"My flowers!" the screech of an old hag woke Link up to the familiar sense of danger. Judging by the way she wielded the shovel in her two hands, he was definitely in a place where he was not supposed to be. A beige dress underneath an apron did its best to contain her saggy flaps, but thankfully, she was taking very cautious steps towards Link, giving him plenty of time to reorient himself.
Link had already forgotten how he ended up laying in a flowerbed because he had a problem in front of him. Wiggling his body and shaking the soil off him, Link lifted his arms first, stiff as a beam but at least not broken, and then sat up with his equally as sore, but nevertheless not broken, back. Though he could not remember much of the events that transpired yesterday, Link could recall with infinite detail each broken bone that had once given him crippling amounts of pain. Nothing left a stronger imprint on the mind than crippling pain did.
Kinja! A sudden bloodrush coursed through his veins and provided the fuel necessary to lift himself all the way up, but his legs were still weak. Link unfortunately moved quicker than his feet could follow, so he stumbled backward and fell onto his rear. Is she still after me?
The old hag called over her shoulder into the open door, "Harolvo! Harolvo! Harolvo!?" After the third time attempting to grab Harold's attention, the flowers' caretaker stormed inside the house, "Harolvo, you dumb, lazy fool! Why don't you ever listen to me? There's a Link! He's ruined the garden!"
Link was not going to wait to see who this Harolvo was, so he flipped himself over onto his hands and knees, which, minus the pops of pain that lurked here and there, had healed enough to pick himself up and walk. But suddenly he felt a void in his stomach like it had existed for an eternity. He needed something to… his hands reached for the sprouted flowers, and he began to stuff them into his mouth. His mind shut off; it was the only way to disregard the taste.
Then the hag's voice brought him back to reality. Swallowing the last daffodil in his mouth, Link started to flee the scene until suddenly, the strain in his tendons and bones reminded him that he had fallen six stories only yesterday.
"Get it together, Link!" screamed a young, feminine voice in his head. It wasn't Miro Miro's voice, it sounded like…
Smoxy? he answered to himself.
"Yes me! Now pull yourself together cuz you're a mess right now! And just because I'm helping you out doesn't mean I forgive you or like you!"
Link groaned through the condescension as he heaved the taste of flower out of his mouth, Then why?
"It wasn't my decision to make! And besides-" her train of thought was caught off guard when Link saw the man referred to as "Harolvo", a taller senior looking member of the gentry, judging by his dyed clothing, who looked like he had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed and his squawking crow of a significant other was unfortunately not as crazy as a keese as he thought she was, and the three pronged pitchfork in his hands was every bit as threatening as his attitude was, "What're you doing here, kiddo?" Then Harolvo marched forth and raised his weapon.
"Back off!" Smoxy threatened the old couple with own voice, "I'm warning you!" She swooped in from above and cut into the space between Link and the old man, "This kid's a bona fide killer! And I got a bunch of friends protecting him, so if you know what's good for you, you'll go back into your home and close the door on your way in!"
Harolvo and his wife looked at each other and then to Link. As Link's casual death glare pierced into their souls, the elderly couple began to lose their nerve, and it was only a matter of heartbeats before the old man lowered his weapon and took his first step back into the house, his wife following behind him.
Once the door closed, Link let out a painful groan, Why are you helping me? Picking himself up off the ground, he searched his body for pains and strains, and found none major enough to call broken.
"Shoe! He's asking asking questions!" she dodged instead. The fairy flew off to Link's delight, but another fairy with a mahogany aura took her place.
"Hey there, kid! Remember me?" his deeper voice sounded familiar, but Link's memory of last night were too hazy.
No. Go away. He had other things to worry about. Link surveyed his surroundings in an attempt to locate himself within the giant city. Torches lined the walls of a narrow street, meaning he was in a city dweller's alley which could not have been too far from the Desert Oasis. The judging by the shadows of the building, Link guessed that it was mid morning.
"Haha, good one! You sure you don't want our help, even after we helped guide you here?"
