Author's Notes- Had quite the struggle getting this to upload, otherwise it would have gone up earlier. Turns out the secret was to just use another browser!
As you may have guessed if you have ever read it before, there are quite a lot of references to the manga in this chapter, so I thought I might cite it again here.
I was on vacation at a place that had a setting that greatly motivated me to work on this story, so I did. Of course, seeing some reviews helped. Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm back to school now in what is supposed to be the hardest semester for my major, so we'll see what the future holds for writing... I'll try to get them all out as soon as possible, but I can't make any promises.
DarkeningShadow77- Hey, don't worry... I'll take a review of any length! Thanks for reading!
OriontheGreat- I was also disappointed in the lack of LA fics you can find on this site. That was actually a major reason for me deciding to write this. Also, I'm glad you like the decision to not focus so much on the dungeons, as I wasn't sure how it would be received. I hope the rest of the story doesn't disappoint too much. Thanks!
Chapter Eight
Marin smiled as she watched Richard approach them from down the beach. Richard moved to give her a handshake, which she ignored in preference of giving an awkward hug. He then moved on to Link, who was more receptive of the handshake.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Richard?" Marin asked him.
Richard put a hand on his stomach as he laughed. "I am certain that I would not find an abode as welcoming as Kanalet anywhere in that great sea. I shall miss my two companions, though. Perchance I will continue the pursuit of the Instruments of the Sirens alone."
Link frowned a little in concern, but relaxed after realizing that Richard was just being polite. He wasn't going anywhere near one of those dungeons alone.
"Take care of yourself, Richard," Link said.
Richard joined the other few people who turned up for the sending off on that clear, beautiful morning. Link then put a hand on Marin's back. "I can put your belongings on the boat while you say goodbye to your father."
Marin nodded and allowed Link to take the bag in her hand. Even Link became somewhat emotional as Marin hugged everyone goodbye. Once she reached Tarin, Link jumped on the boat and set Marin's baggage in the single cabin to give the father and daughter some privacy. Afterwards, he waited sitting on the gunwale until Marin rejoined him.
Though her eyes were a bit moist, Link's companion was genuinely excited when she asked, "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes. Do you want help getting up?"
"Are you sure you don't need me to help you push the boat ou-."
"- Power bracelet, Marin," Link reminded as he pulled her up and then hopped off into the sand himself.
As he leaned against the ship's side, Link gave one last rueful glance at those watching. He locked eyes with Tarin, and the two nodded to each other knowingly. It was his cue to leave.
The ship had been constructed on top of a series of logs. As Link pushed on the stern, the logs rolled down to the water and continued rolling until reaching the point where the boat was floating on the water unassisted. The ship had built some momentum as it was carried down the beach, so it continued to push forward against the waves even after Link had grabbed the gunwale with one hand and impressively swung aboard. He smiled, knowing only Marin would realize it was the work of the Roc's Feather.
Despite his desire to fixate on the island as they moved further away, Link immediately had to start watching the sail and controlling the rudder. The wind was blowing from west to east, making their progress to the south manageable. Marin sat next to him gazing back to Koholint, feet dangling in the wake. After about a minute, by which time the faces of the people on the beach were no longer distinguishable, Marin spun around to face the bow alongside Link.
"Looks like they're going back. We really are alone out here, aren't we?"
"Hopefully not for too long. It's only a matter of time before we come across another ship."
Marin jumped up and spun around gleefully in a whirl of blue and pink from the dress she was wearing. "Why rush? Let's enjoy the moment!"
Link allowed himself a smile. Marin was right. He was so anxious about getting off the island and finding evidence that the rest of the world was still out there that he hadn't thought of what a special moment it was for the girl from Koholint. And for all the talk of the owl and all the others, the two seemed to be leaving easily enough.
"Link, Link! Look at this!" Link looked to where Marin was pointing off the starboard. "What are those things?"
"Dolphins! They're friendly creatures."
