Hi there guys! here is another delicious chapter for you!
This time i'm introducing some optional background music, it works like Copy&Paste the music in another tab in youtube and the ambient is set!
If you read to the end, you'll know a little surprise from me at the author note's at the very bottom.
Several days have passed. Any information about Epona's whereabouts hasn´t arrived yet.
However, my search for information about Hyrule continues, meanwhile, I keep working for Mr. Barten at the bar.
As Cremia told me, there was a library on west part of town, on which, I rented books for a couple of days. At first, I didn't found any information about my homeland in there either, but I'm stubborn enough to keep searching, shelf after shelf, day after day.
Although I didn´t want to admit it, I was starting to give up hope…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stock Pot Inn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I came from downstairs from a breakfast with the other guests. As I usually do, I ended my meal before everyone else on the Inn. I opened my room's door and closed it behind me. I looked to the calendar that hanged to count how many days have passed since I first got in Clock Town.
I grabbed a red pen and marked an X respectively on May 21, next to the other marked days that passed.
Now I see exactly twenty-two X's. Twenty-two days in town without a clue of Epona or Hyrule.
I sighed heavily and turned to see my sword hanging on the wall. I walked towards it and grabbed it with my both hands.
I put my sword firmly on my back and got out of my room, all set for another day.
I went downstairs and while I passed through the lobby. Anju greeted me good morning, as she always does. We didn't exactly greet in the breakfast because of how fast I eat, so she greets me now.
"Good day Alex! How was your work yesterday?" She said giving me a warm smile that immediately eased my look.
"Morning Anju! I actually ended early on the Milk Bar yesterday" I scratched my head and stretched my back with my hands up in the air. "More rest for me!"
"Great!…But don't push yourself too hard, ok?"
"Don't worry about me…" I got out my rupee bad and handed her four blue rupees worth my stay.
"Thanks! Take care…" She replied.
I just smiled to her and got out of the Inn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked through people in the town's streets. Here people always come to do shopping, as this part of town is considered the true market part of town.
The posts that are placed in south part of town are just a little flea-market compared to the bustle of this part of town, in which, most stores are roofed or indoors.
Before going to the library, I stopped by the town's bank. There was Ron, the bank "owner". And I mean owner, because he's the only one I've seen managing that place, in the same position every day that I pass, seated with his feet bent. Now that I think about it, I've never seen him standing with his feet on earth.
"Alex! You need somethin'?" He greeted me.
"Hey Ron! I want to deposit rupees today"
"Excuse me, but let me take a look at you…"
I roll up my right arm's sleeve up to the elbow and showed him the stamp from the bank on my skin. He took a closer look at it and raised an eyebrow (At least I think he did. His hair covered completely his eyes)
"Ah, yes… Alex. If I remember, you're the young man who deposited two-hundred eighty…" He put a hand on his chin "…eighty-one rupees"
He knows me; I pass here almost every day to deposit some money, and even said my name earlier, but still check the stamp? Or he has a problem, or is just that he's a little picky about how he runs the bank.
"Well, are you gonna make a deposit? All right! So…" He then clapped his hands against his legs. "How much? How much?"
I got out my rupee bag and got out a purple rupee and a red rupee. "Seventy"
"Really? Are you really depositing seventy rupees?" he amusedly asked.
"Yeah" I handed the gems to him.
"Seriously? That's a lot! A lot! A lot!" He almost screamed. He always gets that amused whenever someone deposits money on his bank.
"All right, young man, now I've got a total of three-hundred fifty-one rupees from you! Come back and deposit some after you save up a bunch!"
I waved him goodbye and leave. The bank is very useful, it saves my money for me without having to hide it under my couch and sleep in a comfortable bed for once, and my rupee bag cannot hold more than three-hundred rupees anyway.
I got in front of the library's door. The library was right next to the Lottery Shop, that the middle aged women frequent. I entered inside the library.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Library ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The library is actually bigger than it seems outside. I walked through the red carpet that leads to the librarian, who was sitting behind a big counter with countless books at its sides.
