Me checking when I last posted an update:
January 14, 2020
Me checking the currant date:
August 17, 2021
Shit...
Rusl waited anxiously at the table, praying to the goddesses that he hadn't just made a terrible mistake. His efforts to help Link had gone horribly wrong. If anything, their conversation worsened the younger man's mental state. Link had gone down to his basement 10 minutes ago with no explanation and had yet to resurface.
"What in the name of Hylia were you thinking, Rusl? You learned to kill people in the army, not save them. The boy is standing at the edge of a cliff and you decide to give him a shove." he muttered. "If he falls over the edge…"
His musings were brought to a halt by the sight of Link emerging from the dark confines of his basement in his ancient green tunic, making a beeline for a large cabinet next to the fireplace. Reaching inside, he pulled out a small loaf of bread and some goat cheese, quickley wrapping them up in a table cloth. With his makeshift rations in hand, Link began walking to the door, only to realize that Rusl was still present.
Rusl… what do I say to Rusl? He knows who I am… and what I've done. I trust him with my life, but he might tell the village and that would make this harder for everyone. They've become a tad paranoid since the twilight invasion and won't be keen to see me go. No, it would be best if I just leave without a word to them, but I can't just do that to him. He's like a father to me, and to leave after what he just saw would create its own problems… I guess I'll just break the news to him gently.
Before Link could even get the words out of his mouth, Rusl raised a hand for him to stop.
"I can already see that you're leaving, so just answer a few short questions from a worried mentor."
Link slowly nodded in response.
"Is this about the girl?"
Link nodded his head a second time.
"Do you have a plan?"
"The makings of one. I'll figure out the rest as I go."
"I suppose that's all I can expect for something that you came up with in the last half hour." Rusl sighed, "How long will you be gone for?"
"I don't know. I could be gone for less than a week, or I might…' Link hesitated, '... I might never come back. I don't truly know if what I'm going to attempt is even possible. I might end up spending the rest of my life searching for something that can't be found. Even if I somehow manage to succeed in the end, this could very well be a one way trip."
"In that case, I just have one question left. Knowing what you went through last year, I can assume this will be just as difficult. So tell me Link, if this trip of yours ends up being all for nothing, what will you do as your hope fades away?"
"I'm… not entirely sure, but it can't be worse than spending the rest of my life knowing that I didn't even try."
Link turned away from Rusl, bracing himself for the verbal lashing that was sure to follow. Claims of foolishness and recklessness that he had no way of defending against. Only, they never came. In their place was a hand on his shoulder and a smile on his mentor's face.
"Then you better make this one count".
Crossing the bridge between the Ordona and Faron provinces turned out to be greatly underwhelming. There was no sense of excitement for heading back into the larger world, nor did he feel any relief for finally leaving the loving, yet frankly stifling environment of the village. It was simply a place that Link had already been to that he would leave by the end of the day. Having already reclaimed the Master Sword, the forest held nothing of any importance to him.
As Link carefully made his way along the overgrown path of roots, he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of regret at his decision to leave Epona behind, before shaking his head with a sigh.
No… it wouldn't have been right to bring Epona along, only to put her in the way of danger. Not for something personal. Besides, I know that Ilia will take wonderful care of her.
Taking in a deep breath, Link closed his eyes as the scents of the forest flooded his head. While not as precise as it was as a sacred beast, Link's sense of smell was still many times stronger than the average Hylians, a side effect from changing form a few to many times. While cumbersome in crowded environments, it had saved his life many times over in dungeons. Alone as he was in the Faron Woods, his nose painted a picture of his surroundings. He could see the monkeys that were playing in the trees, the morning dew that lay untouched on the tall grass, and the sap that welled from the pines.
Nothing useful.
Continuing past Faron Springs, Link scanned the ground for any dormant Deku babas, before entering the short tunnel that led to Coro's shop and the North woods. Around half way through, Link paused as a new scent fell upon him. It was the smell of rusted metal, mostly covered by the overwhelming acrid scent of lantern oil.
Blood, but Coro doesn't hunt animals, meaning… Shit!
Breaking into a sprint, Link barreled out of the tunnel and into the larger clearing, only to hastily duck back around the bend in the road. He'd only gotten a glance before turning back, but he had clearly seen around a dozen Bokoblins, most of which were preoccupied with their attempts to break down the door to Coro's shack.
Six by the door, three by the gate to Hyrule fields, two by the pot of soup, and one eating the scarecrow's head. Trail of blood leading into the shack. No Coro, but no bodies. Front door is holding. Looks like it will be manageable.
With great care not to make a sound, Link retrieved his bow from his back and knocked an arrow. Taking one final breath, he darted around the corner.
The first to Bokoblin was dead before it knew what was happening, its head permanently nailed to the pumpkin in its hands. The second only had time to turn its head in response to the grunt of pain from it's kin before an arrow pierced through it's back, killing it instantly. With the abrupt death of two of their own, the remaining Bokoblins, turned to face the oncoming threat, right before the two closest to the door were pinned together by an arrow protruding from their necks.