"They look so happy! And the water... it's so dark and rich compared to what you see at the beach! Does the color keep on progressing like this the further w-." Marin yelped as the boat took a wave over the rail, drenching both of them in water.
Link laughed at her predicament. "Maybe you should have worn something else if you were worried about wet clothes. You might want to go inside."
Marin examined her dress in mock disappointment before grinning. "No, it feels great, especially when the wind picks up! Besides, look… it won't be much longer until we can't see Koholint anymore!"
The cheerful girl took a seat next to Link again, watching Koholint fade away in the distance. Link, though, became increasingly distracted with his work. The wave that soaked the two wasn't alone- the further they went out, the harder the waves pounded against the hull. Link could feel the current pulling against their progress with increasing force. Even worse, the wind that was once aiding their progress was changing directions, now blowing from south to north. Link grimaced as he was forced to start tacking in order to beat to windward, maneuvering the rudder and using the rope attached to the boom to move the sail to propel them forward in a zigzag pattern. Marin backed away into the corner of the stern to get out of his way. Her liveliness subsided a little as she watched Link run back and forth between the sail and the rudder in obvious agitation.
"Link-."
"- Please wait, Marin, I'm busy at the moment! Just got to get through this…"
Marin sighed and tried to turn her attention away from Link's was made easier due to the fact that she was having to put more focus on trying to keep her balance in her seat since the boat was constantly shifting directions and dipping up and down, resulting from Link's steering and the motion of the waves. The waves and wind eventually became severe enough that Marin looked back to see if the conditions had worsened closer to land as well. That was when she noticed something strange.
"Link-."
"- Marin, not-."
"- No, really… you need to look at this."
Link sighed as he turned around the best he could while still holding the boom rope with one hand.
"The island…" she began, "it's just as big as it was half an hour ago. Why can we still see it?"
Link dropped the rope as he saw what she was referring to. Indeed, Mt. Tamaranch was just as visible as it had been the last time he had looked back. And on its peak he could see the Wind Fish's egg, haughtily looking down at him from its lofty throne. He felt rage beginning to build back up to the fervor he experienced at the Face Shrines. "That's… not possible…"
Before he could do anything, though, the boat took a massive wave. Since the stern was not directly facing the waves, water poured over the starboard side with crushing force. Link and Marin were swept across deck into the port gunwale, leaving Link slightly disorientated and chocking on water after hitting his head against it. When Link was able to finally clear his eyes of water, he was stunned to see the scale of the damage. The wooden shack had been shattered to pieces, its remains and the belongings of the two passengers sloshing in the thin layer of water now covering the deck. The pin that attached the rope that Link had been using to control the boom had broken off, and the gooseneck was crushed in such a manner that the boom could no longer be rotated. The sail had settled on facing a direction in which it directly caught all of the wind forcing the boat back towards Koholint. As Link dragged himself over to where the rudder was supposed to be, he found nothing there. The one good thing to come out of the wave was that it had spun the boat back so that the stern was facing the waves again, preventing another catastrophic impact.
Link ran a hand through his hair to gather his senses. His first observation was that his cap must have been knocked off, considering he was able to put a hand in his hair at all. After he spotted it floating on the deck, he realized something far more serious.
Link hobbled back to Marin, who was still lying on the deck coughing up salt water, and pulled her back up. He had to shout over the sound of the roaring ocean to communicate. "That wave must have damaged the hull! If we don't want to drown, we're going to have to figure out where and see what we can do! You check this side, I'll look over the other!"
He had, of course, saved the starboard side for himself, where he expected the most damage. To his amazement, though, the hull itself displayed no signs of structural harm.
"It looks fine over here!" Marin verified from the other side.
