Chapter 68: The Island Symphony

…

~~Day 36.

~~Something's going on with my dreams. I keep seeing myself talking with someone, but I'm not myself, I'm the person I'm talking to. I can't quite tell who I'm talking to, but I know it's a gir—I think I was talking to Princess Zelda dressed as me. Now that I'm thinking about it, it feels like I'm talking to her as her while she is me. (For as much sense as that makes.) But the conversations don't go the way I remember them. Instead, it's like I'm talking to her about what happened before. I don't know what's going on, and I feel like I've lost a lot of sleep again. I know Irleen says that, even if the princess had the gem Irleen gave to Captain Koroul, I can't be seeing what the princess saw because that isn't how the gem was supposed to work. I don't want to say she's wrong, but I can't think of any other explanation.

…

After falling back to sleep, Link awoke later that morning and wandered into the main room. He felt eyes on him, and he imagined it was because he only wore his bodysuit and his trousers. He was not very wide awake as he turned to sit on the couch.

Which is probably why he did not realize that the couch was missing. He dropped straight to the floor and hit his head on the wall behind him. The action caused someone in the room to snort, and, after confirming that the couch was gone, he glanced up at the room's other occupants. Leynne, Rosaline, Dubbl, and Cale stood around the table, and Kalvin leaned in the doorway with a metal cup in his hand. Irleen was hovering over Cale with what looked like a quill.

"Leynne," he asked, "what happened to the couch?"

Leynne immediately looked at Rosaline and said, "I told you people would notice."

Rosaline shrugged. "Okay, someone noticed."

"We don't know wheh the couch went," Leynne told Link. "I was the fihst in heh this mohning, and I saw it missing."

"I think I just failed to notice it," Cale admitted.

"Too bad," Link said, rubbing his hand on the stone floor. "It was a very nice couch."

"Link, may we have a wohd?" Leynne asked as Dholit entered the room from outside.

"Oh, yeah," Link said as he stood up again. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong," Leynne said. He moved so that his body was blocking part of the table. "We wanted youh opinion concehning a ratheh… delicate matteh."

Link's eyes flickered in Dholit's direction before he asked, "What is it?"

Leynne clasped his hands together, giving him a formal air. "Well, this whole time, we've been referring to this vessel as the 'Island Sonata Two'," he explained. "But Dholit's recently infohmed us that you haven't quite taken to the name."

Link looked at Dholit, but he was too tired to form the glare he felt he should have been wearing. "You've been reading my journal again."

Dholit's face did not show her usual jocularity as she answered, "How else ah we to know when something bothehs you?"

"I wish we'd known befoh," Leynne said.

But Link shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I can't think of a better name. I was gonna worry about it later."

"Link," Rosaline said. "Go look outside." Link gave her a confused frown and stepped over to the door, prompting Kalvin to move into the room.

At first, he was surprised. Then he was awed and impressed. From the keel to the weather deck must have been four decks high. With the forecastle and aftcastle and an additional cabin at the rear, it was the largest schooner he had ever seen. It was also the most unique. Instead of three masts, they had erected six masts arranged in two parallel rows. He could see that they were all gaff-rigged, maintaining the premise that they had set before. Additional spars had been mounted amidships on the second deck below the weather deck, a thick, central spar bearing stowed sails with their control lines routed through smaller spars on the top and bottom. From the angle these additional spars were mounted, they made Link think of the set of pectoral fins on a fish. The hull was a fresh, chestnut color with the bulwark painted bright red. A three-bladed propeller, its diameter two-thirds the height of the ship's hull, shone white with the late morning sun.

In a way, the ship was mad. It was a feat of insanity that, without the Architects' descendents, would probably have never come into existence. He slowly stepped toward it, wondering how the airship had not existed before now. How did something so large come into existence in such a short amount of time? Link wanted to sail it. He wanted to cut the lines and take it into the sky at that exact moment.

"You should know," Link spun around when Leynne spoke up, surprised by how close his voice sounded, "Dholit told us about this yestehday when we wanted to see about having a flag made; I recall you mentioning that aihships identify each otheh by individual bannehs. It wasn't easy. What do you think?"

He stepped aside as Rosaline and Dholit pulled a large, white cloth off the table. They let it unfurl to show Link a picture of an island in the middle of a ring of instruments. From the top-right of the island, the flag bore a lyre, an ocarina, a conductor's baton, a violin, a pan flute, a set of drums, a harmonica, and the silhouetted profile of what appeared to be a woman singing. The semblance to the Island Sonata's emblem was uncanny, as if they had discovered it beforehand.