Link growled loudly. He begrudgingly began piecing together the last bits of his memory from yesterday. Why are you even helping me?
"That is because you saved us from the black market two nights ago!" Wait, were these the same fairies from the other…? "Yep, we're the very same ones! Sorry, you thought a little too loudly."
Link growled like a ticked off animal and asked, Is there anyway to turn it off?
"We can only hear the sounds of your thoughts, so if you think in pictures, we would not be able to hear you."
Whatever that meant… All right, so why are you following me?
"After you saved us, well, we didn't really have anywhere to go, so we wandered around the city until we found you."
Huh, thoughts and plans began to formulate in his head. There were always terms and limits to lifebound friends, but their mobility and small size could be useful. He was about to exit into a more open, daylit street when the sight of a watchman suddenly jolted him. Hiding behind the corner, Link quickly surveyed the area. It was not just the one, three other brass plated pigs were in the area, and they weren't on patrol. They were looking for something, or someone, and the runaway arson had a good idea whom.
Link was shirtless, which meant his easily identifiable scars were on display for everyone to see. He could not pretend to be just "some urchin", so the great challenge he faced was getting to his bag of work supplies, hopefully still hidden in the same spot behind the tower, without being seen.
His eyes shot to an empty barrel sitting amongst other storage containers, then the exposed area he needed to traverse to reach it, and then the four watchmen. Here lay Link's opportunity to test Shoe's integrity. Shoe, are you still serious about helping me?
"What can I do for you?"
Count how many men are searching in this small part of the road, Link needed to be sure his count was correct. Any unforeseen people in the area could spell trouble. When Shoe ascended up the cityhouse wall, Link peeked around the corner from within the morning shadow to confirm his number. Two were engaged in conversation, resting their spears between their arms and bodies. "Oy," said the one standing on the north side, "what's this guy supposed to look like?"
His superior, the veteran of this group, but not their commanding knight, answered the question as he looked through windows without any care for privacy, "We're looking for a Link."
"A Link?" sighed the junior, "Any Link? Or a specific Link? One of many thousands of buggers lurking everywhere?"
"Uh," responded the senior who was patrolling around the square with his spear pointed, without any care for whom he may accidentally stab, "I don't know, just, some suspicious kid."
The sound of Shoe's voice alerted Link, who retreated back into the alley, "Five."
Link's heart stopped for a second. Five? But where?
"There's a man with a bow on the roof of a house on the east side," Shoe answered knowing what Link asked himself.
Man on the roof? It couldn't be… No watchman was skilled enough to wield a bow and scale the walls of the cityhouses to the roof. He could only have come from the sky, and for that to have happened…
Link peered around the corner once more and looked up at the rooftop to verify his suspicion. It did not take him more than a heartbeat, for the glint of the sun against his metal armor gave his position away. It was just as Link feared, the royal sergeant picked the tallest building to land on and oversee the search.
Dung, he brought knights, cursed the boy.
It was just a short run across, but waiting for all five men, especially the knight, to turn away from the barrel at the same time was painstaking. He paid special attention the diligent watchman sniffing through other people's crates and the knight patrolling across the rooftop, but when they all finally happened to turn their faces away…
Link broke into a full sprint across the open space. His bare feet carried him swiftly and silently over the paved walkway until he reached the first container. Hopping onto the wooden crate, he used his upward momentum to soften the noise of the landing and jump into the barrel, but the heartbeat he saw that there was still rain water inside, he caught the lip with his hands, held himself above the opening lowered his legs, and suspended himself over the water by pressing all four extremities against the walls. It was exhausting, but it was worth it to avoid the noise and stay dry. All eight balls of colored light followed him into the cramped space.
Okay, first things first, Link was beginning to enjoy the idea of communicating with only thoughts, I'd like to know your names. I already know Smoxy, and I take it you're Shoe?
"Yep! I am a he." replied the brown fairy.