The integrity of the boat was preserved, so they were safe to continue. The wave only strengthened Link's resolve. Having lost his rudder and with the sail now actively working against him, Link had to be resourceful. Despite how long they had been at sea, Link could tell that the water was not incredibly deep. It was very likely that they were on some sort of low and wide sandbar of Koholint. As the long rope from the boom was now useless, Link retrieved his sword lying on the deck and used it to cut the rope into smaller pieces. Link then had Marin help him tie together some of the many useless boards that were stripped off the shack, forming a long shaft. Once it was finished, Link lowered it off the side of the boat into the water. The shaft was just long enough for him to hold it and pin the other end on the ocean floor.
The boat had already begun to slip back towards Koholint by the time Link halted its movement with the pole. After finally steadying the boat, Link pushed off the seabed to propel the craft forward again.
Even with the power bracelet, though, Link was visibly struggling. His face contorted and his hands shook despite making only minimal advances.
"Marin," he finally grunted, "Look up front and tell me what you can see."
Marin had been gathering Link's scattered belongings and stuffing them in her bag to keep them from being carried away, leaving only Link's sword in case he needed to use it again. She immediately dropped what she was doing and stumbled to the bow between wave rolls.
"Just more waves… Bigger waves! As far as I can see!"
Link cursed under his breath and then began to mutter to himself. "Just… have to push harder… Yes, just a little more power. Just try and stop me, Wind Fish! I'm not going to be defeated by some old legend."
Link looked as if he was about to begin laughing manically had his pole not snapped apart in that very moment. As it did, the boat was hit by another wave that raised the bow to such a degree that both Link and Marin rolled all the way back to the stern.
Rather than stand back up, Link propped himself up against the gunwale. Marin joined him after taking his hands and opening up his clenched fists. Both of his palms had been rubbed raw from trying to resist the ocean's desires.
"Link… we're going back to the island," Marin said calmly but decisively.
"No, no, we just have to keep trying! I can keep going! We can't gi-."
"Link, your hands are too torn up… it's not possible." Marin put a hand on each of his cheeks and made sure he looked her in the eye. "The island says we can't go. That wave tore apart half the boat. If we hit another one, we're not going to be so blessed… we'll die, Link."
The young man squeezed his fists even harder, causing searing pain from his injuries. But it didn't match the mental strain he was under.
"I know…" he confessed reluctantly.
Almost in response, a large, rolling wave picked up the boat and carried it some distance back towards Koholint. With no way to resist either the waves or the wind, the two simply sat there in thoughtful silence as their vessel dragged them back to where they had started. The journey took long enough that both occupants were nearly nodding off to sleep when the boat grounded on the shallows with a jolt. Link would have been content to lie there forever had Marin not helped pull him up.
Still not speaking, both hopped into the water and waded the short distance back to the beach with Link carrying his sword and Marin carrying the bag with everything else. He was too preoccupied to even consider asking if she wanted him to carry it.
Leaving the stranded craft where it rested in the water, the two proceeded back towards Mabe. They only made it a short distance before Link turned around and shook his head.
"Marin, I'm so sorry… I just wasn't strong enough. I really did want to…" Marin frowned sadly. As it so happened, the two were crossing near the same spot on the beach where they had their discussion before going to wake the walrus. She led him by the shoulder back to their piece of driftwood. Link sat down with his hand to his eyes, perhaps to clear them of any tears.
The young man made no indication that he was going to speak first, so Marin wrapped a hand around him.
"Link, I know you tried the hardest you could. No one could ask for more. Just going outside the island for a little while… it was truly nice… you didn't fail me, Link."
Keeping the truth from Marin was excruciating for Link. She had no idea just how bad he truly had failed. Part of him wanted to tell her the truth… or maybe at least part of the truth… but he couldn't find the words.
"I didn't just fail you. I failed myself. I failed… what I stand for…"
Marin bit her lip, perhaps attempting to try something else. "Maybe it wasn't a failure at all. Maybe we were supposed to stay on the island all along."
Depends who she meant by "we." Link quickly realized that Marin was proposing that Link could stay on the island permanently. Maybe in a different scenario Link would have considered staying with Marin and thus save the island… actually, what was preventing him from staying on Koholint and leaving the Wind Fish to sleep? The owl had suggested that the monsters wouldn't go away, no matter what Link did, but being harassed by monsters was unquestionably the superior option to the complete extermination of all life.
