The hero, the broken, the saviour
In the last chapter, Shadow managed to get all the supplies she'd need for her journey (well, apart from potions.) And, after rescuing the pirate woman Marie from a little bit of Zelda style 'gang fighting', she's on her way to follow Rufus and help him on his quest…with Marie in tow. (What is it with me and complicated story lines?) However, let's ignore Shadow and go back to Rufus, who's on his way to Dragon Roost Isle with the King of Red Lions…and I very much doubt Rufus has much of an idea about what's going on. Bless his cotton socks!
Rufus:Sighs, and proceeds to be glomped by various female (and male…I don't like to assume after all) readers:
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics.
Rufus: Redeeming royalty
"Come on lad, wake up! We've arrived!" I started at the voice, and bumped my head against something very hard at high speed. It sounded like wood…the floor was moving around a lot, and when I sat up, I found myself face to face with the prow of a talking boat!
"Oh Gods, you ta- oh yeah…" all of a sudden I remembered where I was, and who (well, 'what', the boat was.) "Heh…sorry. Just a little…uh – hey, is that Dragon Roost?" I pointed to the island in front of us, hoping that this would distract the boat :what's his name again: from my stupid waking up drama. I'm not sure if it worked, as he gave me a strange look before turning around to look at the island again. Luckily, he didn't make a big deal of it, and answered my question.
"Yes Rufus, that is Dragon Roost island. Now, I bet you're wondering about the name of this place, aren't you?" I thought about saying 'not really', but decided it would probably be better just to grunt instead. After what I'd just said, it didn't seem wise to let myself talk for a while…at least, not until I'd woken up properly! "Well, its named so because there is in fact a great dragon, by the name of Valoo…wait, have I told you all this before? I'm getting a feeling of de ja vu."
"De ja what?" I asked, and then realised just how stupid I sounded. "I mean, uh, I don't think you have. Just tell me anyway, because if you have, I've forgotten…" I trailed off, and rubbed the sleep dust from my eyes, praying that my brain would start working sometime soon. Also, I discovered just why you shouldn't fall asleep on a boat – I was sitting in a puddle of cold sea water, which had soaked through my tunic, and now I was sopping wet. :Ah well, you should have stayed awake then, shouldn't you:
Red just chuckled :I remember, that's his name: and then carried on explaining. "Well, as I was saying, this island is guarded by this great dragon Valoo. He's the protector of all the airborne creatures, from the sea gulls to the Rito people themselves-"
"Like Quill you mean?"
"Yes, like Quill. Well, what you must do is go and see this dragon, and request-"
"Wait a minute, see this dragon? Are you mad?" I looked upwards, and I saw a great column of smoke rising from the very top of the central mountain of the island.
"No, I'm quite sane, thank you Rufus," Red told me stiffly. "Valoo will not harm you – he is a kind and gentle spirit, and I have known him for many years. Now, may I continue without interruption?" he looked around at me, and I nodded, feeling my face flush guiltily. "Good." He turned around again, and I could tell that he too was casting his eye towards the pillar of smoke. "You must request the ancient artefact, 'Din's pearl' from the great Valoo, and then you need to come back here with it.
"Of course, you cannot just march straight up to Valoo. You'll need to go to the Rito city, which is just through that pass up there," I looked around, and saw where he meant. "There, you need to seek out the king of the Rito, and then ask his permission to see Valoo. He will of course give you permission, but it is always best to ask first." I remembered the fairy I'd set free back on Windfall Island, and knew he was referring to that…
"So, shall I just get going then?" I asked, without really realising I was asking it until after I'd said it. :I am definitely not a morning person: I thought, yawning widely. We had been steadily nearing the shore ever since I'd woken up (and probably had been for the whole night as well), and when Red didn't answer, I guessed that meant he wanted me to go. So, after waiting a few more seconds so that we were only a few feet away from the sandy beach, I hopped out of the boat.
I expected to find the floor beneath my feet, but was surprised to find that I couldn't touch it at all! I spluttered, and swam back to the surface, surprised by the great drop off that there was under the water. "This is no time for a swim Rufus!" Red scolded, bumping gently against the shoreline. "Stop messing around boy, there's something else I need to give you before you go." I mentally sighed, and swam to shore, only finding my feet about a foot away from where the beach emerged from the water. The incline was steep, and without the water there, I'm not sure I would have been able to scale it!
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Red urged, craning around to look at me. I literally crawled so that I was sitting in front of him, and then collapsed into a heap. "Really, what on earth did you want to do that for?"
"To…wake myself up…" I offered, taking my hat off and wringing the water out. He just sighed heavily, and shook his head. :Well, it's true; I am a bit more awake than I was.: I looked inquisitively at Red, and waited for him to speak again. Finally, he focused his eyes on me again, and I perked up my ears to hear what he had to say.
"Now Rufus, I need you to listen carefully to me now, because this is very important. What I'm about to give to you is not a toy, and you must never allow anyone else to see it. It is a very powerful tool of magic, that we will need in order for you to carry out your quest and save your sister." That part certainly caught my attention, and I listened even harder. "Now, can you promise me that you'll be able to keep this a secret?"
"Of course!" I cried. "Look, if it can help me to save Aryll, I'll do anything!"