"I'm Siklayvin. I identify as she," said the yellow fairy with the voice uncharacteristic of a "she".
"We are Kebastian, but you can call us Kebas. We identify as they," said the red fairy speaking as if they had two separate city accent voices.
"I am Mihayl, I identify as she," said the bubbly, dark purple fairy.
"Tandremil. Call me Tandry. I identify as he," said the green fairy.
"I'm Rakayla, I identify as she," said the soft spoken pink fairy.
"And I'm Marqo. I'm a he." said the pure white fairy.
Is the pronoun really necessary? asked Link, wanting the answer to be no so he could all address them all as an it or they.
"YES!" they shouted in unison, giving Link a piercing headache. "Fairies are born under varied and complex means, but it is an important part of our identity!" explained Smoxy with hostility.
Sheesh, all right then. I don't really got an identity, so I wouldn't really know. You can just call me Link. Now, trusting strangers was something Link strongly disliked doing, but in his current situation, he needed all the help he could get, I need to get to the Desert Oasis tower. Can you guys keep a lookout for me?
They all agreed except for Smoxy, who glared in defiance, "Why do you need a lookout? Is it because you're running away from the law?"
Link did not back down from her challenge, And what if I am?
"See!" she proclaimed to the rest of the group, "I told you we're working for a criminal! I don't like this one bit!"
"Smoxy, we've just discussed this, and many times before in the last twenty four hours!" interjected Tandry.
"And nothing's been resolved!"
"Well duh, he's a criminal," answered Marqo, "He beheaded our seller, remember?"
The old man from yesterday? He was in a dark alley, and anyone knows killing anyone there is fair game, defended Link.
"It doesn't make it any less legal." Marqo's response made Link furrow his brow. "Anyways, it doesn't matter because all of us wanted to see him dead." His argument drew agreement from the group. "Don't tell me you didn't feel a pinge of happiness watching Link here decapitate Ganon's dung?"
Smoxy growled, "I only found it ironic. Fine, I won't bother anyone any more about my feelings for Link, and I'll cooperate."
Perfect, moving on. How far away can you be from each other to talk?
"Up to a hundred yards," answered Mihayl, "But we have to be practically next to you to hear your thoughts."
Good to know. Tandry, which way to the tower?
"Uh, gimme a heartbeat." The green fairy flew straight up and then descended not a heartbeat later. "About two blocks west of southwest," he reported. That bit of information pinpointed Link onto his mental map of the city streets. He was on Ruko street, one of the main streets that emptied into the Desert Oasis square. But the fact that the wide street was as empty as it was felt a bit strange. At least he didn't have to cross the open area with all the guards sniffing around.
Okay, here's the plan. Kebas and Marqo, you two scout the Desert Oasis square. Siklayvin, you scout the road west of here, Rakayla, you scout the block past that. Mihayl and Tandry, you scout the intersection, especially the northern and southern streets. Smoxy, you stay behind me and keep a lookout for my blindside. Keep an eye out for watchmen especially. I think it goes without saying that if any of you get caught, I can't help any of you. Everyone got it?
"Got it!" they said in unison before shooting out of the barrel.
Except for Shoe, who stayed by his side, "What do you need me for?"
Shoe, you're with me. I need you to relay information between me and the rest. But first, Link knew there was no way to hide the words in his mind, so he outright thought it out, I know Smoxy doesn't like me, but how much do you trust her?
"Listen, each one of us was held in captivity for many years. There used to be more of us, but they got sold. We awaited our final fate together, until it was down to the eight of us. We became more than just friends stuck in a jar locked away in a storage room. Since all we had was each other, we became siblings. So you can trust Smoxy. She may not like you, but I can at least trust her to put my life in her hands." His dead sincerity eased Link a bit, but this next test would verify everything. He assigned Smoxy to watch his back for this test alone.
Okay, good enough for me. Tell me what she sees.
