Chapter 3: The Hero's Guidance

The squad set forth immediately for Hateno Village, knowing that that was the place where Zelda's contact was living at. Under the night sky, they rode their horses through the historic sight and through the hills. They passed by a large tower, and even a few strange structures that were glowing blue. They got closer to the village, as they started making out the faint glow of the village. Most of the light from a distance looked orange, although some of the light looked blue as well. They all of a sudden heard a scream just off to the side of the path. "HELP! THIEF!" The squad investigated this and found a lone cabin in the woods. They entered it.

Inside, there was a hylian female, who was picking up ingredients off the floor and putting them back into bags. "What happened here?" Poump said.

"A thief stole my stuff of course." The Hylian replied.

"What did they look like?"

"I could only make out a beige outfit that they were wearing. They swiftly came right in and stole my ingredients before I could even get a good idea who they were."

Poump looked around the cabin, but didn't bother helping with the mess. "You look like you sell ingredients. Mind if we see what you have for sale?"

"Oh yes, please buy some ingredients. Having a shop in this part of the world doesn't net me many customers, and that's how I like it. You'd think living next to one of the nicest towns ever would exclusively bring nice customers, but it seems every place needs to have a thief these days."

"How much do these cost?" Poump said.

"For regular mushrooms, that'll be 15 rupees each. If you want hearty mushrooms, that's about 30 rupees each. You can get a handful of nuts for 5 rupees, and the hearty truffles, a favorite of mine, are sold for 45 rupees each."

Poump didn't seem very satisfied by these prices. "You think you could give us a discount for these?" Poump asked.

Feeling offended, the shopkeeper insisted that he would buy it at full price. "I would only give you a discount if you found the culprit who stole my ingredients. Right now, however, all I see are a bunch of people taking up my time and space for no reason. Either you pay, or you get out."

Poump and the others left the cabin. "I was just trying to be nice."

The Zora replied saying "Asking a random person for discounts for the first time you ever see them is pretty rude. We might find the thief and then we'll be able to make it up to her."

The squad rode for Hateno Village and eventually made it to the gates of the village. They were greeted by two guardsmen. "State your business."

"We're here to meet an accomplice of Zelda's." The Sheikah said.

"Ah. It is the great Hero you seek then. If you were to find him here, he has a house just off to the right across a small bridge. Sometimes he's there and other times he isn't."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and by the way," the guardsman added, "If you happen to see any suspicious characters, please contact any soldiers stationed around the village."

"You got it." Poump said. The squad stationed their horses just next to the gate. They walked in the direction the guardsmen pointed them and they walked across the small bridge he mentioned. The homes appeared to be very square and samey, with a light color palette for each. They arrived at a stone house with a horse stable nearby. The stable didn't have a horse in it. The Sheikah concluded that Link wasn't there, but Poump decided to check the window. He saw what looked like someone shuffling around a bunch of items inside, but the window was tinted in a way that made it hard to make out who was there.

"I'm just gonna knock on the door." Poump said. He knocked on the door and in a few seconds the person inside opened it up. The person was wearing some blue pajamas that displayed a lobster on it, and their hair was really messy. He looked really tired with bags under his eyes.

"Who are you, why are you here, and what do you want?" The tired individual said.

The whole team was confused as to who this person was. This surely couldn't be the great Hero. The Hero was always depicted with either a green tunic and a hat, or a blue tunic with a proud look on his face, a sword in his left hand, a shield on his right hand, and a bow with many types of arrows in a quiver.

Poump chose to speak up. "We are looking for a friend of Zelda's. She says that you can help us with getting the monsters out of Hyrule, and that we needed your help with navigating through some woods."

"Oh yeah, Zelda told me that a group of some people would come here soon. It looks like you guys are that group, so come on in here. Sorry for the mess by the way." The Hero invited them in. On the walls of his house were different weapons. The Zora recognized one of them as the former Zora Champion Mipha's weapon. However, it smelled terrible. The floor was littered with monster parts, as this Hero was in the middle of sorting them out and putting them in boxes. "By the way, I should introduce myself. I am Link."