"Be careful boy…it may well come to that…" he said softly. "Well, I trust you, and I believe that you won't misuse this, so, here." There was a blinding flash of light, accompanied by a soft lilting melody that made me feel sleepy all over again. The flash died away quickly, but the melody carried on, though it was changing – the key was modulating to a staunchly major one, and this woke me up even better than the dip in the sea had.
In Red's mouth, was a baton of highly polished silver material, the handle of which was shaped ornately. "'ake ick," Red urged (I translated that as 'take it'). That was exactly what I did – I held the baton carefully, and realised that the music was in fact coming from the baton itself! "Rufus," I looked back up at my companion, "this is the Wind Waker; it will allow you to harness the powers of the Gods, and change the course of the winds so that we may travel easily across the sea. It has only ever been used for good, and I would not wish that to change, which is why you must keep it a secret, and you must keep this baton to yourself."
"How does it work?" I asked, studying the curious handle. It seemed to be in some sort of pattern that I could swear I had seen before…though I couldn't think where. :It's like – a memory from a dream.: As soon as I'd thought that, I knew exactly where I'd seen it before:
"Daddy, do you have to go?" I whined, clinging onto dad's leg in a vain attempt to stop him from leaving. "You're going to make it back for my birthday, aren't you?"
"Of course we will darling!" mum said, ruffling my hair, and then bending over Aryll, who was sound asleep in her cot. "Nicholas, we really need to get going before the tide is against us…" she lowered her voice slightly, but I heard anyway. "You know that the relic is important…we can't allow some pirates to get it!"
"I know dear – now, where are those papers?" I knew exactly which papers he meant, because I'd hidden them, thinking they were maps. However, I'd seen them getting maps from Sturgeon, and had put the papers back on the table where I'd found them. Deciding to be a help rather than a hindrance (because, by some strange logic, I believe this would make them get back quicker), I hurried over to the table as quickly as my short legs could carry me, and grabbed the bits of paper.
The top one fell off and fluttered to the floor. I bent down to pick it up, and was enthralled by the pretty patterns on the paper; dad ended up having to tempt me away with a sweet before being able to get the papers from me…
"That was nine years ago," I mumbled, fingering the cold swirling fronds of the metal handle. It was probably the first time I'd thought about mother and father for years… The beginnings of tears welled up in my eyes.
"Pardon?"
"What?" I surreptitiously wiped my eyes on my sleeve.
"Did you even hear a word I said?" Red asked sternly.
"No…sorry…I was in another world," I answered vaguely, studying the baton like it could give me some clue to why my parents had to – had to. :Don't start crying, that won't help anyone: I sniffed, and looked up at the boat, who was looking worried. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "Could you explain it again for me. And I'll listen this time, I promise!"
"Are you all right Rufus?"
"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Please go ahead and explain that again for me."
"Are you sure you're-" I just glared at him, and he stopped mid-sentence. "Well, to answer your question for the second time, it 'works' by 'conducting' the very air itself. But, in order to do this, you will need to visit the shrine of the great God, Zephos, which is on the other side of the island. There, you will learn how to conduct the wind, and what melody you need to change the wind's direction. However, you don't need to worry about that for now, so you may as well put the Wind Waker away."
"Oh, all right." I shoved it into the bag that I'd been given along with the food I'd bought at Windfall Island the previous day. "So, should I start off towards the Rito city then?"
"That would be a good idea, yes." I stood up, and brushed off all the sand that had clung to my wet clothes. "Oh, lad."
"Yes?"
"Just make sure you're careful. Times are bleak recently, so there may be some less than pleasant creatures around on the island. It's daylight, so most of them should be hiding – but, just be careful, all right?"
"I will," I assured him, slipping out the Hero's sword and putting my family shield onto my arm, ready for any monsters that should try and challenge me. I silently dared them to:Come on, I can take down any monster: I smiled slightly, and made my way towards the beaten track that led up the side of the cliffs, and up towards the pass that I'd need to go through to get to the Rito's city.
However, I'd only gone a short way, before I came up against an obstacle. Luckily, it wasn't a monster of any kind, and, judging by the steepness of the climb I was about to make, I thought it wise to put away my weaponry. From the beach, I hadn't realised just how steep the cliffs were before I could even get to the path.
Actually, I hadn't even noticed the cliffs at all… The rock they were made of was exactly the same colour as the rock behind, and it had…blended in somewhat. :Now what do I do? I'm not really all that great when it comes to climbing.: But, at that moment, I was accosted by someone who I was incredibly glad to see – what with the fact that he was an occupant of this island, and would of course know how I was supposed to get to the Rito city.
"Rufus? Rufus, is that you?" there was the sound of flapping wings, and I looked up to the top of the cliffs I had been pondering over, to see Quill hovering above, and slowly bringing himself down to land. "It is you!" he exclaimed when he came close enough to be able to see my face properly. He dropped further down in his descent, and then suddenly stopped flapping about ten feet up in the air.
"Hey, watch out, you're going to," he landed gracefully next to me, and then stood up, looking at me quizzically, "land without hurting yourself…" I ended lamely, wondering when I'd learn to keep my big mouth shut before noon. "How did you do that?" I asked, swiftly looking back up to where he'd been before his seemingly suicidal end to wind flapping.