"Do you think it would be better here… even with the monsters?" Link asked her.
"I don't have anything to compare to… but it might be true. Koholint is beautiful, and my friends are truly special."
"Then why did you want to leave the island?"
Marin instantly released her hug and blushed. "That's a sudden question!"
"There isn't a wrong answer. Be honest with me, Marin."
Link was aware of the hypocrisy of speaking about honesty, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Hopefully the Goddesses would have mercy on him.
"It's not a matter of getting it wrong… it's just tough to explain. If I had to answer, though… it was a dream!"
"A dream?"
"Yeah… For as long as I remember, I've always had dreams... I'll be in a town I've never seen before and I can see faces of people that I've never met before. They play out a little different every time, but the idea is always the same… I'm in a new place with smiling, unfamiliar faces. I told myself that such a place existed. I didn't worry about it too much, but I wanted to understand it... And then you arrived, Link. I thought that maybe if I came with you, I could live out that dream without having to go to sleep and then losing it every time I wake up. But, while you've proven that the place is real, it would seem it is still no more than a dream, at least for me. However nice it would be, it is still only a dream. And no matter what, you always have to wake up from a dream sometime."
Marin's words cut Link's heart like a freshly sharpened blade. Part of him wanted to embrace Marin and tell her to never give up on her dreams; another part told him that it was time to embrace his own fate.
Recognizing Link's disposition, Marin put her hand on top of his. "We should go on back. You need to get those hands dressed, and I'm sure we'll both feel better with a little bit of rest."
Link rested his chin on his palm. "I can't face them. I don't have it in me to tell them why we're already back on the island."
Marin would have preferred having Link by her side while explaining their misadventure, but she could tell he was deeply upset. "… I'll take care of it, then. I'll see you later, but don't stay out here too long."
As Marin's footsteps died away, a pair of beating wings approached from behind. Link didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"I don't understand this island," Link said aloud.
"That is because you are not of it," the owl explained.
Link still wanted to believe that the owl was lying, but the creature had always given sound advice on how to find each of the dungeons and he was right about Link not being able to leave the island. The owl had kept information from him before, but it had never lied.
"And what do I do to be of it?"
"What you ask is impossible. You are of another world, and the dream knows it. It will persist in its attempts to flush you out until it succeeds. The dream will end eventually, if not by you then by another. It called you here. Koholint cannot be saved- it is not meant to be. What are meant to be saved are you and the Wind Fish, and that can be completed only by defeating the Nightmares that will enslave him and erase you. Until then, the suffering of this island under the Nightmares will only continue to grow."
The owl's rationale would explain the storm that brought him to Koholint. It was unlike any storm ever seen on that sea. Now he knew it was not simply an unfortunate abberation- the storm had a specific purpose. Link sighed as he rubbed his chin. "Marin, it's almost as if she knows."
"The people you see are just like a mirror," the owl answered. "The various things you see… like this island… Thoughts take on forms and begin existence. The heart that doesn't want to wake up… and the heart that does want to wake up."
Certainly, the monsters... what the owl called the Nightmares... were in the group that resisted waking up. What was Marin, then? Link would gladly not awake in order to remain with her. She was Link's peace and solace. Was she then nothing more than a phantom trying to keep Link from finishing his mission, a pawn used by evil forces- or worse- the evil force itself? Link shuddered at the thought. No, Marin was too innocent to be an evil force. Maybe she was deceiving him, but he steadfastly refused to believe it. If she was a pawn of an evil force, he would gladly slay that which controlled her- not just Marin but any other person on Koholint that he'd come to care about so deeply.
Was she a force of awakening, then? She had been the one to encourage him to find the Instruments. She was the one who had tended his wounds and helped him find the dungeons. And finally… what Marin had just told him…
Whether he had to free her from the Nightmares or listen to her and let go of his dream, the only logical response was to wake the Wind Fish. But how could he?