"I am Poump, and these are my friends. We call ourselves the monster squad!"

"Poump… haven't I heard that name before…" Link took a notice of the cucco with them. "That's a catchy name I guess. And why do you have this cucco with you?"

"It's our cucco." The Zora said. "And we're gonna give it armor soon."

"Intriguing." Link said with a hint of enthusiasm. Link started picking up some of the monster parts and putting them into his boxes. For certain monster parts, he put them into a special container that used Sheikah tech. "What is it that Zelda wants me to help you with?"

The Sheikah spoke. "We have this Ocarina that Impa gave to us, and Zelda told us that we would need to learn a song from a place called the Lost Woods."

Link's eyes opened when he heard the words, "Lost Woods". "You want to go into the Lost Woods? That is actual suicide without proper guidance. I see why Zelda would tell you guys to involve me in guiding you. You are seeking the Deku Tree."

"What's so special about the Lost Woods, and this Deku Tree?" Poump asked.

"The Lost Woods is a mystical place that disorients anyone who walks into it. Anyone who walks into it is usually in search of the Deku Tree, although nowadays people walk in there thinking that they can find some monsters to kill. I navigated through the Lost Woods many years ago to meet the Deku Tree, which it then presented me with my signature weapon, the blade of evil's bane." Link walked up to the corner of the house and picked up a huge sheath. He unsheathed the sword and revealed a long blade glowing with energy. The sword looked way too big to be held in one hand, yet Link carried it as if it were a broadsword. "That is the place where I found the Master Sword." He put the sword back into its sheath.

"How did you make it through the Lost Woods?" Poump asked.

"10 years ago, all I needed to do was follow the wind to where the Deku Tree was. I did it by using the embers of a torch and following them."

"We have our answer!" Poump said.

"Uhp-uhp-uhp!" Link said, pointing his finger at Poump. "It's not that easy anymore."

"Dammit I should've known." Poump said dryly.

"Then how are we supposed to go through there now?" The Zora asked.

"Well since the pathway started to become more apparent, the forest started to shift it's passageway around. At random, it will change it's methods to navigate through the place. Eventually, I got tired of learning the new pathways, so I just decided to teleport myself directly to the Deku Tree whenever I need to visit that place."

"Teleport? How?" Poump asked with intrigue.

"How do you not know how to teleport? You have a Sheikah Slate with you. If you register it at a Sheikah Shrine, you'll gain instant and unlimited access to teleport yourself to that Shrine whenever you want and wherever you want. I've registered all 120 shrines and then some, so I can get around Hyrule a lot. Teleporting has also saved me quite a good amount of times. If you don't know what a shrine is, it's a blue glowing structure coming from the ground. Since you haven't met the Deku Tree yet, you obviously can't teleport there, but when you get the chance, make sure you register yourself at any shrine you see."

"Ah okay, thanks for the information." Poump eyes a monster part on the floor and picks it up.

"What are you going to do with that?" Link asked.

"Oh uh, I think I want to keep it." Poump said.

"Go ahead, keep it. I already have a large stash of these anyways. If you ever get the chance, you might be able to meet a friend of mine who only appears at night time. He's in a big purple hot air balloon. You can also sell it for quite a sum, but I'd say you should at least look at the other guy's stock before selling it. I know a lot about monsters, probably more than every single person in all of Hyrule."

"Can you tell me about what life was like when monsters were abundant?" Poump asked with curiosity.