"Do what?" he queried, and I noticed that his wings had retracted so that they could barely be seen.
"That – the whole falling ten feet without it hurting quite a bit," I answered, a little timidly I'll admit. Well, he did have a beak that looked very sharp…yes, he had helped persuade the pirates to take me to the Forsaken Fortress to try and- :Don't even start thinking about that again Rufus: I warned myself, knowing that I needed to concentrate. And, well, the truth was, Quill was just plain scary because I'd never really been in close quarters with anyone who wasn't a Hylian before…much less stayed around to speak with them.
"Oh, that!" his eyes lit up with understanding, and he laughed slightly. "That's just the way we Rito are; though, I'll admit, I do that more often than everyone else, because my landings are atrocious." I raised an eyebrow at this, and he understood my meaning completely. "Oh, well, when I have to land to collect mail and such-like… I never really got the hang of it you see." I didn't see at all, but nonetheless, I assured him,
"Oh, yeah, I see what you mean."
"So, young Rufus, I must say I'm pleased to see that you're well after all that you've been through. And, I must also say that you have travelled very far for someone who has no wings!" he seemed particularly impressed by that fact. However, the way that his face dropped warned me that the next subject would be the one that I really didn't want to discuss. "Rufus, I do not mean to pry, for I do not know you well, but, your sister – is she…?" he trailed off.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I still felt far too guilty about my complete stupidity. I'd been making goo-goo eyes at that other girl in the cell – the rich one in the expensive looking dress – and I hadn't bothered to let them out! If only I'd moved more quickly, I could have gotten Aryll out, and she wouldn't still be sitting there all alone in that cell, and that man wouldn't be doing Gods only knew what to-
Suddenly, Quill had placed both of his hands (which I noted were not taloned as I had expected, and only had a few tufty feathers around each wrist) on my shoulders, and was speaking calming words to me. To my surprise, I found that there were furious tears in my eyes, and I had missed at least half of what he had said because of my train of thought. "-sure she'll hang in there Rufus. You mustn't worry for her – if she is anything like as strong and courageous as you are, she will be more than fine, I assure you!"
I looked up at him, and wondered how I could have been scared at him. He had a kind enough face, and, aside from the beak, looked pretty normal. And, it was nice that he cared so much, even though he'd only met me once before. :From here on, I think I'd better stop judging on looks alone.: He'd been kind to me, and I felt I owed it to him to know that I had been listening to at least a little bit of his heartfelt comforts.
"I…I know…I just. I really want to get her out of there!" I babbled, and he nodded sympathetically.
"I know you do. Of course you would – I remember when my-" he broke off suddenly, and I was again startled as he seemed to go through the exact same thought process as I had only a few moments before. His eyes shimmered, and the hands on my shoulders clenched suddenly (I didn't wince, though it did hurt quite a bit.)
"Quill?" he jumped, and let go of me abruptly. "Are you…are you all right?" He swallowed, and then smiled brightly (and falsely) at me.
"Yes, I'm all right. Just remembering a few things that I shouldn't be dwelling on right now, when there are more important things to think about! Like, for instance, the fact that I believe you may need a little help getting up onto that path. I take it that you want to get to the city, of course?" he enquired, and I nodded. "I thought as much. I'm also guessing that you'll want to see our chieftain?" I nodded again. "Well, I can certainly help you with that as well."
"Thank you very much!" I said, trying to inject a little bit of light heartedness into the conversation. :I have the feeling Quill knows more about my situation than he'd have me believe…I wonder what happened to whoever it was. He must have cared for them a lot…: I shook my head, and forced myself back to reality. As Quill himself had said, 'there are more important things to think about'.
"Don't think on it – anything to help a friend of the King of the Red Lions, and, hopefully, a friend of mine?" he too, was trying to lighten the mood, and I really appreciated it.
"Of course," I held out a hand. "I know we've already shaken hands, but, what about a pact of friendship. You ever need any help, I'll be there in a flash – because, I mean, you've already helped me out a lot." :Hey, my brain started working again! Hooray:
"The same to you of course – and I don't mind helping, not at all." He grasped my hand, and shook it strongly, "to friendship."
"To friendship," I agreed, then relinquishing his hand again. I then looked up at the cliff, back at the Rito, and briefly wondered how exactly he was going to help me get up there. :If he'd going to try and carry me, he's got another thing coming.: I wasn't that I thought he couldn't…no, he looked pretty strong for a bird-man. It was just the complete weirdness of the idea of a guy picking me up and flying me through the air – not to mention that comment he made about his 'poor landings'. That had worried me quite a bit. "So," I started, hoping I sounded casual, "how do you plan on getting me up there," I pointed at the top of the cliff.
"Oh, that's simple enough. I'll just fly up, and throw down a rope for you, if that's all right? I suppose I could carry you up if you'd rather I-"
"No, that's all right, the rope will be fine," I cut in. Perhaps a little bit too early, because he gave me a slightly funny look.
"Well…in that case…stand back a little bit."
"Why?"