"The Island Symphony." Link glanced at Leynne, who seemed to be beaming with pride. "Not a replacement, but a sisteh."

"Well, Link?" Rosaline asked as he stepped back into the house.

He smiled at her and Dholit, his eyes beginning to water. "It's perfect," he said. "Thank you. All of you. I… never expected so much…" He covered his eyes with a hand.

"I want to hug him," Dholit told Rosaline.

Link immediately held his hands up. "No, don't," he said. "I-I'm okay, I just…" He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sorry."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Leynne still grinning at him. "Would you like to meet heh?" he asked.

…

Link had never had the opportunity to smell a new airship before, so he was amazed by the scent of fresh wood as he stepped onto the weather deck. He ran his hand on the smooth, sanded surface of the bulwark. His eyes followed the curve of the bulwark towards the bow, and then they traced one of the stays to the port-side fore-mast.

And he opened his mouth with the most obvious question he could think of. "Why six masts?"

"Why not?" Rosaline replied.

"An idea Dubbl and I had," Leynne said as he looked up at the boom of the port-side main-mast. "Gaff-rigged sails ah the heaht of schoonehs, but I believe theh is merit behind what we've done."

"And what's that?" Irleen asked as she hovered over his and Cale's heads.

"Just this," Leynne said as he stepped between the masts. He pointed to both fore-masts and spoke in a louder voice. "These two masts can be physically disconnected from the helm and positioned pehpendiculah to the ship's line of travel. And then the main masts heh can be positioned at about fouhty-five degrees from the stehn. The result is a paih of sails that act much like squahe-rigged sails, making this vessel much fasteh than it would be with just three oh fouh." He pointed to the aft-masts and spoke in a normal voice since Link was walking toward him. "These two masts ah pehmanently connected to the helm and sehve as ouh means of tuhning. It was tricky planning out a system which we could use to effectively connect all six masts to the same wheel but then connect them to anotheh tuhning mechanism."

"So how does it work?" Link asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Leynne said as he moved over to a capstan sitting between the fore- and main masts in the middle of the deck. "Dubbl, if you please."

Dubbl cupped her hands around her mouth and called up to the Gelto examining the rigging on the aft-masts. "Twali, Lwamm, Biluf, Layna! 'An xaynathaciys xwal!"

All four Gelto looked up from what they were doing. Then, in the next instant, they each used the standing rigging to control their falls to the deck. Link cringed; he would have to tell them not to do that while they were up in the air. They ran for the stairs in front of the aftcastle and pulled out one board each from storage cabinets under the stairs. Leynne stepped back as they ran toward him and planted the boards into the sides of the capstan.

Leynne rounded the capstan and stopped in front of a pair of levers sitting afore the capstan. "The system is designed so that it won't unlock unless the helm is pehfectly straight." He grabbed one lever and pushed it forward. "This unlocks the mechanisms and keeps the helm in place while the masts can be released." He pushed the second lever forward, this time having to use effort to move it. Link heard a clatter from the deck below. "That switches control of these masts to the capstan." He nodded at the Gelto, and they started cranking the capstan. Link watched as the whole masts turned outward from the ship, the fore-masts moving a greater degree than the main masts. When the girls finished, the fore-masts were open perpendicular to the ship, looking like a giant, square-rigged sail with a sizable gap in the middle. The main masts had open at half that angle, just as Leynne had described. Leynne threw the first lever back. "The system is locked again, the front fouh masts will remain in place, and the helm will now only steeh the aft-masts."

"That's just… amazing," Link said. "I mean… you've probably maximized the amount of running speed with just this alone! And this sort of plan is perfect for the Sky Lines; it would definitely guarantee efficient trips. How did you guys even conceive this?"

"It wasn't difficult between my knowledge of mechanics and Dubbl's hobby of expressing ideas with heh fists," Leynne said with a grin.

"Waba zalahakw ba' nayx xilutak," Dubbl told Leynne in what Link was sure to be a threatening tone. Her pointing a finger at him while scowling seemed to make her words a little clearer. "'Imayn 'ilway zathkiyc wabnik wabin tayssab naday ya'lu fizhibak."

Leynne raised an eyebrow at Dubbl before asking Dholit, "What did she say?"

Dholit shrugged. "Oh, something about an offah to kill you with youh own spine," she told him with an innocent grin.

Leynne nodded. "I assumed as much." He pointed to the shroud holding down the port aft-mast. "We've anchohed the masts as best as we can; I know we'll be sailing into some heavy winds."