"Oh boy, it wasn't a time you would've wanted to live in. The monsters lived all across Hyrule in their own camps, and they would terrorize anyone who decided to pass by. There are plenty different types of monsters." Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and flipped through some photos he took of the monsters. "Bokoblins, are wild little guys that love hunting for meat. They are also intelligent enough to understand how to ride horses and use different weapons. Moblins are bulkier monsters that mostly use heavy weapons. Despite how they look, they are very smart. They even know how to use bows. These guys are pretty cool. They are the Lizalfos. Lizalfos are really good swimmers and specialize in boomerangs. They love boomerangs so much, that their own arms function like boomerangs! If you were to go swimming, you'd best hope that a Lizalfos wasn't in that body of water you were in, otherwise they would snatch you right up and drag you underwater." Link looked at Poump's face. Poump seemed to have an interest, but was also somewhat terrified by what these monsters could do. Link continued. "Oh yeah, and this right here is a Lynel. Lynels are some of the most ferocious fighters you could ever meet. These beasts carry massive weapons, can breathe fire, can ram themselves into you, and can shoot three arrows into the sky and hit you with precise aim. They sound daunting, but I ate these dudes up for breakfast." Link all of a sudden puts the Sheikah Slate down and looks at his sword with a look of longing. It has been years since he fought something as powerful as a Lynel, and he's faced even worse.

The squad took a look at Link as he sat there looking at his sword. He then sprung back up and started going through some of his boxes. "So uhh… are you gonna help us?" Poump asked.

"Oh of course I'm helping you guys." Link replied, as he started undressing in front of the squad as if they weren't even there. "I'm just putting on a different outfit. I need to get into my mojo." Link then brought out a green tunic, and green hat and put them on. He then picked up the Master Sword in his right hand and put it on his back. Additionally, he also put a sturdy looking shield on his back. "Once you're ready, you can meet me in front of the Lost Woods." Link walked out of the house with the squad following him and then he whistled with his fingers. A horse suddenly appeared in blue light right in front of him. "In the meantime, you guys should get some sleep. There's an Inn just up the road in this village. Check it out if you want." And without even giving them a chance to ask a question, he rode out of town.

"He's such a nutcase." The Zora said.

"I can agree to that." Poump added.

The squad walked up the road. There were few people walking around the village at night, mostly patrols of guardsmen. They passed by some lanterns with blue flames in them. Eventually they came up to a larger building that had a sign up front that read "The Great Ton Pu Inn". They entered and were greeted by a young girl at the desk. "Hullo and welcome to The Great Ton Pu Inn! My name is Narah! What would you want to have today?"

The Sheikah asked "How much for a bed here?"

Narah replied "Only 30 rupees a night! 60 rupees if you want to sleep with extra comfort!"

Poump looked around a bit. Then said "I'll sleep outside. And the cucco sleeps with me." and then he walked outside carrying the cucco in his hands.

The Zora said "I will sleep in a comfortable bed." and handed the receptionist 60 rupees.

"Up the stairs and to the right!" Narah said with enthusiasm. The Zora went upstairs and slept in an elegant suite. At least as elegant as this farm village could get.

The Sheikah asked a strange question. "Would it be alright if I slept at one of the tables down here?"

"Uhh… yeah!" Narah replied with uncertainty. The Sheikah looked around and sat at an empty table. He then started napping.

Poump when he was sleeping outside at one point woke up to see the hazy image of a figure jumping onto a roof. However his crusty night eyes shut themselves shut and him and the cucco slept for the rest of the night.

The sun started to shine and the party started waking up. Poump wasn't satisfied when he woke up, since a Donkey was licking at his face, and cucco was making really loud noises in his ears. He walked back into the Inn and saw that the receptionist was different this time.

"Hey where's Narah?" Poump asked.

"I am Prima. I own this Inn. Narah is an apprentice of mine, but she's done a terrible job at telling customers that SLEEPING AT THE TABLES ISN'T ALLOWED." And with her shouting, the Sheikah woke up with a brief startle. The other two people at the table he was at were also startled, although they weren't sleeping, they were playing cards. Poump was feeling pretty shook with Prima's loud voice so he walked back outside.

The Sheikah sitting at the table looked at the other two that were playing cards. The older looking card player started speaking to the Sheikah. "That's Prima for you. She has a strict paying policy here since way too many people like sleeping down here instead of paying for a bed. Especially since a thief has appeared in this village and started stealing people's rupees and belongings."

"How long has this thief been around here?" The Sheikah asked.

"Just about 6 days so far. It's been a new thing. I really dislike having a thief in our village because it means that Hyrule has to station more guards around the village. I hate it so much."

"Why would you hate it? Shouldn't you appreciate this protection?"