"Well, my take offs are no better than my landings really. It's probably best if you back away a little." I took a few steps back, and he smiled his thanks. "Just in case," he added, with a wink, before suddenly flinging his arms wide. And, in that instant, feathers sprouted all over them, and they were fully fledged wings again. :That is so cool: He began to flap, and I realised what he meant. Before, he may have looked graceful…now he looked a bit…odd. Like a chicken trying to fly really. I stifled a laugh at the thought, and watched sombrely as he slowly made his way into the air, and then about half a minute after that, plonked down onto the cliff.
I could see him unhooking a rope from his belt from where I stood, and he looked down at me. he waved, and then called, "I'm just going to make sure this is secure around a boulder or something before I throw it down – just in case I drop you," he chuckled again, and I grinned, watching him shimmy out of sight. A few seconds later, he came back to the edge of the cliff, "Rope coming down, look out!" The rope landed on the ground with a large thump, and I saw that there was about an extra four or five feet on the end of it, which lay coiled on the ground.
:This is going to be interesting. Maybe I should have accepted his offer of a 'lift': I thought, as I again took in the height of the cliff. :That's a pretty big cliff… I'm an idiot…: Not wanting to waste his (or my) time, I did concede, and dragged myself to where the rope was, twitching slightly as Quill got a slightly better footing so that he could hold onto it. Regretting that the only things I had regularly climbed at home were trees and ladders, I wrapped the excess rope around my waist, and wedged one of my feet into an easy foothold near the base of the cliff.
Then, I wriggled my fingers across the cool stone surface to look for another hole for my hand. I found one, and continued this process, slowly but surely, making a pointed effort not to think about what would happen if I dropped from here. A tug on the rope from Quill nearly dislodged me, and he yelled down, "Come on, no need to take all day!" I could hear the smile in his voice, so I didn't take that too seriously. He probably just found it amusing that he could scale this in under a minute, and I'd already been going for five when I was finally able to reach out and grab the hand he offered to pull me up.
"Thanks," I panted, untying the rope, and coiling it up, before handing it to him. He did the same to his own end, and then looped it over his shoulder.
"Don't mention it. I almost fell asleep waiting though – do all Hylians move so slowly?" there was a teasing glint in his eye, and, feeling more comfortable in his presence than before, I decided a return jibe was in order.
"Do all Rito look like chickens when they're landing and taking off?" he gasped in mock outrage, and crossed his arms over his chest with a 'hmph'. "Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist." He broke into a smile, and his arms fell easily back to his sides.
"Ah, neither could I," he admitted. "Now, I'll go ahead and tell the chieftain that you're coming – you'll be all right from here, there are no more cliffs to climb," I nodded gratefully at this information. "I've already told a few of my friends about you, and the chieftain has heard of your bravery concerning your sister and that pirate girl," I could feel myself flushing, because even Quill seemed to be impressed, "so I think you'll get any help you need from him with no trouble. I'll wait for you inside Rufus – see you in a minute!"
With a surprising lack of fuss, he managed to become airborne (well, actually, he ran off the cliff, which made me panic, until I saw him rise back up again) and flew off over the top of the arched pass I needed to go through. :Well, that was an interesting start to the day, I must say.: I took of my hat, and ran my fingers through my hair, found a tangle, and had to use my other hand to pry my fingers out. :I told Grandma I needed a hair cut.: That done, I jammed the hat back on, and swore not to take it off in public again. My hair probably looked more like a haystack than anything else right now.
With this thought of no hat-removal in mind, I carried on up the path towards the pass. There were quite a few twists a turns, and when I walked near the edge of the path at one point, it nearly crumbled away beneath my feet, which would have pitched me into the sea. Apart from that, nothing of any note happened on my climb, and I reached the pass with no problem, just as Quill had said I would.
The guards at the entrance to the city (which was, weirdly enough, built inside the mountain that topped the island) eyed me curiously when I went past, but had obviously been ordered not to stop me. When I went in, I was astounded to find that it was indeed a city inside, with houses and caves leading off in all different directions to different bits of the city. And, of course, with the nature of the population, it was built on many different levels.
"Well, have you discovered the cause of the great Valoo's anger yet?" a Rito man demanded, sternly but not altogether unkindly, of another Rito man who was holding a spear and averting his eyes. There was a golden gilt crown on the feathered head of the man who had spoken, and I made an educated guess that he must be the chieftain. When I saw Quill standing next to him, and looking at me with an apologetic smile, I knew I must be right.
"I'm afraid not sire – we do not understand his raging, and we daren't let Medli get near in case she is hurt." The man answered, quickly and quietly.
"I see…that's quite understandable. In that case, no one must go near unless it is expressly important. We must find out what is causing this rage…" his eyes had been wandering helplessly, and they alighted on me. "Hello, what's this? Quill, is this the young man you've been telling us all about?" And, then, the strangest thing happened…he bowed…to me. Not really knowing what on the Great Sea I was supposed to do, I remained almost frozen, but, when he stood up straight again, I got it into my head that it might be the polite thing to bow back. So, I did. And, judging by the smile that was still there on the chieftain's face, I'd taken the right decision.
"Yes sire. This is Rufus. Rufus, this is our chieftain."
"Pleased to meet you," I said, just as Grandma had always told me to greet people.