I know well the librarian, her name was Mia, and she has a beautiful light blue hair and equally light blue eyes that paired well with her hair. She was wearing her usual librarian outfit; a white sleeved shirt with a black waistcoat. She didn't notice me at first because she was reading a book, typical of her.
I stood in front of the counter, and she still hasn't noticed me. She was too absorbed in her reading.
"Hey, Mia"
"Uh!" She looked at me and got a little astonished. "Alex! Hi! How have you been? What do you need?" She smiled at me.
I focused on her smiled more than I intended to "I'm, returning a book…" I got out my endless pouch, and got out a red book out of it. "Here…" I handed the book to her.
"Mmm… "She took a closer look to it ""Landmarks of Termina", huh?" She then glanced at me and I nodded.
She then got out a list, and pointed her finger surely to the book's name. "You returned it at time! Great!" She smiled. "But you just rented it yesterday… what happened? You didn't like it?"
"No, it's just…" I took some time to appreciate her beautiful face.
(Din! She's pretty…)
"Alex?" She noted my lack of attention.
"…!" I blushed a little and put my hand on my head scratching my hair smiling. "Uh, nothing! I just wanted to see the pictures haha!" I sheepishly laughed.
(Giggle) "Oh Alex, you'll never change…" She then rested her elbow on the counter, put her hand on her cheek and proceeded to continue with her reading
I walked away from the counter, heading to the bookshelves paired against another.
I don't like to look like a dummy with anyone, but I don't know how to react in front of a pretty women. Yes, I like her, but I'm not the kind of guy who just come and says:"I like you" in front of someone. No sir, those are powerful words, and back at my homeland, my friend Landon learned that by the hard way. Once, he told that to a girl who he liked just like that, and he got a slap from answer.
I chuckled a little by remembering that. I shook my head.
But I have more important matters to deal with; women don't have to be on my head right now.
I walked through the wooden floor and passed by the reading tables, where they were just a fistful of people reading thier own book.
I went to a random bookshelf and started searching for a book with an attractive title for my research, as I do every day since I first came to the library.
("The Endless Northern Mountains"… that won't do…)
("The Great Mighty Poo"?… what the hell is that?)
("Reproduction of the Goron tribe"?… uh, no thanks…)
("The Legend Of Melda: The Toilet Princess") (chuckle) (That sounds hilarious; I better check this one later on…)
("The legendary Rod of Seasons"… that won't do either)
I kept searching for a book that could help for my search. I checked like three full bookshelf's and found no useful information. I was starting to desperate.
I always believed that there was no heavenly deity, waiting to help me just by clapping my hands together and pray. No, I believe in one's struggles to continue forward, and that's how the world works I guess.
But now, I'm putting all of me in my search to find a way back home, but what happens if those struggles are not getting me anywhere? What happens then? That means that… I'm stuck on this land forever?… I looked to the ground.
(That… I'm not able to see my family again forever?…)
Let's be realistic. Unless I grow wings and get back from where I first came on those catacombs, I don't see any other way to go back to my home…
"You've met with a terrible fate haven't you?…" Someone nearly whispered.
I glanced to my left, towards the reading tables, and saw that everyone was in their respective seats. But then I looked to my right… "…!" and glanced a man with a wide grin on his mouth right in front of me.
I reacted grabbing the hilt of my sword, but didn't unsheathed it. "Who are ya'!" I whispered. I can't make a big noise inside of the library; it would make a huge scene.
"I know about your ordeals. And that you are trying to find a way back to Hyrule, do not you?" the grinning man asked me back.
I looked at him amazed. He said the key words to launch my curiosity. But who's this man? I've never seen him before around town…
I let out the grip off my sword and said: "How… did you know that? Who are you?"
"I may know of a way to get you back to your home… Alex…"
I shivered and stared at him speechless.
