A/N: Yes, some of Fi's more humorous remarks on various monster life are in fact going to be brought up - complete with Knuckles' own reactions. The Bokoblins are only the start.
Also as usual, a few things needed to be adapted a little bit to suit a Hero who isn't mute, or seems to communicate psychically (how else does everyone know what he wants?) so the parts involving Gorko are going to be just slightly different. As are a few others, naturally.
Outside the Temple's other door was a considerably better maintained path, broad flagstones leading to a shallow set of steps, all surrounded in more white stone. Maybe once it had been inside the Temple, maybe not – there weren't enough of the ruins left to tell, if there had even been any here.
At the peak of the steps the path broke off sharply, as if it had been only recently made – a little sign that Link had not yet perhaps learned to make things blend in properly. Past there it opened into a dusty clearing, trees looming around the edges, then to a ledge that overlooked a second one.
In this second clearing I spotted two new things – a large sort of sandy yellow humanoid that had a huge backpack on, and a collection of little red... things harassing him. They brandished an assortment of weapons – large cleavers, a few swords, one even held a large axe rather awkwardly.
There were six if them surrounding the protesting yellow creature, who was swinging his fists for them only to have them dart clear. It was obvious they didn't want to get smacked – no sensible creature would! - but it was equally obvious that he wasn't quick enough to actually hit them. He swung for some and they moved clear, then the others closed in and he had to swing for them – allowing the others to return. It was an impasse.
"Red Bokoblins," Fi noted, appearing nearby. "These monsters have plagued the lands since ancient times. Each plays a different role in the whole, and their weaponry varies depending on what they find lying around. They are hardly intelligent by any definition of the word, though curiously they seem to have a mysterious obsession with what they consider to be fashionable undergarments."
I'd listened to her without paying complete attention, more deciding on how to handle them, but at her last remark I did a double-take and looked at her.
"You said they what?"
"They have an obsession with fashionable undergarments," Fi repeated.
"You gotta be pulling my leg."
"Master, perhaps we should come to the aid of the Goron?" she suggested, neatly diverting my attention back to the more important matter at hand, and then to further prevent my line of inquiry, disappeared again. Some of Fi's remarks were definitely on the unexpected side.
Since Bokoblins as a rule are hardly the most stimulating opponents I simply drew my sword and leapt down. Two of those on the far side of the now identified Goron did notice me, but their high-pitched cries seemed lost on their comrades. The nearest two were down with a broad strike that neatly knocked both of them over – and drew their attention to me.
The Goron quickly took advantage of my distraction to smash two Bokoblins heads together cartoon-style, knocking them out cold. I blocked an incoming clumsy attack by a cleaver and punched the Bokoblin behind it, who dropped the cleaver, stumbling around clutching his face and howling in pain. The Goron helpfully reached out to him and delivered a powerful blow on the top of its head, crushing its skull and making it vanish the way the Deku Babas had.
While he'd been dealing with that I got in a strike around the axe-wielding Bokoblin, making use of several tricks Pipit had taught me to neatly divest him of his weapon – by simply removing his arm from him. I had hoped to nick the axe, but like its bearer it vanished, defeated.
The rest of the Bokoblins clearly lost heart at how easily we were decimating them, but were quickly put out of their misery. Once it was over, as a show of friendship toward the Goron, I cleaned and sheathed my sword. Cleaning it might not have been necessary like it is for mundane blades, but it was a habit I'd got into. Pipit hadn't known I wasn't going to stick with ordinary swords for long.
"That was fun," I remarked afterwards, then extended a hand to the Goron. "I'm Knuckles. Thought I'd give you a hand."
The Goron regarded my proffered hand for a moment then roared with laughter.
"Give you a hand!" he exclaimed. "Good one!" After his humour had subsided somewhat he took my hand in a crushing grasp, shaking it. "You have just saved Gorko the archaeologist, friend... ah... what are you?"
"An Echidna," I answered, trying not to sound bothered. I never really got over having to explain that every time.
"Fascinating! Never before have I come across one like you – though I recall..." he thought for a moment. "Ah, it is probably nothing. But it seems interesting you should be here. This forest is normally peaceful, and yet today alone... first I bump into a human woman in a hurry, then those creatures, and now you..."
"Yeah, don't mind me," I told him. "I'm just passing through. Haven't been this way before, so I'm off to explore Faron Woods." A nagging feeling had told me it wasn't going to be wise to bruit about the truth too wildly just yet.
"An explorer!" Gorko exclaimed. "The next best thing after an archaeologist! Well, you'd better know a bit about what you're getting into, right? I can tell you the history of these woods – and it starts with this old bird statue right here," he told me, leading me to, yes, another statue. Heavily mossed over and different again to the last one I'd seen, but the similarities were there.