"I'm very pleased to meet you also, young man. I have heard a great deal about you from Quill – it is a very troubling business about your sister. I insist that you let us know if there is anything we can do to help you! We shall do anything in our power to assist you, for one of such courage deserves the help and admiration of others." I felt flushed again, and embarrassed at all these people telling me I was brave. I'd been terrified of leaving home, but I had to save Aryll…that was all there was to it.
"I – thank you very much – sir," I added, awkwardly. He just smiled as brightly as he had done before the talk about Aryll.
"Not at all. However, I cannot promise this assistance to you to be immediate – as you may have seen when you arrived, the great Valoo has been raging – he is the dragon on the summit of the mountain. As you can tell, we of the Rito tribe have a profound connection to the sky, and we make our livings on the airways, delivering mail and transporting goods, all by the grace of sky spirit, Valoo." Now, I know that any other boy my age would probably have fallen asleep by this point, or would be desperate for the talking to end and the play to begin…
For some reason, though, this kind of thing I've always found fascinating. Maybe it was all those myths and legends Grandma (and even Mother and Father when they were still with us) used to tell me. Anything to do with the past, or Gods and Spirits was certain to have me hooked – hence me hanging on every single word and remembering all the chieftain said. "When a Rito reaches adulthood, they will journey to the top of Dragon Roost to receive a scale from our great dragon."
"I remember my trip well – he roped me into a game of checkers using big stones, and then singed me a little when I won three times in a row," Quill interjected fondly.
"He did that to me, only we were playing cards," the Rito with the spear added. The chieftain coughed, and they were quiet.
"As I was saying, they will receive a scale from the dragon – it is this scale which enables them to grow their wings, and, then, be able to fly. Recently, however, our valiant guardian has grown violent and unpredictable, and we can no longer approach him without fear for our own safety. If this continues, the fledglings who are of age will never be able to receive scales, and thus they shall not gain their wings! This could threaten our very way of life!" he sighed heavily, and turned saddened eyes to me. "I am afraid, that as chieftain, my first responsibility lies with my own people. I trust you can see that?"
"Of course. If it were me, I'd want to help out my family and friends back on Outset."
"Exactly," he nodded sagely. "And this is why, I do apologise, for you shall have to wait if you need any help. Is this all right with you?"
"Of course."
"What do you think about consulting Rufus about your son, Prince Komali?" Quill tapped the chieftain softly on the shoulder. "I feel that Link's gallantry might well inspire him to speak more freely about his worries." I gulped silently. Was I suddenly to be enlisted to play agony aunt to some boy I didn't even know, and who probably wouldn't appreciate me trying to 'get him to open up'. Even I know that that isn't the best way to make friends…
The chieftain seemed to mull it over briefly, and then pinned me with a very serious look indeed. "Let me be direct, young man. My son, Komali, is of the age to earn his wings… Yet, his resolve is…not as strong as it could be. And, what with the current situation, I sometimes fear that he may give up on ever getting his wings at all. I know this is rather forward, but, would you perhaps, as someone who is his age, speak to him? I don't know, but maybe it would help him to speak to another his own age; he might even gain some courage from you. If it's not too much trouble, of course, would you speak to him?"
It wasn't as though I could say 'no', was it? "Well, I'll try and see what I can do. No promises mind…"
"Trying is good enough! I thank you greatly! We shall do our very best to solve our problems, so that we in turn may better help you to solve yours… Now, before you go to him, there is something I wish for you to take to my son. However, I have left it in the care of a young girl Medli – Quill will take you to where she is. Perhaps she will be able to show you around our city whilst you're waiting… Regrettably, I must go now, and see what is to be done about this wretched business. Good day." He took off with a smooth motion that I saw Quill noticeably envying.
"Good day," I called up to the chieftain, who then soared away. "I guess it's just you who looks like a chicken trying to fly then…" I whispered to Quill as he led me to a walkway that spiralled around the whole outside walls of this cavern, going ever upwards. Quill just grinned asininely, and carried on walking.
We made two complete circles of the cavern, and I was starting to feel a little dizzy, when we stopped outside a large archway that led into an adjoining side cavern – more a small room really. The curtain over the doorway was half drawn, and Quill rapped his knuckles on the wooden post outside the door, which seemed to have been placed there with this very purpose in mind. "Medli, are you in? I've got somewhere here to see you," he called into the room, which, now that my eyes had adjusted to the dim light, was actually a lounge sort of area. There were some doors leading off it, presumably to other rooms.
"I'll be right out Quill, hang on a tick," a girl called back…she sounded a lot younger than I'd bargained for.
"Well, hurry up, we don't have all day," I looked up at him for that phrase, and he stuck his tongue out. Very odd behaviour for an adult, but it made me smile all the same.
"Yeah, yeah. You probably have some important mission to save the world or something daft like that I'll warrant. Just let me get dressed, unless you and your friend wish to see me in nought but a towel." I flushed brightly at this, and looked away from the room just in case that threat might be carried out. Quill, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, just hurry up about it." Not more than two minutes later, a girl stumbled out of one of the side rooms, pulling a lot of red hair back into a ponytail that cascaded down her back to her waist. She was wearing a green dress, over which was a red pinafore with a funny symbol I'd seen all over the place since I'd arrived on the island – it was like three crescent moons put together to make a circle shape, only the points of the crescents faced outwards. "Finally!" Quill said, standing up straight from where he'd been leaning on the door-frame.