Having lost the element of surprise, Link traded out his bow for the Gale boomerang. Throwing low, the boomerang was able to carve a path around the group of five that was charging him, knocking them to the ground and leaving them stunned. Link calmly walked past them, rolling a bomb towards the middle of their pile, erasing them from existence, before approaching the two survivors. The first dove at him, ready to bash in his skull, only for Link to spin around the clumsy strike, cleaving through the Bokoblin in the process.
While Bokoblins aren't the smartest creatures in the world, the aren't completely stupid either. After seeing the rest of its kind slaughtered in the span of a minute, the final Bokoblin dropped its club, and fled to the safety of Hyrule Field.
Only once the Bokoblin had left his line of sight did Link sheathe the Master Sword, a lesson that had been harshly ingrained into him throughout his adventures. Ignoring the arrow lodged into the doorframe, Link pounded his fist on the door a few times. "Coro! It's safe to come out now! Coro, are you in there?" he called, only to be met with silence. Reaching out to knock the door again, Link stopped himself upon hearing a wet cough from inside the building. All previous caution was immediately replaced with a sense of alarm, Link slammed the door open and ran inside, only to falter at the sight before him.
If not for his numerous encounters with the man over the past three years, Link would have never recognized Coro as he was, lying down with his back propped up against the far wall, an inch away from death. While the dried blood on the side of the merchant's face was concerning in its own right, Link's attention lay firmly on the blood coming from Coro's mouth and the way that he feebly clutched at his side.
Took a blow to the head, possibly a concussion. Eyes unfocused due to fear and pain. At least one broken rib, causing internal bleeding based on the mouth.
Link was drawn out of his head by another fit of coughing from Coro, much fainter than before. Looking back at the man's face, Link was relieved to find Coro watching him with a look of recognition on his face, accompanied by a weak smile.
"Hey there guy. Looks like you beat the monsters. You really are the hero they've been talking about," he rasped, causing fresh blood to trickle down from the corner of his mouth.
Kneeling down next to the injured man, Link dug through the pouches along his belt, searching for the telltale rusling of a bottled fairy. "Just hold on a little longer Coro. I'm going to get you patched up."
"It won't work,' Coro coughed, bringing Links rummaging to a halt, 'got a bone piercing my lung. Magic will just kill me quicker."
Shit, he's right. Damn it, if I had left just a few minutes earlier…
One of the worst discoveries Link had made during his adventure was that potions and fairies don't reset bones, an oversight which resulted in an unnaturally shaped arm that ended up being broken all over again in order to get it properly realigned.
"Don't beat yourself up about it." Coro gasped, falling into another coughing fit, draining him of what little strength was left in his body. "Could you help me lie down?"
Link gave the injured man a silent nod before repositioning himself to sit next to Coro, gently lowering the injured man's head to ground. "Thanks."
Link sat there in silence, eyes closed, listening to his companions labored breathing for what felt like a lifetime, before Coro spoke up once more.
"Hey guy, can you do me one last favor?" he asked, his voice coming out no more than a whisper.
"Of course."
"I've got siblings… up near Zora's Domain… Iza and Hena… let them know what happened to me. Tell them… that… I…"
"Coro?" he asked, opening his eyes, only to find Coro's unfocused gaze resting upon him.
"Coro!"
Coro
A good worker
A better helper
A best friend
It was a simple grave that Coro was buried in. It had none of the elegance or gradour of those he had encountered at Hyrule Castle, nor did it have the traditional Ordonian design, but it had a relatively flat stone that was large enough to engrave and it was deep enough to fully cover Coro's body.
Reaching into his pouch, Link retrieved his lantern and placed it next to the head stone. He had never needed the lantern that Coro had given to him all those years ago, seeing as he already had one at the time, waiting for him back at home. He had figured he would just apologize and give it back to the man one day. While it no longer truly mattered, it still felt like the right thing to do.
A gift, returned to its rightful owner. May its light help to guide you to the sacred realm.
With one last goodby to the oil merchant, Link continued on his way through the forest, intent to reach Hyrule Fields with the remaining hours of daylight. He would rather not spend the night in Faron Woods if he could avoid it. There was nothing left there that held any significance to him, save a handful of memories that he wanted to forget.
Surprise! I'm not dead! The story isn't dead! I'm the worst author ever!
I would like to apologize to everyone who has been waiting for a new chapter for all this time. Between starting college and a global pandemic, I've been a little side tracked lately. Regardless of my personal life, I want you all to know that I have absolutely no intentions of abandoning this story. Will I ever complete it; Yes. Will it take me the next twenty years to do so; possibly.
All jokes aside, I'm back and I plan on writing more frequently. While I won't hold you all hostage buy requiring a certain amount of reviews for me to write more, I would love to hear what you think of the story so far, regardless of wether its good or bad. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!