"You make it sound so easy. I was told I was the Hero of Hyrule…"
"All that exists in this world of dreams is the island. In this world, Hyrule does not exist. On this island, you are the 'Messenger of Awakening.' That is all you are in this world."
"So you expect me to put aside my sense of ethics for a brief moment to destroy this island and everything on it?" Link asked quickly, as if trying to highlight the ridiculousness of the request.
"I expect you to do what must be done, not simply what you wish to do."
Link groaned as he leaned back further. "Is there no way to save them?"
"You can only save their memories in your heart."
"So from inside the Wind Fish's dream and into my heart… it won't end… it will just change locations." Link retied his sheath and drew his sword while standing up. "I guess this is the only solace I can have… other than slaying the Nightmares that have forced me to do what I'm about to do."
Link turned to the owl with ferocity in his eyes. "Where can I find the next instrument?"
Richard reentered his large but nearly barren dining hall, ornamented only by gold carvings in the shape of small leaves lining the wall, with a tray of fruit and bread along with a cup of hot tea. He laid the items in front of Marin, who was sitting at the end of a long, cold dining table. He took a seat next to her where another tray already sat.
"I apologize that I couldn't find anything more substantial on such short notice… not to mention that Kanalet is considerably understaffed as of late."
"Thanks…" Marin mumbled. She smiled weakly, though, as she added, "I'm sure the frogs are enjoying the extra space, though."
Richard laughed. "They do indeed… now, might I inquire what brings you to Kanalet today? I do not believe it was for the tea."
Marin took a sip from her cup before answering. "I was wondering if you had seen Link in the last couple days since… well, since we tried leaving."
The prince frowned slightly. "I can't say I have. Why do you ask?
"He's been all but completely ignoring everyone since he returned to Mabe. I'm assuming he's looking for the next instrument, and I thought that maybe he'd spoken to you about it."
"He has not approached me, no. Do not worry, Marin. Link must feel that finding this particular instrument will be too dangerous for us to come along."
"That would be a good explanation," Marin answered, "If Link had told me that. It's not just that he's been gone all the time the past two days- when he has come home for the night, he's made no effort to talk about what happened, or even anything else. He's been avoiding Tarin and everyone else from Mabe… You, too, apparently."
"Hmm. He is still upset over what happened, then. Allow him some time and he will recover."
"I don't think so. I think he's getting the last two instruments so he can get his wish from the Wind Fish to leave the island… and he doesn't want to talk to me because he doesn't plan on me coming with him."
Marin was clearly distraught. Her hands were even visibly shaking as she nibbled at a roll. Richard laid a comforting hand on her free arm.
"Marin, it is no secret to me, nor anyone else, that Link cares deeply for you. The idea that he would want to leave you behind is preposterous. From what you have said, though, I am also worried of his current disposition. I will speak to him myself and ask what troubles him."
"You don't need to do that for me, Richard. In fact, you don't need to do anything for me. You've already done so much… Why do you continue to help us?"
Richard leaned back and crossed his arms. "For one, I still consider myself in Link's debt. However, there is something else to be said." He pointed up to the leaves on the wall. "You remember how I said it was important that I regain those? Those are cut for each ruler of Kanalet- each one stands for one of my ancestors. When I was betrayed… they represented the last people in my life. I was alone. Rarely did anyone come to visit me in my villa before you arrived. While assisting you is my duty… it is also one of the best experiences I can cherish."
The young woman smiled tenderly. "Richard… it's just that-."
Marin paused when she observed that the two plates on the table began to vibrate. A distant rumbling from outside could be heard coming through the high skylights in the hall.
When the shaking finally abated about ten seconds later, Richard leapt out of his chair and helped Marin stand up. "Follow me. Let us see what has transpired."
Richard guided his guest out of the hall and into a smaller side corridor that led to a circular stone staircase. A couple of flights up, the staircase opened out to a large terrace on the top of the castle.