"You know, you ought to show me a bit more respect, you know that. Remember that I am the future attendant of Valoo, after all!" she said all this to Quill, and then looked at me. I swear I saw her blush, and then she looked back at Quill. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your charming friend." Quill made a gesture to Medli that I didn't quite catch, but I suspect it was something embarrassing. Why do adults always assume that any boy and girl who meet each other will end up falling in love and getting married? It's odd…
"Oh yeah – oops, sorry. Medli, this is Rufus, Rufus, this is Medli. And I'm off," he rushed off, without a goodbye, and Medli gave him an odd look.
"He's weird," she commented, nodding a head to Quill.
"Yeah…I was beginning to notice that," I agreed.
"So, you're Rufus then?" she said, by way of starting the conversation.
"Yup, that's me," I replied, feeling somewhat awkward. :Why is it I can talk to Tetra, the most infuriating girl I've ever met, and then, when I find a girl who seems pretty civil, I can't think of anything good to say: Whilst I pondered this terrible mystery of life, Medli invited me in, and I sat down on one of the chairs in the living room.
"Would you like some tea or something?" she asked, bustling around and starting off towards another of the doors. "I've already got some water on to boil."
"Um, actually, I was sent here to get something from the chieftain to give to prince Komali," I said apologetically. She didn't seem to take it badly at all however, because she stopped dead, and laughed,
"Oh yeah – how dumb of me! What was I thinking? Here you are," she picked up a letter from the coffee table that lay in the middle of the four chairs in the room. "This is what he wants Komali to get. Do you know where to find him?"
"To be honest, nope," I answered with a hopeless shrug, accepting the letter from her.
"Oh, dear…well, I can't really take you – I need to get back to work. I can give you a quick map though." She produced pencil and paper from Gods only know where, and drew up a little sketch map in under ten seconds. "This is on the first floor. That's Komali's room right there," she put a dot on it. "Think you can find it?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can – thanks. And thanks for the offer of tea as well."
"That's OK." I stood up, and scrutinised the map a little more. "Oh… I think I should warn you that Prince Komali might not be in the best of moods…please don't get offended by his manner. He has no bad intentions at all, he's just a little upset right now, what with Valoo and everything…" she bit her lip, and her face was set in fond repose. :Do I detect a crush: I thought, and was surprised at just how sweet I found the idea. "Oh, and another thing…Rufus…urm…I have a small favour I'd like to ask of you, if I may?"
"Of course you can – what is it?"
"Well…could you come to the entrance of Dragon Roost cavern, after you've seen Prince Komali. I'll wait there for you…then I can explain everything." I was taken aback by this mysterious turn of affairs, but, I had already semi-promised to help.
"Yeah, I'll be there, of course I will!" I assured her, and she smiled. "Uh – do you want to boot me out then?"
"Yeah, probably better," she answered with a dainty laugh. "If you get lost, just ask one of the guards down there to help you out. They're pretty friendly guys – don't let their scary looks fool you, they're lovely."
"Oh – OK. Thanks for the advice – and the map."
"No problem; bye."
"Bye." I left the room, and then turned to look down the slope. :Eurgh. Two whole revolutions the other way.: I could feel the dizziness just waiting to return, even just looking at the pathway.
The guard standing outside the corridor that led to Prince Komali's room was very big. Whilst he still had the 'gentle' look that all the Rito seemed to have about them, he was also very big. And when you're my size, very big equates to being very scary. I approached carefully, and was nearly shocked out of my skin when he asked, in a great, booming voice, "Are you Rufus?"
"Y-yeah, that's me," I stammered.
"Go on through," he said, bowing, and moving out of the way of the corridor. "It's the last door at the end – you can't miss it."
"T-thanks." I walked past him, and berated myself for sounding like such a fool. All that talk about me being courageous, and I get scared by someone really tall. :Well, at least my life is unpredictable enough that it doesn't ever get dull…: I thought, walking down a passageway filled with portraits on all the walls. I looked at a few as I passed, and figured that they must be the pictures of the Royal Family of the Rito – one in particular caught my eye.
It was a tall Rito woman, with a face that was filled with joy, rather than solemnity like all the other portraits. She was depicted sitting down, with her feathered right (my right, not hers) on the head of a red lizard like thing. I then realised that it must be Valoo, because the background was also predominantly red, and scaled. :Wow…that's a big dragon.:
I tore my eyes away from the painting, and carried on down the hall until I reached the end. I rapped on the door, and received a muffled, "Whoever it is, go away!" I'd been expecting something like that, so I went in anyway. The room was dim, without even a torch burning to bring light to it. There was a large canopy bed against the back wall, slightly to the right of the door – the curtains to this were almost fully drawn, and I could see a figure clad in white slumped across the covers, rolling a glowing ball around on their stomach. "Hey, I thought I told you to go away!"
The white clad figure sat up, and the glowing ball highlighted the crown – so this was Prince Komali. He looked outraged, and discarded the ball as he shuffled forwards to glare at me. "What do you want, anyway?" he asked, tired but vehement.
"Oh…well, your father wanted me to give you this," I extended a hand with the letter, and he snatched it. I grabbed my hand back protectively, and watched in wonderment as he read it through quickly, and his face dropped in disgust.