"Normally we wouldn't need this protection in the first place. Do you know what Hateno stands for?"

"What?"

"Hateno stands for 'Village at lands end'. When this village was established, it was intended to stay independent from the kingdom of Hyrule. Also since this village is so far away from other settlements, not much drama happens here. The most dangerous thing to happen here were a few monster attacks, and that's pretty much over with since most of them have been hunted out. Now we have to worry about some sneaky person stealing our belongings, and now we have all of these heavily armed guards all around the village, with their bright and shiny armor and sharpened swords." The old man continued rambling on as he also played his card game. Prima went up to the Sheikah in the midst of the old man's monologue.

"HEY!" Prima shouted. "Are you going to pay or what?"

"I'm short on rupees." The Sheikah replied.

"That's no excuse. Give me 30 rupees now."

"Alright then." And then the Sheikah gave Prima 30 rupees. At that moment, the Zora was walking down the stairs from her guest room. Prima walked up to the Zora and thanked her for being a good customer and handed her a freshly baked apple pie. The Zora ate it right up, and shared a slice with the Sheikah.

Meanwhile, Poump was outside with the cucco, and he was staring at a donkey. He was wondering how much stuff you could pack onto a donkey until it collapses. One of the villagers noticed him observing the donkey. "Why are you looking at my donkey?" the villager asked.

"Cause it looks cool." Poump replied. At that moment, The Zora and The Sheikah walked out of the Inn.

"We're going now." The Sheikah said. "Get your horse."

Poump looked back at the donkey and said "You're lucky this time." The squad all got onto their horses and rode towards the gate of Hateno Village. Poump overheard a conversation some people were saying.

"Have you seen Nebb lately? I haven't seen him anywhere."

"Nebb? Didn't he say he was going to spend some time at Lon Lon Ranch?"

"You're right. Maybe he's just there." Poump dismissed the conversation and kept on riding forward.

They passed by the log cabin they were in earlier, but decided to ignore it given the person inside of it would probably revolt at their presence. Their horses carried them across the East Necluda region. They decided to make a quick stop at Kakariko Village. The Zora went into the armor shop with the cucco.

"Is the armor ready yet?" The Zora asked the blacksmith.

"Yes, it is. Although I've never made this type of armor before." And then the blacksmith handed the Zora the cucco armor. The Zora put the armor onto the cucco. The cucco looked up at the Zora with it's new armor, weighing it down some. It was chainmail armor. "That will be 100 rupees." The Zora gladly paid the blacksmith and went back outside to her horse.

The squad continued riding into the direction of the Lost Woods. Since they were told that these woods were located between Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain, it was pretty easy to find them. Death Mountain is a very iconic landmark in Hyrule, as it is the tallest mountain across the whole kingdom, and it even has a unique cloud ring surrounding the top. It's also very volcanic and hot, making it a dangerous place for people to traverse through. Thankfully for them, they didn't need to go through the mountain's climate. The woods were up ahead of them, with a fog emanating from the trees. It looked like there was a large tree, with cherry blossoms, and it's branches reached way above the whole forest. They came closer and eventually noticed that Link was standing around the entrance of the forest, with a different horse next to him. Link had a Sheikah Slate out, appearing to be motioning it around the area. The squad dismounted their horses, and Poump walked up to Link with curiosity.

"What are you doing with that?" Poump asked.

"Ah, the question is what am I NOT doing with it. Right now, I'm taking pictures with my Sheikah Slate right now. It's been a while since I've walked through the Lost Woods, so I'm ready to have my camera function ready." Link put the Sheikah Slate onto his waist. "If you ever feel the need to learn more about something, don't be afraid to take a picture of something, since the Sheikah Slate has an extensive database on just about every single thing you can find." Link started walking towards the forest but then quickly turned around, "Oh! Oh! Oh! And by the way! You can take pictures of yourself with the camera function! Take a look at this picture I took one time!" Link brought the screen up to the group, and it appeared to be a picture of him naked with a bunch of red lights pointed right at him. "I almost died for this!" Link finally put the slate down and walked towards the woods. He took a torch and lit it up.