"Yeah, pretty heavy," Link said. He pointed to a pair of capstans between the aft-masts. "What are those for?"

"Ah," Leynne replied. "Those control the spahs we mounted to the outside of the hull. Unfohtunately, we can't demonstrate theih use while we'h grounded."

"That's fine; I was just curious."

"Link?" Irleen asked. "I was wondering… how do you intend to ohganize youh command?"

"Something I've been curious about as well," Leynne said.

"I had it mostly planned out as people were signing up," Link said. "I've already designated three Chiefs of the Deck: you, Leynne; Dubbl; and Sello."

"What?" Rosaline and Cale asked.

"Sello!?" Leynne asked.

Link held up his hands. "Before you say anything else, I've thought about it. Sello's likely to do his own thing, so I'll probably be assigning one of the other engineers to run things. But when it comes to engine trouble, I'd trust Sello to fix the problem above anyone else." He paused to shrug. "Mostly because there's a good chance that no one else will know what he's doing."

"You want to trust command of the ship's engine to a man who once repaihed and sicced a homicidal mining engine on us?" Cale asked, his face growing pale.

"Wait, he did what?" Leynne asked.

"He fixed Crunchy just fine," Link argued. "It just… you know, got a little out of hand."

"It chased you, Link," Irleen said.

"Look, unless Sello plans on putting the engine on a pair of tracks, I don't think we'll have anything to worry about," Link said. "Anyway, as long as no one tells Sello to do anything, he'll probably just be drunk the whole time." He waited to see if anyone would respond, but Rosaline, Leynne, Cale, Irleen, Dholit, and Dubbl staring at him made him reflect on his previous statement a little more. "Okay, I guess I didn't think that through. But as long as we keep an eye on him, we shouldn't have to worry."

"Why did Sello sign up in the fihst place?" Dholit asked.

Link put on a nervous look. "He, uh… he asked me if there was alcohol in the sky. I-I told him yes."

"Why else," Leynne moaned.

"Look, there's going to be four others keeping an eye on him," Link said. "And until the Gelto learn Hylian or otherwise leave, Dubbl will be in charge of them. Leynne, as our navigator, you'll be responsible for directing things up here while we're at sail. It mostly means you'll be ordering around Dubbl, Gold, and Cale."

"I take his o'de's?" Dubbl asked, pointing a finger at Leynne.

"They'll probably just be orders to relay to the other Gelto," Link told her. "And that's only if I'm not on the deck." Dubbl pursed her lips and shrugged. "We might have to live with each other for a while, at least until we can get a payroll. After that, we'll be able to hire more airmen. So, until then, I'm hoping you all will stick around."

"We won't have anywheh else to go once we'h up theh," Leynne pointed out.

Link nodded. "How much longer do you guys need?"

"Well, foh da ship, we be ready tomorrow," Rosaline said. "Just gotta be finishin' da riggin'."

"Howeveh, I should point out that we haven't exactly had the time to train," Leynne said.

"I know," Link said. "It'll take us some time to reach the islands. We'll have to move the ship so we don't wind up inside the Undying Storm, so we'll use those days to get everyone ready for their jobs."

"Theh will be a lot to train foh," Leynne pointed out.

"I'm pretty confident," Link said. "Schooners are easy to sail. It'll mostly be following my directions anyway."

"What kind of supplies should we puhchase?"

"Dry rations, water, a few spare parts… we might need some grog."

"Grog?" Cale asked.

"Remember?" Link said. "They gave us some on the Goddess's Tides."

"The alcohol?" Dholit asked. "The stuff that made him pass out?"

"I know it sounds like a bad idea," Link said, "but grog is actually essential. It helps prevent scurvy. And, according to Captain Alfonzo, it's a good way to keep the crew calm. It's easy to get on each other's nerves, being on a ship without seeing a port for days. We might also want to get a small stock for Sello; we can't have him drink the grog, or else he'll want to drink it all."

"Luggahd should be back with the Loft Steam I requested soon," Leynne said. "If theh's enough time, I'll ask him to see if we can find a supplieh in Hovela."

"We should have at least a week's worth," Link said. "We shouldn't be that long before finding Autumn Island."

"Autumn Island?" Cale asked.

Link nodded. "It was the first island to the south of the storm; the closest Sky Line will take us right to it. We can resupply there, and there should be a Skyrider office I can visit. We'll also be going to Castle Island. I… I still need to tell them what happened when we took Princess Zelda into the storm."

"That sounds like a faih enough plan," Leynne said.