"Hey Smox! Whadya see up there?" Shoe's thoughts were much quieter, as if focusing his communication to a distant recipient greatly reduced the sound of his mental message in his immediate vicinity. And true to Mihayl's word, Link could not hear Smoxy's response. "The area still has four guys and that knight standing on the roof of the building."
All right then, what does Siklayvin see?
"Only one guard in the area patrolling up and down the street. He says there's no good place to hide, though." It was hard to imagine Ruko street, intersecting with a market street just one block ahead, being empty at this time, but the royal watchmen must have taken measures to keep them clear.
Just great. He had to walk across a long stretch of road exposed Okay, I need you to let me know the instant no one is looking towards this way. That includes the watchmen in the area, the knight, and the guy patrolling down the west road. Got it?
"Gotcha." Another painstaking wait. So the boy placed his fingers on the outside of the barrel and waited for the good news. "Okay, the watchman patrolling the left side of the street is about to turn around." Good… "The knight is still watching this side of the street." Better… the news was honest, meaning Smoxy was good on her word so far, "And the mustached pig just went to take a leak, just down the alley where you were in." Lucky for him he got out just in time. "And… The knight has turned away!"
Trusting Smoxy's and Shoe's word, Link launched himself out of the barrel. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the golden armor in front of him, but the watchman was walking west, towards where Link needed to go. It was as Siklayvin had said: not a single object in the residential street to hide the boy under the late morning sun. Link had no choice but to creep up to the watchman and walk at the same pace at arm's length away. His heart pounded hard and fast in anticipation from the watchman turning around suddenly.
"Smoxy says the knight's coming back this way!"
Link acknowledged the caution and jumped to the southern walkway, covered by a thin sliver of shadow running along the walls. Knights were trained to have keen sight, but it would be unnatural to be able to spot anything in the shadows from that distance. Just past the unsuspecting watchman was the road crossing with a thin stream of traffic, not thick enough to hide in. Beyond that, two more watchmen guarded the middle of the road, three if he counted the useless idiot barking orders at the ignorant masses. They were too busy trying to redirect the flow of traffic, only letting one person through every now and then. There was no getting past that. Link had to take a detour. Report from Mihayl and Tandry.
"Okay, Mihayl says there are two guards on the south side of the intersection, but they're busy talking to other people. Tandry says there are no guards, but there's a big cart coming through from the North."
Perfect. As the watchman approached the intersection, the clapping of horse hooves upon the paved road supported Tandry's findings. Is the knight still there? Link asked.
"He's gone." Shoe's cue enabled Link to emerge from the shadows and walk behind the watchman once more.
The moment he turned around to patrol the other way, Link quickly scrambled around the opposite direction to follow his blindside and then dove underneath the passing cart. Walking crouched underneath the moving vehicle felt terrible on his recovering joints, but he only needed to follow the cart until it passed the next westward alley. What's on the left side of me? Link asked Shoe as they were approaching a shadowy gap between storefronts.
"Nothing, you're clear on this side."
Trusting the good news, Link rolled from underneath the cart into the dark, cold gap between vendors. Boxes full of rubbish littered the area, providing excellent cover for the boy. The advantage of traversing here was the copious number of spaces to hide. But the big downside was the dangerous people who also shared the hiding spaces with him. What does Rakayla see?
"There's a knight and two guards walking your way," Shoe reported, "There's also a bunch of people just sitting around." Link poked his head out from behind a crate. Just as Shoe reported, a knight was supervising two watchmen as they busily searched through each pile of rubbish and stepped over beggars and drunks. This hunt was serious if the royal watch was brave enough to risk men to search through the alleys. But the knight's presence also meant that the drifters were going to be tame. It was a blessing in disguise.
"Smoxy says someone's coming from behind!" Link immediately ducked behind the crate and held his breath as the sound of brass metal plates ran past him. That was twice she was good on her word.
"Sir, a couple has spotted him a block east of here only several minutes ago."
"Acknowledged. Follow me." All four royals ran past the hiding spot, giving Link a clear path to the square.