"Oh, but we cannot have a normal conversation on this place huh? I'll be waiting for you inside of the Clock Tower…right now" After with that, he faded away in the air, right in front of me, and leave me dumbfounded.
(What the f*ck just happened?)
I put my hand on my forehead and took some seconds to process what just happened.
I came to the conclusion that this man has information that I better know, no, he even knew my name! This guy knows about Hyrule, about me, and tells me that he knows a way to get back home? This is too good to be true… and just like that? Well, I got in this place just like that too…
I've decided, I´ll go with a blind faith this time. I better get to the Clock Tower. I want answers and I want them right now.
I walked in a fast pace, well, fast enough in a library, and intended to leave unnoticed, but Mia saw me walk past the counter.
"Alex! Leaving already?" She said.
I didn't turn to face her and kept walking "Yes" I responded coldly.
She noted my seriousness and asked worriedly "B-but you´re not going to r-rent a book today?"
I grabbed the entrance door's knob and replied: "No, sorry"
She stood up from her chair. "But Alex! I wanted to ask-" I closed the door behind me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't care if I was rude or not. Right now, women can't fit in my head. I can't miss this chance to know how to get back.
I sprinted towards the south part of town, evading the people passing by.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I stopped in front of the big wooden doors that lead inside of the Clock Tower to catch my breath. I recovered in seconds and extended my hands in front of me and pushed the large doors open.
I got inside the Clock Tower, and the place looked exactly the same as last time I saw it. But no one was around my sight. Looked downstairs, and saw the spinning cogs from last time, and the river that powered them. But no one was around downstairs either.
I was just about to throw a punch to the air in anger, but when I was going to do it, I felt a cold stare that made me shiver.
I turned and saw the same man with the wry smile that I met in the library. He had a huge backpack on his back filled with Farore knows what, but had a bunch of masks hanging out of it. His backpack was very heavy, so heavy that he had to lean his back frontwards. He wears some sort of purple coat.
"Ah, you came…" he said and continued giving me a wry smile while he clapped his hands together.
I frowned. "Okay, pal, this is the last time I'm going to tell you" I took three steps towards him. "Who are you!"
(Background: Happy Mask Salesman Theme)
(Ominous giggle) "I own the Happy Mask Shop. I travel far and wide in search for masks… you can call me "The Happy Mask Salesman""
"Huh…" I crossed my arms around my chest. "Nice name… now tell me how do you know my mine's!"
"Ho, ho ho! That is a little hard to explain…"
"Well then, you said that you know how to get me back home, now spill the beans!"
He then crossed his left arm in front of his chest, and grabbed his chin with his right hand. "…I know of a way to return you to your former land…"
"How so!" I asked impatiently.
"You have to hear my story first…please take a sit…" he pointed his hand towards a wall.
"Huh? What seat?" I turned to the place he pointed, and saw a green sofa in front of another purple sofa that weren't there before.
I looked at him confused and glanced back to them and proceeded to take a sit in said green sofa and so he did in the purple one. Before he sat, he took off his huge backpack with just one hand, and put it at the side of his sofa.
