Chapter 7. R&R

The shrine was on a little island not far from shore on the other side of Dragon Roost. It barely took a moment to swim across to it. Once I was there, I saw to my dismay that one a lot of it was broken and destroyed. Only one standing stone was still intact, but even it was chipped and weather-worn.

There were markings on the surviving stone that looked like music notes. I hadn't had much chance to use the Wind Waker, but now seemed like as good a time as any to try.

I pulled out the baton and followed the markings on the stone. It was simple enough, only three notes, but it felt kind of odd. Like someone was watching me. Made me feel awkward.

Either way I played the song, and I felt the wind suddenly shift around me. That was weird, but what was weirder was the way that being watched feeling suddenly intensified.

"Yep! That's a miiiiiighty nice breeze!" a voice came from behind me.

I turned and yelped when I realized the speaker was a giant red frog, sitting on a cloud.

"The name's Zephos. I'm the god of winds." He grinned, with that disturbingly wide frog mouth. "So, you're the new Wind Waker, are you?"

"I- I guess so?"

"Great, greatཀ For a beginner, you've got a nice wind-sense about you."

"Thank you?"

"I like you, kidཀ That tune you just picked up? Well, it gives you control over the direction the wind blows."

"No kidding?" I exclaimed. Then I remembered who I was talking to. "I mean, um-"

Zephos laughed. "No worries, kid. But listen here. Depending on how it's used, wind can be a good thing or a very bad thing. You want an example of it being a bad thing, then you should see my brother. It saddens me to say that my brother, Cyclos, is miffed about his monument here being broken," he gestured at the broken stone on the left, "and now he spends his time creating cyclones to torment people with. So, if you encounter any cyclones at sea, chastise my brother for me, will you? And that...is my request for youཀ"

He laughed again and swirled off into the sky.

I stared at the baton in my hand. To change the direction of the wind... Could this little stick really have that kind of power? And that frog. Could he really have been...a god?

I wandered back to King, thoughts still humming over what had just happened. The Wind Waker... King had said that was the name of the baton, but Zephos had said...

"You look troubled," King said as I approached.

"There was this...frog..." I looked down at the Wind Waker.

"Ah. Zephos?"

"Yes! But how did you-"

"So that would mean you have learned the Wind's Requiem."

"Is that what it's called? That, um, Zephos guy. He said it could...change the direction of the wind?"

"It can."

"Oh. Well. All right then." I stuck the Wind Waker in my belt, waded out into the water and climbed up into the back of the boat. King turned his head and looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you well?"

"I'm okay."

"You seem...tired."

"Maybe a little." I shrugged. "But hey, time is of the essence, right?"

"You will not be at your best if you are not rested properly. You will make mistakes. No matter how fast we move, if you make a mistake at the wrong time, all will be lost."

"So...what do you want to do?"

"It is late in the day, but Windfall is not far. There is at least one inn that I know of. We should head there, and you should get a good night's sleep."

I thought about the last couple days. "You know, that sounds really good."

"Would you like to test your new song?"

"Oh." I pulled the Wind Waker out of my belt. "How do I..."

"Face the direction you want the wind to blow."

"Oh, okay." I turned toward what I thought was Windfall's general direction, and raised the baton.

There it was again. That feeling. It wasn't exactly like being watched, more like something was expected of me. Like the world was waiting...

It was unnerving.

I played the song, thanking my lucky stars it wasn't too hard to remember, and sure enough, the wind was suddenly blowing from behind me, instead of from the right.

"Cool!"

"Yes, very."

We pulled away from the beach and started off to sea. I pulled out my Sea Chart to make sure we were heading in the right direction, but before I had more than a glance at it a voice called out to me.

"'Hoy! Hold it right there, small fry!"

I looked around to see who was talking, but couldn't see a boat or anything. Just empty ocean.

There was a shadow just under the water. I leaned over to look at it, which turned out to be a bad idea when a fish jumped out at me and I almost fell overboard.

"I don't know where you got your mitts on that Sea Chart you got there," the fish said, "but it looks to me like it's pretty much got nothing but seas drawn on itཀ"

I stared. A fish was talking to me. A fish. A blue, tattooed, chisel-jawed fish, but a fish nonetheless.

"It's pathetic! In fact, it's almost an insult to call that thing a Sea Chart, if you ask me!"