I humoured the Goron and listened as he talked about ancient texts that described an Isle of the Goddess – Skyloft, though his rendition of what things were like there was somewhat inaccurate. He did, however, confirm that these statues were something along the lines of landmarks, places that could be used to get up there or as safe landing points on the way down.
"Supposedly, this one is special," Gorko told me. "I've seen many around in my travels, but this one – this one is different. The legends say this one has the ability to activate all the other statues!"
"Now that's interesting," I murmured, then more to cover my actions I added, "I think I might be able to help. This sword here-" I told him, re-drawing it. "-is supposed to be magical. I've been working on learning more about it, seeing exactly how. I've only figured one thing out so far, but if what I've heard is right, it might just be the key to activating these statues."
"If you think you've got the key, give it a try!" he boomed, stepping clear.
Naturally, I used a Skyward Strike. Where on the previous one it had just cut away a bit of foliage, the light of this strike seemed absorbed by the statue. It glowed brightly, the moss vanishing completely as it turned to smoothly polished stone, accented in continuously glowing gold.
"Astonishing! I must investigate this further! Just what – how - "
"I don't know much about it," I said, expanding my little tale. "I just know how to do it. If that's activated though, maybe there's more you can learn from it?"
"I certainly hope so! But you... ah, you have your own errands to run! You leave this with me, friend Knuckles, and whenever we meet I'll bring you up to date!"
"Likewise – maybe I'll find out more to help you too. You know there's another bird statue near here?" I asked, with sudden inspiration. I needed to talk to Fi, and I didn't really want to call her out while Gorko was around.
"The one above the pit? Of course! I'll see what effect this has had on it at once. I wish you the best in your travels, friend Knuckles!" he boomed again, stomping off on his way. I started on my own way until he was out of sight, then pestered Fi.
"That statue and what he said. Was he right?"
"I believe he was, Master," she answered. "However we should see to our tasks on the surface before we return to the sky. We should not delay overmuch, as the sense of Zelda's presence grows fainter as time passes."
Again she simply cut off further discussion by disappearing.
Further down the path was a small cliff. The map told me this was the way I had to go, the cliff barring my path tried to suggest otherwise. A few boulders were scattered around here, but nothing I could use to make this any more convenient, so I simply climbed up and found it really wasn't going to be that much different to usual. Better to have found out in a safer situation like that though.
Fi showed up once again to inform me I'd crossed some unseen boundary and entered Faron Woods itself. The area didn't really seem different to the Sealed Grounds. Only a new bird statue and a giant tree towering over the area stood out. Fi went on however, giving me her overview of the region.
"There is a large diversity of flora in the region due to plentiful water supplies. Logically, this has also attracted numerous animal species to the region. Available information and probabilities indicate it is extremely likely that Zelda is within this region. I will remain alert for the aura of her passing and guide you as necessary."
"Monster activity?" I asked.
"I am unable to provide an overview of that at this time," Fi shrugged. "I will continue to inform you of discoveries as they are made," she told me – again disappearing.
Another Skyward Strike activated the Bird Statue here, which reacted similarly to the one I'd just seen. The Loftwing adorning them was always in the same position, except for the one with Gorko, which had had its wings extended – I assume to mark it as the first of them.
After consulting the map, and having Fi cause my sword to tug in the direction of Zelda's aura – thus allowing her to direct me without needing to be present – I headed down the only route I could for now, ignoring a pit by the simple expedient of using a conveniently hanging rope. I wonder who left that there?
"Yes, alright, I was terrible back then," Link said peevishly. "I should have used a vine or something. I wish you'd stop calling me out on my mistakes like that."
"Just showing up the differences," Knuckles replied. "And making sure I don't overlook the details. It wouldn't be right if I left something out, would it?"
Link scowled at him, almost about to say something, then caught himself. "Never mind," he told them. "Just... tell the story."
"Sure you want me to?" Knuckles asked. "I might say something else-"
"Just, tell it, Knuckles!"
Faron probably wouldn't be recognisable in the slightest to Tails, or anyone else for that matter. This was Faron Woods, and indeed Hyrule, before the people descended back to the surface to establish the lands we know today, and civilization was at a minimum. There were fewer clear-cut routes, more obstacles – like thickets blocking my path that I had to carve a route through.
Fi caused my sword to almost tug out of my grip once through there, pulling toward something ahead that was, like Gorko, being threatened by red Bokoblins. Only two of them this time, and the... thing being threatened appeared to be a little bush for now.
They heard me coming, since the undergrowth was fairly thick here, but that didn't really do them any good. One of them tripped over a root, futilely hacking at it in fury before remembering I was there – by which time I'd already cut down the first one simply by knocking its weapon aside and again punching it solidly. A second sword strike defeated it, while the remaining one charged – only to realize too late that its weapon was still lodged in the root. It looked from me to it in consternation, then it too was defeated, leaving me with the task of figuring out why they had been threatening what had appeared, to me, to be just another plant.