The two gazed out over Kanalet's surroundings, trying to find the source of the disruption. Marin squinted as she spotted what appeared to be a pillar of either dust or smoke rising in the mountains to the east.
"Richard… do you see that?"
Richard looked to where she was pointing. "That is emanating from the tower there, isn't it?"
"The Eagle's Tower," Marin expounded. "Want to bet that Link was over there?"
Richard bit his lip. "I'm sure he's unharmed."
Marin returned his comment with a stern gaze. She obviously wanted a better answer. Richard reluctantly dropped his head in defeat.
"Of course, it is our duty to go and ensure his safety ourselves," he relented.
The destruction, as it so happened, was actually deliberately set off by Link. The parapet of the Eagle's Tower, where the dungeon's boss resided, was inaccessible from the inside, and the distance to it from an outdoor balcony halfway up the structure was much too far to leap.
Link could only think of two other options. One was to try climbing the tower from the outside. However, there simply weren't any handholds on the stone exterior, and the slightest slip would cause Link to fall to certain death.
His other idea was more ambitious. On the second floor of the tower were four large columns that he presumed supported the upper levels. By knocking them out, rather than having to climb to the top, he could bring the top down to him. Link knew the potential dangers of collapsing several tons of stone on top of him, but he simply couldn't think of any other solution.
Though he was initially hesitant to go through with the plan, Link found his resolve when he discovered large, metal spheres scattered throughout the dungeon that seemed to have no other purpose other than allowing him to knock out a pillar with each throw. As the owl said, the Dream had to end, so he would expect it to offer solutions to whatever roadblock he encountered.
As Link took down each column, the building above him seemed to groan in pain. He readied himself when he had to launch a sphere at the fourth and final one. As soon as pillar's integrity was violated, the entire structure shook violently, and the sound of crumbling brick and stone above him quickly intensified.
The young man was convinced that this was the premature end of his journey. Finding no other shelter to protect him from what was coming, Link leapt into an empty chest in an adjacent room. As he slammed its lid shut and curled up inside, Link closed his eyes as he readied for the end.
To his surprise, though, the end never came. The chaos that the tower had plunged into died away as suddenly as it had started. Link cautiously opened the chest lid to find that the floor he was on had been undamaged.
Link navigated his way back to the aforementioned balcony to find the air outside full of swirling dust and the base of the balcony covered in bricks that had tumbled from above. The floors above him had completely collapsed, as expected, leaving only a short distance to the tower's pinnacle. A small ladder built into the wall even allowed him to scale this easily. Between the suspicious ladder built at just the right height and the fact that the top floors collapsed so easily while the bottom ones stood entirely unharmed suggested that Link was right for hypothesizing that the tower was designed for the destruction he had performed. It was just one more thing about Koholint that came across as unnatural.
Link casually climbed the ladder and stepped out onto the flat peak of the spire. He examined the wide, round space and swiftly recognized that it took the familiar form of an arena.
When Link heard beating wings behind him, he didn't have time to spin around before he was snatched by an enormous claw. As he had already drawn his sword, though, he was able to take one swing at whatever was carrying him. Rather than take the hit, the creature released its grip on Link and allowed him to drop back down to the arena.
Unfortunately for Link, though, he still had enough momentum that he hit the stone and continued to roll forward towards the edge of the tower. Link couldn't help but yell upon realizing that he simply couldn't stop himself in time. Link tumbled out of control and went over the side.
His fall, though, was abruptly halted as he found himself dangling in the air. As he went over, he had embedded his blade into the brick wall and was now hanging by his one hand holding its hilt. Link chuckled to himself for his good fortune and forced himself to not look down; even after crushing several floors, he was still dangerously high in the air. He would surely die if he missed the balcony; if he was tossed far enough, he could even be thrown off the entire mountain down into the Tal Tal Heights in one direction or into the ocean in another.
Link twisted his hand slightly until he could position both hands on the sword's hilt. From this stance, he was able to pull his body up far enough to where he could reach the ledge above.
