoke, "Hello everyone. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"
I couldn't believe it.
Zelda started to tear up, "Father?"
Link
On impulse I fell to one knee to reverence his majesty's greatness as the Champions followed suit. Zelda hugged the boat's masthead.
King Rhoam laughed, "Rise, all of you. I suppose some thanks are in order for keeping my daughter safe and fulfilling your duty. Hyrule is in your debt."
I nodded in gratitude to the king's praise.
"Zelda, my daughter. Look how much you've grown. Your mother would be very proud of the Young Woman you've become, as I am. I must admit though, that I am surprised about your new look, but I suppose it does makes you look more like the "soon-to be wife" of your betrothed." Zelda blushed in response as I scratched the back of my head in nervousness, looking away slightly.
He laughed uproariously at our reactions before turning to the boy who had brought us here, "As for you, you did a good job guiding them here safely, not that I would expect anything less from The Hero of the Wind."
Revali turned to me, "Well, I suppose that's one more title to add onto your list, right hero?".
Somehow, I doubted it. I knew that someone else had that title, but could this boy really be him?
"He wasn't talking to me; he was talking to him." I said gesturing to the boy.
We all turned to the boy who guided us here, shocked to see that instead of his blue lobster shirt, he now had on an unmistakable green tunic. It really was him.
"I am Link, Hero of the Wind and the original Wielder of the Phantom Sword." He said.
At first, I couldn't believe it, but then it slowly started to make sense. As for Revali, well the agape look on his face said it all.
It had been 3 days since we set sail. I stood over the sea chart in the captain's cabin, placing a compass beside it. After looking at them both, I nodded in satisfaction.
"Are you sure we are going the right way? We've seen nothing but water for the past few days."
Revali had come in while I was studying the map.
I stood up straight and said, "That tends to happen when dealing with the open ocean. The map matches what we've been seeing so far so I'm pretty sure we're going the right way."
Stepping out of the captain's quarters and onto the main deck, I took out the Sheikah Slate and looked through it to get an even better grasp of our surroundings.
"Are you honestly still using that thing?"
I sighed, trying not to get aggressive, but Revali was really pushing it.
"It's not just a map or rune storage device, it also helped me survey when I was trying to save Hyrule the first time after the Calamity."
He simply threw his wings up in the air with a shake of his head.
"Whatever fills your wings, Link."
I was about ready to angrily respond and show him exactly what it could do when…
"HEEEY!"
I was snapped out of my mood as we both looked up to see a Rito flying above the boat with a large red hat on and a bag slung over his shoulder. He was panting as if he was tired.
Without warning, he landed on the deck, catching Revali, me and the rest of the champions off guard as they came running.
"I have a letter for Mr. Link and a letter for Mr. Revali." He said, out of breath.
Oh, so it was just a postman. I supposed it made sense, our wings made us Rito very good mail carriers and traders. After identifying ourselves, we both received almost identical envelopes. I opened mine and read the paper inside:
Dear Link,
We didn't get much more time to talk before you had to leave again, so I hope you are well. It's great to see all of you together. Be sure to draw strength from each other as you continue this journey, especially from Revali, and they will help you bear your burden. That's what families do. I wish I could be with you, but it seems like this quest is for you Champions alone. (That and Saki probably wouldn't be very happy about me flying off again.) So for now, I hope this letter will suffice. Stay strong Link, the battle is long, but I know you have more strength than you realize.
Sincerely,
Teba
So, it was Teba who sent the letter. It seems like he took our discussion to heart. Part of me wished that the letter was longer, but at the same time, was there really anymore that Teba could say? I looked over at Revali who was inspecting his still unopened envelope and wondered if it could be from the same sender.
Revali
A letter for me? I didn't recall many people knowing of my *ahem* 're-embodiment' despite the fact that it has actually been a while since my return. With a bit of curiosity, I opened the letter.
Dear Revali,
I hope you are well and I wish I could be there in person. I also hope that one day you will come to understand the role that you play in Link's life. He has more of a burden than you realize and though he won't easily admit, it he needs help, your help to bear it. One thing I will have to tell you about when you return to the village is my time in another time in which I saw you and Link before the calamity. One thing I noticed is that even though the rift between you two was still very much there, and yet… there was a type of respect and trust between the two of you. And now I understand why… So I write this to you as a Father would, you are the only member of Link's First family Revali, he knows it and you know it, but that position carries more than you think it does. I hope you'll understand one day. In the meantime, keep supporting him and I promise he will support you. Until we meet again, Revali.
Sincerely,
Teba
Teba? I guess it made sense. But what was all this stuff about me and Link as well as that so-called time in another time? What did that even mean? Before I had time to think about it, something in the air changed as a feeling of dread, similar to the malice, manifested. I looked up to see the previously clear sky covered in thick fog as the wind died out, causing us to coast through the water where we were formerly going at full speed.
"Well, that's not eerie at all." I said.
Link drew his sword and shield.
"Be ready for anything," he said.
Heh, didn't have to tell me twice.