Shoe, tell Siklayvin, Rakayla, Tandry, and Mihayl to join up with Kebas and Marqo in the square, then tell me what's on the other side of this alley.
"Okay give me a heartbeat." As Link waited for an answer, his eyes searched through the rubbish for clothing, any kind, that could conceal his scars. He found a tattered, red tunic and several other linens to cover up the holes. "Kebas says the square is full of watchmen, but they seem pretty occupied, and there are two watchmen walking around the square perimeter."
How many total? Link asked as he tore up linen after and wrapped them around his exposed scars. After tying a linen around his forehead and his mouth, Link's new attire would hopefully make the number of watchmen irrelevant.
"Marqo has counted twelve so far. But most of them are trying to keep the peace around the center of the square."
What is going on out there? he asked himself as he stepped over a homeless man clutching a bottle like a newlywed. As he approached the daylight, he could hear clamoring and fighting not too different from those the day before, but he could only see a thick river of peasants criss crossing in front of the alley's exit. They would be perfect cover, but he still needed to know where the watchmen were located.
Evidently, Shoe heard his question, "There's six guards protecting the city crier at the center of the square, and they're pushing hard against an angry horde."
What about the other six?
"There's one at each side of the tower, one guarding the north exit and the south exit, and the other two are patrolling around the square."
In traffic this thick, Link could easily slip by the two patrollers, but the guards near the tower would be problematic. Shoe, hide inside my tunic, then tell Kebas to hug the south side of the tower. While pressed against thick wakes of Hylian traffic, this required dead accurate timing. On my mark, create as big a diversion as possible.
Due to the watchman's efforts in redirecting the flow of people, traffic was especially slow. Diving into the river, Link almost felt no control of himself; there were simply too many people compressed together for him to wade through at his own pace. His only choice was to follow along with the slow, counterclockwise movement around the roundabout. And if he ever got lost, he could turn his eyes upward to see the Desert Oasis planted on the other side of the square.
Above all the chatter, Link could clearly hear the town crier's voice, "Hear ye! Yesterday at around the fifth hour, witnesses report a wizzrobe from the Cult of Ganondorf summoned a flare dancer to carry out an attack on the peaceful citizens of the city! The demon was quickly defeated by one of her majesty's knights! Watchmen are still searching for the rogue wizzrobe, and the Crown is offering a reward for any information regarding its whereabouts! Hear ye…" The fact that Link could discern the crier's repeated message word for word was a testament to his good lungs…
For the responses to the fake news was just as loud, "Drown in a pile of dung you puppet!" "Burn you lying sack of dung!" "How dare you lie to us after we lost loved ones!" "We know it was the Gerudo!" It was easy to imagine what the people shouting over the crier looked like, nothing more than angry peasants wearing their typical worn out tunics. Their foul stench infiltrated his nose from every digit of the roundabout.
Once the watchman standing by the southern side of the Desert Oasis was in view, Link began to swim against the flow of traffic, squeezing past hairy legs and sweaty flesh to reach his destination. Now, Shoe! came his cue, just before he was about to escape the slimy river of Hylians.
"HEY! I FOUND HIM! HE'S THIS WAY!" Kebas's loud cry caught the watchman's attention. He began searching high and low for the culprit, and as soon as he swiveled to his left and pointed his spear at the source of the noise, Link quickly dashed through his blindspot into the empty alley behind the Desert Oasis.
Tell everyone to regroup behind the tower. No one else was in the alley thankfully. Link hurried over to the stack of crates where he hid the broadsword and his work bag from the day before. He flipped over the leather tarp covering the crates and moved one box over to retrieve his stuff.
Only to find nothing… Someone had gotten to his stuff before he could. Cursing loudly enough in his head to frighten some of his new companions, he vowed to find whoever took his stuff and…
"Ahem!" a woman's voice called from above him. Link looked upward to the Cloud Palace inn and saw a familiar Gerudo face sitting on a sill of the top floor. Nerachmuud extended the very broadsword Link was looking for out the window in a manner that only implied, looking for something?