Once back on top, Link yanked his weapon from its miraculous handhold and began to search the skies for his aggressor. He spotted it not far above him circling the tower. He could now get a good look at what he was up against, which was a colossal and hideous eagle.
Upon seeing Link recover, the bird landed at the opposite end of the arena facing him. Until this point, Link had yet to notice that a small humanoid monster, wearing a large animal skull on his head, was riding on the eagle's back. Link had actually encountered the creature earlier on in the tower, which had introduced itself as the Grim Creeper. They were engaged in a short fight until the Grim Creeper fled, evidently to the protection of the much fiercer eagle.
Link thought the Grim Creeper was about to dismount to speak with him just before the eagle charged forward. Link spun out of the way and readied himself for another fight.
The eagle's attack pattern was fairly basic- charge at Link from a number of different directions. The only other effort it ever made was to try beating its large wings hard enough to blow Link off the edge of the tower. Though this attack was never successful, the eagle was fast enough to nearly succeed in tossing Link off the tower or simply shred him with its claws.
The fight lingered on. Even though Link had given the eagle several deep wounds, the bird continued to advance at Link as if it was uninjured. It actually came as a surprise, then, when the eagle unexpectedly stiffened and lost lift. The Grim Creeper fell and landed on the parapet with an audible crunch, while the eagle spun away out of control. It loudly rammed the mountaintop and did not stir.
Link walked over to the pitiful creature barely breathing on the arena not far away.
"My energy... gone... I... lost!" it moaned. "But you will be lost too, if the Wind Fish wakes!"
Link bent down next to him on his knees. "You and your kind told me the truth when you thought it would persuade me to not go on, and now you lie to me to achieve the same effect."
The Grim Creeper continued as if Link hadn't said anything, "Same as me... you... are... in... his... dream..."
The creature's words tailed off as it finally gave up what little energy it had left. Link couldn't actually be sure that it was lying to him. But Link's reasoning for thinking that it would do so made sense, and his instincts told him that it was the owl, despite their differences, that he should trust in regards to his future.
Even so, the sad way the monster had gone out robbed Link of any kind of satisfaction in his victory. Hearing a song playing from below, which was the instrument of the dungeon calling him to its chamber, Link slowly tottered back to the ladder to the interior of the tower.
"Well, if you don't think we can make the jump, then we're just going to have to find another way over there!"
Richard and Marin stood at the end of a cliff in the Tal Tal mountain range. Across the gorge in front of them stood what was left of the Eagle's Tower. As the dust had by now settled, it could be seen that the damage was limited to the upper portions of the building. Even so, Marin was insistent that the two investigate the scene from a closer distance.
"I understand your eagerness, Marin, but I simply cannot conceptualize a way to reach that po- … correct me if I'm wrong, but is that… a rooster?"
Marin raised an eyebrow as she looked back across the cliff. Indeed, a rooster could be seen running across the plateau on the other side. The two were so distracted by the animal that they didn't notice the man exiting the tower until he walked over and picked the rooster up. Both sighed in relief when they saw who it was.
"Greetings, Link!" Richard shouted out to him.
Rather than answering, Link walked up to the edge of his side of the canyon cradling the rooster in his arm.
"Are you in good health, Link?"
"Yes."
"How did you reach that plateau?"
Link looked down at the rooster and then back up. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Richard shrugged atypically, well aware that his conversation wasn't getting very far. "I presume you went looking for the next instrument, then?"
"Yes. The Organ of Evening Calm. It's in my satchel."
"And you will pursue the next… and I believe… final?"
"As soon as you stop talking to me."
Richard chuckled awkwardly. "Yes… yes, of course. We just wanted to survey what had happened here. That's all."
"Thanks. I'm alright," Link said with more courtesy, though his expression was still distant.
Richard looked to Marin and then back to Link. "… We will be going, then."