"Pah, sure father, telling me to be brave. It's not like he still has to get a scale from Valoo, who seems to have gone berserk!" It seemed Komali might have done the same, since he was ranting whilst I was still in the room. However, he looked up, and I was included in the next part, "He mentions you as well – you're Rufus, aren't you? 'Wonderful Rufus', 'Brave Rufus', it's all I've heard for days now!" I was taken aback by his anger, and wondered if I shouldn't leave…
:But you did make a promise.: I stopped edging away and stood my ground.
"What do you get from poking your noses into other people's business? You're awfully nosey, aren't you? Sorry, but, you know what, tell my father I really don't feel like seeing Valoo right now. I'm happy not being burnt to a cinder or eaten or something because the guardian's angry."
"Well, maybe there's something bothering Valoo that needs to be fixed," I offered, attempting to calm him down. The attempt failed.
"Oh, and I bet you're just the one to fix it, aren't you?"
"I never said-"
"You're just a big, fat show off, that's what you are. But, I'll tell you what. If you can find me someone who can get through all the obstacles between here and get to Valoo…then I'll listen to whatever rubbish you want to say. Now, get out of my sight, now!"
"Thank you very much for your time," I said in an acid parody of politeness. "Perhaps next time you could try to be even ruder perhaps?" And I walked out, fuming at the impossible nature of the boy – I had barely been able to get a word in, and he'd insulted me even though he knew nothing about me! The rudeness of it all made my blood boil!
I stormed back up the corridor, and hurried up the steps to the main hall of the entrance to the city. The guard stepped out of my way, and looked kindly down at me, "Prince Komali being difficult?"
"Difficult? He was down right rude," I answered, perhaps more heatedly than I meant to. "Sorry…didn't mean to snap. I'm just a bit…annoyed."
"It's understandable. It seems as though the Prince and Valoo have both been acting oddly lately. We were hoping you might knock some sense into him actually," he winked roguishly, "but it seems you're far too polite for that."
"Well, after that," I cast an eye at the corridor, "I might well reconsider!" he laughed, and I waved as I hurried off to meet Medli…wherever she was. "Hey, urm, do you know how I can get to Dragon Roost Cavern?"
"Oh, sure thing. Just go through that cavern there, and it's the last exit you come to on the left."
"Last exit on the left – right, got it. Thanks!" now knowing where I had to go, I went quickly, hoping that Medli was already there, and that I wouldn't do anything rash because I was so annoyed. I took steadying breaths as I walked, and even managed to make my fists uncurl and hang normally at my sides as I went along. :That shouldn't have made me quite so angry…: I told myself, but it didn't help. Being bought up to believe that any form of rudeness was wrong, it was an overload for me…
When Medli saw me walking towards the Dragon Roost Cavern, she seemed overjoyed. "Hey, you actually came! Thank you so much. I'm really sorry for bringing you here – it's probably a bit dangerous to ask people here on a whim, but I wouldn't have asked if I didn't need help desperately, I assure you of that. You see this place?" she gestured to a patch of ground below that was formed of dry and cracked earth, and a stone that rested in a pool of shallow water. "There used to be a spring here, surrounded by a really beautiful pond…
"It was just so lovely… But then the great Valoo, when he became angry, shook the mountain and this boulder came crashing down and plugged the spring – and you can see the result," I made a sound of assent in the back of my throat. I sure could. "Oh, bother, what am I on about? I should have asked you this first thing – how was Prince Komali?"
I pulled a face, which seemed to tell half of the story itself. "He was…a little hostile, and quite rude to be honest. Told me to go away and leave him alone several times. And not so succinctly as that."
"Oh dear…I'm afraid I may be partially at fault for that."
"How so? You weren't the one making him say rude things," I said, sure that this sweet looking girl couldn't possibly be at fault on this matter.
"No, its not that; well, you see – Prince Komali's grandmother (bless her soul) was the great Valoo's attendant. She was an amazing woman – completely amazing, and an absolute genius. I was so honoured to have her as my teacher, for she was kind and unsurpassed by any attendant in her bravery and grasp of Valoo's language. I'm not fit even to be mentioned in the same breath as her," she looked at the floor dejectedly, "If only I had the same strength as her, I'm sure the Prince would have felt more secure…" I was shocked that she would blame this on herself.
"What are you talking about?" she looked up, startled. "You're the same age as him – you can't treat him like he was a child, and look after him. He should be able to look after himself, and you certainly shouldn't be blaming the fact that he's just scared of Valoo, and won't admit that fact, on yourself. Even I'll admit, I find this Valoo quite scary the way he is now." She tittered slightly, but still had a desperate look on her face.
"Now, what was it you really wanted to say? You said you needed help with something," I prompted after a few seconds' silence.
"Oh, well. I need to get to the peak of Dragon Roost you see. There's a small shrine there that I must visit to try and remedy the situation."
"Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"The chieftain says its OK." Her eyes flickered away from me however, so I knew she was lying.
"No he doesn't!"
"Yes he does," she answered, petulant and indignant at the same time.
"No he doesn't," I said again. "Don't worry, I won't snitch on you, but only if you promise you won't approach Valoo. I don't want you getting hurt because I helped you on your way."