"Listen to me…"
(Scene: Fades to black)
"Many stories tell of a forgotten kingdom… whose remains lie in the most eastern part of what is called today, Termina"
(Scene: Map zooms into the canyon in the east)
"Ikana was the name of that kingdom… it was a peaceful and noble land, home to the best swordsmen's you'll never get to know…"
(Background: Conker's Bad Fur Day: Ze Professor)
"But its prosperous era didn't last long…"
(Scene: Map zooms into Ikana's country border against other country on its east)
"Its good fortune attracted the greed and jealously from its eastern neighbor, Garem…"
"Garem was an emergent, big and powerful country commanded by dark mages…"
(Scene: A pair of red-blood eyes staring directly at you)
"But its maximum ruler was a terribly powerful mage, whose red eyes could stare at your soul…"
(Scene: War)
"A big war soon began. Garem wanted to annex all of Ikana's territory, and Ikana just fought back, defending itself with its fierce army of knights…"
"The fight was very equal at first, and most of the time, no one really had any advantage against each other…"
"But Ikana was losing a lot of men in fight, thus, got outnumbered fast…"
"In their last struggle, they prayed for help from the Giants, who, responded giving them a golden blade from the heavens; the elemental Four Sword…"
(Background: Twilight Princess: Sacred groove)
(Scene: Zoom into the Four Sword)
"The Four Sword… its blade sparkles with magical power, it has a hilt of gold with an incrusted jewel on it that varies in color…"
"It posses the power of the four elements: wind, earth, fire, and water, which grant it the power to repel and banish evil, lift curses, seal away evil, and cannot be touched by those of impure heart. But most important for you… it has the power to travel between worlds…"
(Background: Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness: Admin Battle)
(Scene: War)
"In the last battle, the evil ruler presented himself to claim the lands as theirs, but the ruler of Ikana, Igus Du Ikana, presented himself on battle too, wielding the sacred golden blade on his hand…"
"In the climax of the epic battle, the dark mage fell dead by the Four Sword being impaled in his chest… and the battle ended shortly afterwards, and so did the entire war"
"With the conflict ended, and no more threats from outside, Garem declared partial pace. But without its ruler, the country slowly dissipated and separated in smaller countries, leading it to the collapse of its power. The descendants of that country hold a grudge against the Terminians until today…"
(Background: Chrono Trigger: Manoria Cathedral)
(Scene: Zoom into the Four Sword pinned into a pedestal)
"After the climactic battle, the people from the world didn´t understand at all extent the massive power of the blade. Because of that, Igus Du Ikana decided to hide away the blade, hoping to prevent its misuse"
"Nowadays, the Four Sword remains hidden away, along with other treasures of the Royal Family of Ikana…"
(Scene: Fading back to the inside of the Clock Tower)
"Let me see if I understand. You want me to retrieve that sword? Is that it?" I finally spoke.
"Certainly. I need you to get that sword for me. In exchange…" He extended his hands in front of him. "I'll get you back to your homeland using its power…"
I looked at him distrustfully.
"Hand me your map please…" He put his hand in front of me waiting for me to give the map to him.
I got out the general map of Termina that Madame Aroma gave me and handed it to him. He took ten seconds and returned it to me. I extended it with my both hands and saw that he marked a circle surrounding a certain location. The marked part was called "Ikana Graveyard" by the map.
"Ikana Graveyard?"
"Ho, ho, ho! What? Is it not a simple task? Why, to someone like you, it should by no means be a difficult task"
I put the map back to my pouch and stood up from the sofa "Ok! That's fine with me!" I amusedly said.
And he was correct, that's by no means a difficult task for me. I don't care get a little dirty because of the terrain outside of town.
He noted my enthusiasm. "Yes… you'll be fine. I see you are still young and have tremendous courage… I'm sure you'll find it right away…" he said with his hand on his chin.
"But you'll better get prepared… the outsides of town can be… dangerous…"
"I'm totally aware of that"
"Well then, I'm counting on you… come to see me when you have the sword in you possession…"
"You can be sure that I'll get that blade right away!" I fearlessly said.
Then I got out of the Clock Tower with a big grin on my face.
When the big wooden doors closed shut behind me, I finally threw that punch in the air. But I threw it with happiness instead of frustration.
(Yeah! Finally!)
Finally I know a way to get back home! I just have to get that sword or whatever to this guy and he'll take me back home!
My exited grin faded and snapped back to the real world.
(But this won't be that easy… what he said is true though… I better get prepared to get outside of town…)
I walked a little further away and glanced upwards to the big clock on top of the clock tower. And checked if I had enough time to buy things before go to work today.