Maybe a talking fish wasn't quite as weird as a talking boat, but there's only so much weirdness a guy can take! And he was insulting my Sea Chart! Which was...in fact...quite empty.

"What's the matter, small fry? I'm just trying to be nice hereཀ I'm telling you that you've got a problem. And you do."

I just stared.

"Don't give me that stupefied lookཀ It makes me look like you oughta be in diapers! Just listen, okay? I'm here to teach you what I know about this island, so open up your Sea Chart! And make it snappy!"

I held it out for him, wondering what he was going to do. He produced a paintbrush from under the water somewhere, and held it in his mouth.

"Down here!"

I moved the chart down lower, and with a few quick brushstrokes, the fish mapped out Dragon Roost Island.

He but the paintbrush away and turned back to me.

"There's a real peculiar cave towards the backside of this here Dragon Roost Island. Yeah, real peculiar. But I doubt you'll ever get there to see it, small fry, unless you manage to sprout wings and fly, that is... 'Cause you won't be getting there otherwise!"

"Um, okay?

"That's all I can teach you, small fry! But I will do this for you, since I'm feeling so generous: I'll send word to all my brethren living near the islands of the Great Sea. Good bunch of fish. If you see a fish leaping out of the water when you sail near an island, sail up to it and spread bait out on the water's surface. Trust me, this is good advice, fry. See, the baiting process allows you to get a chart of the island, along with any info that might be of use to you. I highly recommend you make a habit of doing so. See, you're definitely going to need a reliable Sea Chart to help you search for things out at sea. I can't emphasize that enough, fry. You need a well-drawn chart. If you don't get a chart for every island you come across, it'll just be a bigger hassle for you later onཀ Now don't say I never did anything for you, fry!"

"Thank you?"

The fish turned to King. "'Hoy! You there! You Kingly Red Lion guy! That's it! I've repaid my debt! I'm done! You take care of the rest!"

"Fair enough, Fishman," King said. "I will."

The fish disappeared back beneath the water, paintbrush and all.

"King?"

"Yes?"

"What the hell was that?"

"That was Fishman. I did him a favor once, and he agreed to do me a favor in return."

"He could talk."

"All of his breed can talk."

"I didn't know there was a breed of talking fish."

"Now you do."

"Yeah..." I looked at the map of Dragon Roost. It was very good, showing all the little islands at the back and everything. And that fish had done it with a paintbrush in his mouth! "You think one of his 'brethren' will be near Windfall?"

"I would be surprised if one wasn't."

It was getting dark by the time we got to Windfall. King gave me directions to the inn he knew about, and though the innkeeper looked at me kind of funny, I didn't have any trouble getting a room. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep, after all that had happened, but I was tired enough that I passed right out.

I woke late the next morning. King would probably be waiting for me, but I wanted to explore the town a bit. It was bustling, busy, happy. It reminded me of home, except for the bustling busy part.

I wandered to the eastern side of town, where I found a memorial stone, and some weirdo dancing in front of it. I, like all children, was taught not to talk to strangers. It was tempting, but I ignored him and decided to check out the building nearby.

It turned out to be the jail. I looked around curiously, never having been inside one before. There were some big jars stacked in one corner, for some reason, and when I examined them I found a switch!

I figured it was for the lights, since it was pretty dim in there, so I pressed it.

The cell door clicked open.

"Oops."

A small man dressed all in green walked out and stared around. I gulped. There was something about this guy; the way he walked, the way he was dressed, the way he looked at me; that set off alarm bells in my head that I hadn't even known I had.

"You sir!" the man said. He walked toward me with a strange hopping motion. His shoes squeaked. "Your clothes!"

"My-grandma-made-them-it's-not-my-fault," I said quickly.

"Could you be a fairy?"

"A what?"

"Perhaps not, but surely you are a friend to them! As am I!"

I started shuffling toward the door. "Okay, no offense dude, but I don't want to be put in any kind of group with you."

"My name is Tingle," the weirdo said. "I was falsely accused of stealing, and locked up in this cell. But you, my hero-"

He went to grab my hand, but I backed away. "Yeah, yeah, that's great. No problem."

"I live in a tower, not far southwest of here. I translate ancient text and maps. If you should ever have need of my services, you have but to ask. And pay my fee."