"It's a deal." We even shook hands. "Anyway, I just need a bit of a boost so that I can get to the other side over there." She pointed to the other end of the bridge, which had broken in the middle and was uncrossable.
"A boost?"
"Yeah…my wings aren't very strong yet because I've only had them for a little while. So, I could really use a boost to get me all the way over there." She looked at me with wide, chocolaty eyes. "Will you help me?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thank you!" she squealed, and I feared she was going to hug me – thankfully, she just spun me around instead, and clapped her hands together. I ended up feeling a little dizzy, and had to lean against the wall for a minute to stop the world from whirling strangely in front of my eyes. "Look, if you just lift me onto your shoulders, I'll be able to do the rest of the work just fine."
"Are you sure you're all right to do this? Do you promise you won't get hurt?"
"Of course I promise!" she answered, as though it was completely obvious. "Now, let me up will you." I bent my knees so that she could put her arms around my neck, and then grabbed her legs and lifted her off of the floor – she was pretty light, and it was easy to carry her over to the broken end of the bridge. There, I stopped, and after a bit of shuffling, Medli had managed to balance herself, standing up, on my shoulders. I kept hold of her legs to make sure she didn't fall off.
"What are you waiting for?" I asked, her shoes digging into my shoulders. I may have been quite strong, and she may have been quite light for her size, but she was still heavy enough for this to start to hurt after a minute.
"The wind needs to blow right…" she fell silent, and I wobbled slightly. Then, suddenly, she hissed, "Let go." I did, and she pushed down hard on shoulders (causing them to scream in annoyance and pain) and launched into the air. Her wings expanded from her arms, and she flapped quickly to keep airborne. She reached the other side, and made a rather 'Quill-esque' landing. Then, she turned around, and waved at me with a big grin. "Thanks Rufus! I owe you!"
"No problem. Good luck and be careful!" I hollered back. She just smiled again, and then disappeared through a stone corridor sided by high cliffs. I shook my head, and then turned around to go back to the city. :Speak of the devil: I thought, as Quill exploded out onto the platform I was on. When he saw me, he rushed over, and grabbed me by the shoulders.
"Thank the Gods!" he spluttered. "I thought you might have gone off into the cavern! One of the guards told us you were coming here, and I feared that your bravery may have overcome your common sense!" I gulped when I heard those words, and he looked at me. "What is it? What's happened."
"Medli…she…got me to help her get over…there," I pointed, and it dawned on me why she'd asked me to help. Because I didn't know that she wasn't meant to go in there…until now.
"What?" Quill exploded (thankfully, angry at her and not me.) "Not this again! She always has to play at being Hero – blasted girl. Rufus," he grabbed my arm and pulled me along behind him, "come with me. We need to see the chieftain immediately, and see about getting Medli out of the-"
"No Quill." Red's voice cut through the air, surprising us both.
"King of Red Lions?" Quill looked around confused. I just took out the stone, and Quill seemed to realise what was going on, and looked at it too.
"Yes, it's me. Quill, you must take Rufus to the Cavern – Rufus, this is it. Your first chance to prove your worth to the Gods – and you must discover what is enraging Valoo, or the Rito shall be in terrible trouble. Also, you must help that girl Medli, and see that she gets into no trouble." I thought I'd be scared by the thought of going into the cavern…but, in truth, I was more afraid of what might happen to Medli if I didn't.
"My Lord, are you sure this is wise? He's still only very young, after all!"
"It's the way it has to be done, Quill. You have always known this! Do not try to meddle with fate, and tell your dear leader the same. Rufus, are you ready? Have you need for anything else in your quest?"
"No," I answered, in a voice so small I'm surprised he heard it.
"Good. I believe you must go at once. Quill, please, take him to the Cavern entrance, drop him there, and then you must leave him. No heroics on your part either, all right old friend?"
"All right… Bu-" Red was already gone though. Quill looked at me with uncertainty and sighed. "I always knew there'd be danger when it came to your time…but I never thought it would be so close to home. I just hope Medli won't get herself into too much trouble before you can find her."
"Same here."
"Well…ah, climb on, and I'll give you a lift. Hope you're ready for a bumpy ride."
"Would it really make difference if I wasn't?" I asked shrewdly, and he gave a wan smile.
"Most likely not."
"I thought as much." Quill stooped down, and in a roll reversal of earlier, I hook my arms around his neck, and he then grabbed my legs and lifted me up.
"You'd best be ready to hold on tight, because I can't keep hold of your feet whilst we fly."
"I will."
"Oh, and try not to strangle you."
"OK – I won't strangle you too hard," I said, teasing him again. He jogged me deliberately, and laughed.
"Here we go."
GAH! Complete utter horrible evil crap – I promised action, but then I reached page 16 at half past one, and realised with a start I hadn't put any in yet. And I'd already written a chapter's worth. This does mean, however, that the next Rufus chapter can be all action and little else. So there's a bonus in the gloom I suppose.
Oh, and sorry this arrived early Friday morning (prob around two after spell checking and uploading) as opposed to Thursday. Due to an oversight, I didn't start writing this until nine thirty you see…and then I kept getting distracted by pretty music and the YLA. :Waves at H7: yay!
Thanks for any reviewage – Soda
PS: 9386 words…whoa…