I put a hand on my forehead to enhance my view "Mmm… 1:32 Pm…Yeah… I have enough time…"
I went to the western part of town to do my shopping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Now… what do I need?)
I thought of just go there and buy what I needed fast, but my memory is worth crap, so I got out a notebook and wrote what would I need.
(Now… let's see…)
-A traveler tunic
-A shield
-A bottled fairy/ red potion
-Fingerless gloves
(Yeah, I think that it's all I need…)
I went to the general store of the eastern part of town; there I could buy the fairy and the shield
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trading Post ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I liked the decoration of this store. I had a river that surely ended in the Laundry Pool. I passed through the river by a little wooden bridge. I even saw a pair of fishes swimming trough the water.
The owner hasn't noticed me though; he was very busy doing his favorite activity: scratch his back.
He does that all the time. I've seen doing it every time I get to the store, and yeah, it's kinda weird…
"Uh, sorry…" I started.
He then turned to face me, and put his hands on the counter, but constantly kept scratching his back.
"Heeey! Welcome. What are you looking for?"
"How much for a bottled fairy?" I said with my right hand on my hip.
"Fairy? Fifty rupees. This'll save you if your energy runs out! Keep it in an empty bottle"
"And how about a red potion?"
"Red Potion: Thirty rupees. This does the trick when you need energy too, but you need an empty bottle to keep it in…"
I put a hand on my chin. I just have one empty bottle… I have to decide what I'll buy between the two.
I didn't take me much time to decide that the fairy is the better deal. It's more expensive, but it's "automatic" as my dad told me once. What does that mean anyway?
"A bottled fairy would be" I got out my only empty bottle I had from my endless pouch and placed it in the counter.
He then took the bottled fairy displayed behind the counter; he uncorked it and quickly covered it with his hands, preventing the fairy to flee. With his remaining hand, he took my bottle and put the fairy inside of it and closed the bottle with its lid.
"Fifty rupees please…"
I got out my rupee bag and handed him two red rupees and two blue rupees.
"Thanks!" "Thanks!" we both said at the same time.
I placed the bottled fairy on my bag and pointed that I bought the bottle fairy on my list.
-A traveler tunic
-A shield
-A Bottled fairy/ red potion(Checked!)
-Fingerless gloves
I glanced at the shield displayed behind the counter. "How much for the shield?"
"Hero's shield: eighty rupees my friend. This is a great deal. I kid you not! Really!"
I just had fifty rupees left on my pouch. I don't even know why I asked for it.
"Err… no thanks. By the way, you know where could I buy a traveler tunic?" I asked.
"Mmm… there's this one two stores to the left"
"Thanks!" I waved goodbye and so he did, and continued doing his favorite hobby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I won't get to buy anything that I need with the little money I had, so I withdraw two-hundred rupees and went to the clothing store that the guy on the trading post told me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Binco's ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the kind of store that you always pass in front of it, read its sign, but never enter to it. Or it's just me.
At all the sides of the store, numerous styles of clothing were displayed behind windows. The entire store was covered in a dim yellow light that proceeded from a room behind the counter. I walked through the carpeted floor and got in front of the counter where a middle-aged man with exaggerated long brown hair was waiting for me.
"Welcome, young man. What can I do for you?"
"Hi. Do you have like, some sort of traveling tunic?" I asked.
"They are at yer' right…" he pointed.
And so, I turned to see right part of the store, and saw various yet different colored tunics on the top right corner behind the glass. The tunics shared the same style. I couldn't decide between the green and the red one.
(What was my favorite color… ah! Yes! Red!)
The green one looked cool, but if I have the option, I prefer the red one.
"How much for the red one?" I said with my hand on my chin.
"The red one ye' say… ah, fifty. Comes with a white sleeved undershirt"
(Hey! 2x1! Why not!…)
I nodded "I'll buy it"
"Hang on a second…" then leave to the room behind the counter and came in less than twenty seconds.