Richard didn't wait to see how Link planned on getting back across the valley. Rather, he immediately turned and put a hand on Marin's shoulder so that she would leave with him. The two had already proceeded along the mountain range in the opposite direction for a minute before Marin spoke.
"I think he may have looked at me one time in our entire conversation."
"Your assessment is accurate," Richard conceded, who continued walking two steps ahead of Marin.
"He's going to find the last instrument so that he can leave as soon as possible."
"Presumably."
"It's… it's too bad that it already feels like he's gone."
Richard immediately stopped and looked to Marin. Neither realized how sad the other looked until they saw the other's face. "And it hurts… it hurts a lot…" the girl continued.
Richard couldn't help but gently put a hand on her shoulder again. "… Is there anything I can do?"
"Can you bring him back? No… no, there is nothing you can do. But I appreciate that you would try." Marin pushed back slightly. "Since we're here, there's actually something I should do. Tarin mentioned recently that there is a special type of mushroom that only grows on these mountains that he's interested in getting more of. He told me that I should bring some back for him next time I'm up here."
"I can assis-."
"No, really, Richard, you don't need to waste your time looking for it. I should be safe by this point, and I'd leave at any point if I feel threatened. When I'm done, all I have to do is skirt around the graveyard and go by Syrup's. From there it should be simple to get back."
"Link would be displeased if I left y-."
"-Link obviously doesn't really care that much, does he?" Marin snapped back. Then, she added more softly, "… I could use some time alone, Richard. Please."
Richard was evidently very doubtful, but finally relented. "Alright then. I shall see you again."
Though Richard left her there, he decided that the least he could do was walk the route to Mabe that Marin planned to make and ensure that no unusual activity was going on. Though it couldn't provide absolute assurance that Marin wouldn't encounter any monsters on the trail later, at the very least he'd feel better.
To his satisfaction, he came across nothing alive that could be of harm to Marin- at least until he was about to proceed back to Kanalet. It was then that someone accosted him from behind.
"You there with the funny cape!"
Richard turned to see that it was just a child calling out to him.
"Say…" the kid continued, "You must be that guy who lives in the castle! When's the last time you've come this close to Mabe, ehh? I wasn't sure if you were even real."
"You would have meet me had you attended the sending off of Link and Miss Marin," Richard answered drily.
The child laughed and pointed at him. "I like your attitude, mister! But my brothers aren't going to believe me when I tell 'em that I found you. I'm gonna have to show you to them!"
Richard verbalized his disinclination to being dragged across the tree line into Mabe but never physically resisted. He was soon paraded to the town square where the boy's three brothers joined him, who marveled at his cape and the rest of his outfit. Richard eventually loosened up as he realized that he was actually enjoying the attention he was getting. He even showed the quadruplets his sword and demonstrated some basic techniques.
Richard laughed as he promised he'd come back again sometime to show them some more fun possessions he owned before saying goodbye. The children scattered again soon after.
Tarin's house was nearby the square, where its owner was outside hanging laundry at the time. Richard nodded to Tarin and planned to continue on to Kanalet, but the man waved Richard to come closer.
"You haven't happened to come across Marin, have you, Richard? She's been gone all day," Tarin asked once Richard was close enough to have a conversation with.
"I have indeed! Last I saw her, she was on the mountain looking for the mushrooms you requested," he replied with a smile.
Tarin's mouth hung open slightly in plain bafflement. "Mushrooms… mountain… I don't follow…"
Richard's confusion initially matched Tarin's- up until the point that he realized something that caused his heart to sink.
Marin had lied to him.
Author's Notes- duh duh DUH. I wonder what this could be leading up to? You might have a pretty good idea if you've played the game and remember it well. Of course, I have a habit of adding other layers of tone to the events from the game and manga or just make up something of my own. That's what we get to do as writers to provide new and unique experiences, and it's quite fun. I hope ya'll don't mind!
Of course, please leave a review if you have some suggestions, corrections, or just general comments! I love to hear from the readers! Thanks again!