"Right, sure, maybe you should go?"

"Of course," Tingle nodded. "Thank you again, fairy friend."

As soon as he was out the door I rubbed my arms and muttered, "Freak..."

Morbid curiosity led me to the cell. There were toadstools growing in the corner, and an overall odor of damp pervaded the small room. There was a hole near the floor on the back wall, so I bent down and peered inside.

A small box was tucked away far back in the shadows. I pulled at it with my fingertips until I could grab it.

A pictobox! I'd only seen one once before, when one of Sue-Belle's friends brought one with her. It was pretty cool.

I took it outside and started snapping pictures. There were a lot of interesting people on Windfall. Some gossipy little girls scammed me out of a couple rupees, and their gossipy mothers accused me of being a delinquent. The weird schoolteacher asked me to help her with some little boys who were running amok, and I wound up playing hide and seek with them.

I met this rich dud who was the father of the other girl I had seen with Aryll. He totally tricked me into smashing these sparkly vases, bastard, but I'm not holding a grudge.

I stopped by the gallery and met a guy named Lenzo who looked at my pictures. He said I had potential, and offered to make me his apprentice. I thought about it for a bit before agreeing. I liked the pictobox, but an apprenticeship was a big deal. I didn't think I had the time. Technically, I should have left with King hours ago.

I told Lenzo that I came from Outset, and that I wouldn't be around Windfall much, but he said it was fine. He started ranting about his younger days when he wandered the world taking pictures. The gallery was proof that his stories were true. I had to admit, traveling the world just to travel the world held a great deal of appeal for me. There wasn't much that I wanted to do more. But Aryll, and the world, came first.

I told Lenzo I would talk to him later.

Only one thing I had to do before I left. That dancing guy, in the white jumpsuit with fringe. Now, I knew perfectly well that you're not supposed to talk to strangers in white pleather, but this guy was dancing in front of what looked like a tombstone! I couldn't not ask.

"Hey, buddy," I called as I walked up to him. "What are you doing?"

"Can't you tell?" He turned to me and beamed. "I am Tott. I love dancing more than I love three meals a day. You will come to know me as The World's Charismatic Dancer Extraordinaire!"

I could hear the capital letters.

"Good for you," I said. "But why are you doing it?"

Tott's eyes grew distant. "There was this man... He did a dance, and night turned to day. If I could just remember that rhythm, that glorious glorious rhythm."

"Rhythm?" I took the Wind Waker out of my belt. "This, maybe?" I counted off three beats.

"Yes! That's it! That's it!" Tott pointed to the right, then the left, then spun around and pointed down. He bobbed his head for a couple beats, then did it all over again.

"Why..." he said, finally stopping. "Why isn't it working?"

"Maybe you got it wrong?"

"No! No! That's impossible! I know I remembered it! So why...why..."

"Maybe it wasn't the dance. Maybe it was the man."

"That can't be! It can't be!"

"Sorry dude, but that seems to be the way it is."

"No! No. No..."

"Hooo boy... Um, I'm just gonna leave you to your...sorrow. See ya!"

I ran for it.

King was waiting for me at the dock, patient as...wood. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Erm, sort of. Uh. Sorry."

"It is not my sister who has been kidnapped."

I winced. "That was harsh."

"You are right, I apologize. We should be going however."

"I know, I know, but there was this guy! And this monument thing! And a song!"

"A song?" Now he sounded interested.

"He said it turned night to day!"

"I could be useful. But perhaps you should not test it now. Too much of the day has already passed."

"Yeah, okay." I splashed out into the harbor and climbed into him. "Where to?"

"South. To Forest Haven."

"Forest Haven huh? Sounds nice."

"I only hope that is still true."

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Notes From The Author

If this chapter seems choppy, I apologize. I wrote it in bits and pieces over a relatively long period of time. I've been busy with school and my doujinshi. Oh! I finished my doujinshi! It's called "Colossal Confrontation" and it's on Deviantart. My username is BatNeko. My username is ALWAYS BatNeko.

I'm sorry this took so long to finish. There's been some...issues, and I don't like getting on the computer at home much anymore. Unfortunately, that's where all my writing is. I'll try to get the next chapter done soon as I can, but I might just gloss over most of the dungeon. Do you care?

Erm, anyways...yeah. Hugs all around.