In those twenty seconds, I glanced at a pair of dark brown fingerless gloves hanging in the wall behind the counter that totally caught my attention. The shop owner came with a white box, opened it and got out my new clothes. Meanwhile, I got out a purple rupee out of my bag and handed it to him, and in exchange, he gave me the garments and I put them inside my endless pouch.
"Thank you!" he said.
"No, thanks to you!" I smiled. "How much for those fingerless gloves?" I asked.
He turned to see them and started. "Ah, these?" He grabbed them "For you… Thirty"
I said nothing. I didn't complain. I got out a red rupee and two blue rupees out my bag and handed them to him and put the gloves inside my endless pouch.
I got out my list and marked my recent buys.
-A traveler tunic(Checked!)
-A shield
-A Bottled fairy/ red potion(Checked!)
-Fingerless gloves(Checked!)
(Now only remains that shield…)
"Umm… sorry to ask but, are you a swordsman?" He said looking at my sword.
"Uh, yeah, you could say so. May I ask why you are asking?"
"Uh, nothing, is just that you carry a sword on your back… that you bought a tunic and some gloves… but don't buy a chain mail?" He pointed his finger towards the left side of the store.
I turned to that direction and saw a short sleeved chain mail that got my attention.
(Mmm… that may come in handy…)
"Ye like it? It's only seventyyyy! A good swordsman may always have a nice protection against other blades you now…"
I easily fell by his cheap marketing technique. I glanced back to him. "I take it!" he already had the box containing it on his hands. I handed him the equally priced quantity of gems and he gave the chain mail to me.
It was heavier than I expected, this thing is made of solid iron. I put in my endless pouch.
"Hey… By the way… don't you know somewhere where I can get a shield repaired?" I asked.
"Mmm… yeah. There's this guy, Gondo. He works at his Scrap Shop just left to the Curiosity Shop"
"Thanks!"
"I hope I helped you. Come back later…"
After that, I went out of the store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At first I wanted to buy the shield displayed at the Trading Post, but when I last opened my endless pouch, I saw inside of it my old and rusty Hylian shield, remember it? If I get it repaired, I could use the shield of my homeland, a shield that no one has never seen before around here, which makes it unique and only for me.
Who am I kidding... actually my true reason to get it repaired were that get it repaired may cost less than a new shield…
I got to the place where the shop owner said, it was an outside-open shop. Behind the counter was a muscular man turned by the other side of the counter.
"Excuse me…"
He turned. He got a weird mask that covered the middle of his head and had some sort of binoculars attached to it. He started:
"Hey, alright there. How ya' doing?" he asked in a really funny accent from such a buff man like him.
"Hi, h-how ya' doing" I was trying my best to not to chuckle.
"Yeah come in, wa d'ya want?"
I got closer to the counter and smelled lubricant grease. Scent that I didn't like.
"Ahh! This place really smells"
"Ah, yeh. It's the furnace back there… what do ya' need?"
"Yeah… you repair shields?"
"Depends. Watcha got?"
I got out my endless pouch and showed him my old and rusty Hylian shield. He grabbed it with one hand and gave a quick look to it.
"Mmm! This is summat interesting! I've never seen anything like dis before…" He knocked it with his knuckles, and some oxide fell from it. "But, meh, it sure is in a bad state…"
"Can you repair it?"
"Yeh man, I sure can fix it, but it may take some time… leave it here and I'll have it repaired to the morning, kay?"
"Tomorrow? Ok then…"
I didn't had any real urge to get going today in search for that sword, so I accepted and told him that I would return tomorrow. We clasped our hands together to make it a deal, which almost made me lost my right hand because of his strong grip. I leaved my shield there and left the place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South Clock Town ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was walking around thoughtfully and mixed with the people passing. I glanced upwards and saw that the clock marked exactly 4:12 Pm.
(Oh crap! The bar!)