…

~~This whole thing is becoming a reality. I don't know how, but I have another ship! I feel a little guilty about all the people giving up what they need to put it together, but I don't want to say anymore. I think my moping about it is beginning to make people wish I would just go away.

~~They called her the Island Symphony.

…

~~Day 37.

~~It's time to go home.

…

As amazing as the Island Symphony looked when Link first saw her, she looked even better with all sails open. The scaffolds had been removed along with the boards which were used to keep the hull upright. Instead, the ship had been tethered to the ground by about twenty ropes, some of them secured by one of the Gorons pounding a stake a good distance into the ground. Even then, the stakes had to be supplemented by large rocks which, if the large bite marks were an indication, were probably conveniently-placed snacks. His glance spun from the sails above him to the view over Fishington, taking in the sight of the terrestrial town once more. In the deep purple of dawn, it appeared that part of the town was still asleep. Although, that may have been simply the houses on this side of town blocking his view of the people walking about.

Then his eyes shifted to the line of men, women, and fairy standing in the middle of the weather deck. It was far from a professional line of airmen, but it was the best he could expect from a place that had never seen the sky as he had. Gold was the only one standing in a dignified position, legs apart and arms folded behind his back. The Gelto stood with their feet together and their arms down to their sides. Helo and Lidago stood around looking confused. Lawrence and Harley had their hands in their pockets. Leynne appeared a little annoyed, standing with his arms crossed while Sello's half-conscious form leaned on him. Cale looked nervous, grinding the strap of his messenger bag in one hand and trying to find something to do with his other hand.

Link took in a deep breath. "I know you're probably tired of waiting," he addressed his crew, "but we're about to take a large step off the ground. And I want to make sure you all understand that, once we're up there, as long as you're on this ship, you all follow my orders. I don't tell you this to intimidate you; I just want you all to understand that I don't want anyone to be put in danger just because they didn't want to listen to me. I want to hear from all of you individually, so as I say your name, I just want a simple 'aye'. And, if you choose not to answer, I will not hold it against you as you return to the ground." Link stepped to the end of the line and started with the first man there. "Gold?"

Gold nodded. "Aye, sir."

Link walked before the line as he continued to ask. "Lawrence?"

"Aye," Lawrence replied, folding his arms.

"Harley?"

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Helo?"

Helo stiffened and said, "Aye, Boss."

"Lidago?"

Lidago exchanged a look with Helo, forcing Link to stop in front of him. Helo nodded, and Lidago said, "Aye."

Link flashed a smile at him before continuing down the line. "Dubbl?"

Dubbl gave a stiff nod. "Aye, Kyabtin."

Link stepped to the next Gelto and paused his step for a moment as he recalled her name. "Biluf?"

Biluf gave the same nod as Dubbl. "Ay'a, Kyabtin."

Link nodded, although it occurred to him that she and the other Gelto might not understand him. So he looked back at Dubbl. "They know what I'm asking, right?"

"It not matte'," Dubbl said. "We will follow the Kyabtin."

Link frowned and continued down the line. "… Lwamm?"

"Ay'a, Kyabtin," she replied in a strong voice.

Strong enough that Link did not want to explain that he was simply just trying to confirm what her name was. "Twali?"

"Ay'a, Kaybtin."

"Layna?"

Layna started as if she had been daydreaming. "Ay'a, Kyabtin!"

Her high-pitched voice prompted Link to press on his ear a moment before asking the next in line. "Leynne?"

Leynne gave a soft nod. "Aye."

Link stopped and craned his neck. "Sello?"

Sello belched, prompting a disgusted look from Leynne. "Heh-yeah, man," he grunted. "Aye—p!"

Link gave Leynne a shrug before moving on. "Cale?"

"Aye, saah," Cale replied, appearing a little more relaxed.

"Irleen?"

"You'd bettah believe it," she answered in Cale's accent.

Link gave her a nod and a smile before returning to the front of the formation. "Very well," he told them. "We will disembark in a few moments." Then he turned to Talein, Rosaline, and Luggard, who stood behind him near the bulwark where the ladder to the ground had been placed. "Thank you again for all you've done for me."

"Yeh know, I gotta admit… I wasn' sure if I believed yeh when yeh firs' showed up," Talein told him.

"Yeah, me, either," Luggard said, scratching the back of his head.

Link nodded. "Yeah, I know. And I don't blame you; that was kinda the reaction I was receiving since my promotion."