"I'm telling you, he's a real nutcase." The Zora said to Poump.

"Yeah, I know right." Poump replied.

Link and the squad got deeper and deeper into the fog of the forest, and eventually they couldn't even see the sky, even though it was day time. Somehow the forest was still illuminated, by the noticeable amount of fireflies lighting the place up. It also smelled like mud. They were walking on a stone road that ended at some ruins. "Ah-ha, this is the farthest the pathway stays the same. After this, the forest will randomly change it's pathway to disorient anyone who would try to walk through here." Link proclaimed. "As long as you stay close to me, I might find us a way through."

However, after Link had finished his sentence, Link discovered that Poump and the Sheikah weren't even with them.

"Man I really can't stand that guy." Poump said. "Why is he the supposed Great Hero of Hyrule?"

The Sheikah was growing tired of Poump's personality. "He was able to save all of Hyrule from the Great Calamity, which would've enveloped the world in darkness. Without him, none of us would be alive. You should be grateful. Especially that he's giving us this guidance." The Sheikah then looked all around him and Poump. "Wait a second, where is Link? And the Zora?" Poump looked around as well. They seemed to be lost now, with no sight of Link anywhere.

The Zora called out for the others. "Where are you two?"

Poump and The Sheikah heard The Zora's voice. Poump decided to walk towards the sound, but as he walked closer, it started to feel more distant. He looked around and couldn't even see The Sheikah anymore. Then what sounded like the rattling of bones started surrounding him. He looked around and saw a countless amount of red eyes peering out of the darkness. They came closer and closer and appeared to be a bunch of skeletons, equipped with swords and shields. They surrounded Poump. Poump took out his own sword and shield and prepared for a fight. He hit one of the skeletons and managed to knock it out with the swipe, but the others started beating down on his shield so hard that it broke. He started getting cuts from all angles, and then eventually the cutting stopped. Poump observed the area and discovered the cucco standing above several mounds of bones. The cucco started walking in a direction, which Poump followed in. As he and the cucco continued walking, the forest started to get darker and darker, with the noticeable lack of fireflies around the woods. Poump and The cucco looked up into the trees and noticed a single eyeball looking down at them. Then it turned into two eyeballs, then three, then four, then six, then nine, until an uncountable number of eyeballs were looking down at them. Then some loud squeaking noises came from the eyeballs and they started fluttering right past Poump and The cucco in all of their numbers. They didn't seem to be scathed in any way, although The cucco made a loud "BACKAW!" and laid an egg. Poump quickly pocketed the egg.

The noise from The cucco was able to guide Link and the others closer to them. They reunited. "Let's try to stick closer together this time, shall we?" Link said with some haste in his voice.

Link and the adventurers continued walking through the forest. Eventually, the torch started to lose it's light. Link motioned to the others to hold still. He extinguished the torch and then rose a shining blade into the air with his right arm, illuminating the forest exponentially. He was holding the Master Sword. The trees were a lot more visible now.

"With this, we should be able to see any clues to where the path wants us at." They walked around a bit. Link eventually noticed that the bushes seemed to be rustling. A rock came hurtling towards the party, and through fast instincts, Link took his shield out and parried the rock back at where it came from. "An Octorock." Link said. "These guys don't normally attack groups of people." He walked up to where the rock went and the party discovered the carcass of a deflated octopus-like creature. The subtle noise of bushes rustling around them started to get louder until the party saw a bunch of inflated balloon type creatures looking at them. "Stay close to me." Link said, and the party huddled together. The Octorocks all spat out their rocks, and then Link all of a sudden formed a transparent orange barrier encompassing the whole party, and the rocks bounced right back to the Octorocks. As the rocks hit the shield, a ghostly looking Goron appeared above them.

"Whoa." Poump exclaimed. "What was that?"

Link looked at Poump. "An old friend of mine." And then he carried on through the forest, with the party following along. Link looked at a bush. "Ah-ha, the entrance." And then he swiped at the bush to reveal a set of stairs going down into the ground.

"After you." The whole party said to Link.

"Gladly." Link said.