While I was doing my shopping I became totally oblivious of the time and my work, so I rushed towards the east part of town and got inside of the milk bar swiftly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Milk Bar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I closed the door as fast as I opened it. Mr. Barten noticed me instantly and watched me going downstairs, surely waiting for an explanation of why I came somewhat late to the job.
I stood in front of him and inhaled air to say something, but stopped when he pointed his finger towards the clock on the wall behind me. I bashfully turned to see the miniature of the clock on top of the clock tower that marked exactly the 4:14 hours and turned to him back with a guilty smile.
"You never had come late before, Al…" he said with his hands resting on his hips.
"Sorry Mr. Barten, but I have a good reason!" I tried to excuse myself.
"It better be a good explanation"
We both took a seat in front of the bar table.
"Okay, this is the thing…"
And so, I told him about what happened today. The mask salesman, the so called four sword, and that I need to go get it, and finally, my excuse for being late was that I needed to get prepared.
"… So you are leaving tomorrow, huh?…" He said looking at the ground.
"Yeah… the only thing that holds me back to not get going today is that my shield is getting repaired…"
"Al, think about it just one second…don't you think that leave town and search for that thing is an abrupt decision?"
"I'll go to the end of the world only to find a way back home…" I said holding a glass of Romani milk on my hand, and slowly shaking it. "And this is the only clue I have…"
"…But what about yer' horse? You have to be inside of town if you want to hear anything that could come up"
I turned to him. "Uh, come on Mr. Barten, we both know that any information will come up. I was actually planning to go outside of town and search for Epona by myself if a month passed" I said in a determinate tone that Mr. Barten never heard from me.
"…"
"Let's being realistic; if I don't resolve my own problems, then anyone else will do it for me…"
I hardly ever open like this to someone, but Mr. Barten is my closest friend, AND my boss.
"Well… I think that this is your last day working here then…"
"Yeah, I guess…"
Although he didn't want to admit it, I know he has grown fond of me as good friends, pals, dudes, bro's or whatever you want to call it.
He put the mop in front of my face again.
"Then do your best today! Come on! I want to see the floor as shiny as my head!"
In that moment, his bald head brighten with the light of the stage. I chuckled, patted my leg in laugher and gladly grabbed the mop.
The laborious afternoon passed and I finished doing my respective chores before opening the bar.
Mr. Barten and I played dominoes, where he was a fierce opponent, but I always end winning, or at least just today…
Mr. Barten told every costumer that came to the bar that I was leaving tomorrow for an adventure, and the night was full of "Really?"s "You are leaving?"s and "I'll miss you man!"s followed by several friendly handshakes. The regular costumers had grown fond of me too. I became their "Favorite bartender".
It's good to know that people around here appreciates me…
It was still "earlier" in the bar when Mr. Barten called me to talk behind the counter.
"Al, come here…"
"What is it?"
"I want you to rest earlier today, tomorrow you'll need a lot of energy on your journey"
I really didn't need the rest, it was barely the 12:37, and I got used to get to bed really late at night because of my job at the bar. But he was right, if I keep working like this, I will get up too late at the day as I usually do, and that graveyard is quite far and surely may take some time to get there… and I don't want to be in a graveyard at night by no means, no sir.
I nodded and he got out my usual pay of thirty rupees out of his pocket and gave them to me. And as he always does, he bring the tip's bottle. But before giving me its contents, I noticed that he threw a red rupee on it. I smiled. He gave me its contents that were more than usual. Maybe because the clients know that I'm leaving so they are trying to help me as they can.
"I'll pass here tomorrow before I go…"
Mr. Barten put his hand at my shoulder and said: "I know you will. Take care…"
Yeh like it? well my surprise is *suspense drums* The next chapter will come out tomorrow!
somehow i found time between my studies and girlfriend, because since this part, everything is first-planned things, which makes me write at incredible speeds, like in the past Wednesday,i wrote like 4000 words in one sit! i'm inspired!
review and let me know what you think, it's free!
-Matt