"I think I's gonna miss ya," Luggard told him. "Ain' every month I ge' chased through the Sand Realm by a huge Malgyorg." He chuckled with his next statement. "Or ge' invited t' spend a nigh' with the Gelto."

"It was all a first for me, too, you know," Link said.

Luggard nodded. Then he said, "Oh, yeah." He slid off a belt he had been carrying on his shoulder and handed it to Link. "Ya lef' this in me train."

Link accepted the belt, finding it to be the sword Meilont had given him. "Oh, yeah, I'd almost forgotten about it."

"Yeh have yerself a new sword, though," Talein pointed out, indicating the Lokomo Sword on Link's back.

"I'm just borrowing it," Link said. "I'll be bringing it back when I'm done."

"Just make suah yeh visit de next time yeh come," Rosaline said.

Talein tapped the back of his hand against Link's shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "Meilont wants to see yeh again, yeh know."

Link nodded. "I know. And I will. It might take some time, but I definitely will."

"Good," Rosaline said. Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. "Good luck, Captain."

"Thanks, Rosaline," Link answered as she pulled away.

"Link?" Luggard said, offering out a hand covered in soot. "It's been fun. Le's never do it 'gain."

"I can't make any promises," Link answered as he clasped Luggard's hand. "Take care."

"Ya, too."

"Link, it was nice to meet yeh," Talein said, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "Take care o' yerself, boy."

"You, too," Link said as they clasped hands. "And make sure you tell Meilont I'll visit someday."

"Will do."

Then Link watched as Talein followed Rosaline and Luggard down the rope. His eyes started to water at the thought of leaving, knowing how many friends he had made in his month of exile to the surface. He quickly suppressed the urge to cry and waited until Talein stepped foot on the ground. When Talein was standing on the ground, Link picked up the board holding the rope ladder to the bulwark and threw it over the side. "Look out below!" he shouted.

Then he turned to his crew. "Lwamm and Biluf, start removing the lines at the stern," he ordered. Dubbl translated the order as Link continued, "Lawrence and Gold, remove the lines starting at the bow. Toss them overboard; we've got all the rope we'll need. Leynne, on the wheel."

Lwamm and Biluf, after having Dubbl explain to them, chanted "Ay'a, Kyabtin" at the same time Lawrence and Gold replied "Aye, Captain". Leynne gave a delayed "Got it" before hustling for the forecastle. Link signaled the rest toward him before turning to close the bulwark. Cheers and chants immediately called up from the ground as they looked over the edge at all the faces that had helped build the ship. Link stepped over to a shroud connected to the port main mast and pulled himself onto the bulwark to get a better look as his crew slowly released his ship from the ground. He passed his sword off to Cale and watched. This would be the final test. If the ballast system was working (and there was no reason to believe otherwise), the ship would start to rise soon.

The Island Symphony rocked underneath him after about a minute. Some of the tethers were beginning to pull out of the ground. The cheers grew louder, and the crew nearby started calling down. Link watched the ropes for a moment until he decided to retreat back behind the bulwark. The ship was rising, just as expected. The airmen removing ropes had barely reached the weather deck when the ship pulled the rest of its tethers out of the ground and began floating of its free will.

Up. Up. Up. Up. The Island Symphony was on her way to the sky as fast as she could. Link could see the treetops of the Lost Woods in just seconds. The cheering faded out, and the crew settled into silence. He looked around at the emotionally-charged group around him. Well, except for Sello, who had fallen to the deck when Leynne disappeared.

"Well," Harley said. "We's on our way, Cap'n. Whacha go' for us?"

"Ohdahs?" Cale asked.

Link looked around at them. Then he waited until Lawrence, Gold, Lwamm, and Biluf returned to the group. "Everyone, go to your berths below and make sure your belongings are secure. Then I want you all back on deck as soon as possible." Link turned to Gold as the crew began to separate and Dubbl translated his directions. "Airman Gold, when you're finished below, I want you to relieve Leynne at the helm. Standing orders are steady as she goes: straight up."

"Aye aye, sir," Gold replied before following the rest of the crew to the hatch forward of their position.

"Li—uh, Captain." Link turned around to see Cale lingering. He offered out a hand holding Irleen's translator gem. "She wanted to talk to you. Oh, and youh swohd."

Link took both items. "Thanks, Cale," he said. Cale nodded and stepped past him. He looked up at Irleen and smiled. "So. We did it."

"I know," Irleen said. "I-I can hardly believe it."

"Ready to go home yet?"

Irleen hesitated. "I don't know.

"How am I supposed to explain this to my parents?"

Link laughed in response.

…

End Arc 1 of 3.