It wasn't long before Ganon arrived. They settled in their small room with only two beds. The girls were in one bed, and the boys shared the other. The night settled in around them once the candle was blown out.
It was late morning when they woke again. A mask symbol stood in the middle of Clock Town – their first Terminian ally. The others were settled in a Zoran settlement deep in Great Bay. That meant they'd have to leave Clock Town from the west.
Ganon peered over her shoulder at the map. "We got lucky here," he said.
"Didn't we? Three heroes in just one country."
"All close by to. And then where do we go?"
"South to Holodrum. Our Hero of Earth is in the Tarm Ruins."
"Then to the sea?" Ganon asked.
Zelda nodded. "That's right."
She was grateful the others woke before that discussion went much further. Zelda didn't know how to handle the sea yet. She almost had a plan, just not quite yet.
They readied their belongings and set to the city streets. Then they headed to South Clock Town. That was where small business thrived and the clock tower watched over it all.
Zora offered their fish and seashell jewelry. Gorons offered weapons, armor, and bangles all inlaid with jewels found deep within Snowhead. Deku offered bouquets of foreign flowers and baskets of fruits and vegetables. There wasn't the space or land to offer gardens or gardens in Termina field. Too large. Too dangerous. Humans from the growing ranch offered their harvest, but the residents of Clock Town offered processed goods and finished desserts.
Zelda wished she had the time to stop and buy something sweet for the road or something to signify how far they'd come, but she didn't have the time or rupees. They had to be saved for an emergency, even with their full giant's wallet.
They passed the stalls and calling vendors, walking in a straight path to the two wooden doors at the base of the clock tower. Ganon pushed one door open and Ravio handled the other.
Inside, the sound of cogs, running water, and grinding gears was overwhelming. They hadn't heard it from outside. The doors must have had some noise-canceling magic on them.
In the center of the room was a man. He had auburn hair and eyes squinted to slits. He wore purple robes decorated with gold. Zelda didn't recognize the style. And then there was the pack he carried. It was almost as big as he was and certainly weighed at least two – maybe three – times as much as he did. Most notably, the tan canvas bag was covered in masks of all types.
"I knew you would come for me." His eerie, ear-to-ear grin did not fade. "Farore told me so."
The group filed in before closing the doors behind them. Ravio and Agitha hung back near those doors as Zelda and Ganon hesitantly approached the stranger. Zelda thought the man was familiar. He reminded her of a mask shop that had failed in Castle Town years ago. Maybe this man was the owner of that shop.
"I assume you know who we are, sir," Zelda said.
"Princess Zelda and the demon king Ganondorf. Though I don't know how those two are." He motioned to Ravio and Agitha.
"And you are?" Ganon growled, offset by being referred to as a demon king.
The man just smiled. "The Happy Mask Salesman, by that's a bit long. So you may call me Feliz."
"Where's that name from?" Zelda asked. "I've never heard anything like it.'
"Well, of course not. It's an ancient word, not a real name."
"So it's just an alias?"
"Exactly."
What a strange guy. He was eccentric, off-putting even, but nonetheless their Hero of Spirit. The map proved it so.
"Feliz put his pack down and knelt before it, absentmindedly fiddling with the contents. He hummed to himself as he did so.
"Feliz?" Zelda asked.
He ignored her.
"You will join us, won't you?"
"I don't see why I should," he said after a moment.
"To bring peace to Hyrule," Zelda said with no pause at all.
"Not my problem."
"Excuse me?" Zelda wasn't sure if she heard him right. "It's not your problem?"
"Not my country."
"But the tyrant-"
"Is just a spoiled boy."
"-may bring his troops to conquer other nations."
"So I will keep moving. Royals are of no concern to me. All you want is power and money. You, princess, want Hyrule back. Ganondorf wants to take it from you."
The Gerudo king's hands balled into fists at his sides. "I do not!"
"And you, purple hair – why do you fight?"
"Because my queen-"
"Stop. Don't care." He looked at Agitha, then quickly turned back to his bag. "And butterfly here is probably a noble."
"Descended from them, yes."
"So she must want more money." He looked up, staring at Zelda for several, unnerving, long moments. "You may go now," he said at last.
"But we need your help," Zelda pleaded.
"Don't. Care."
"Feliz-"
"Princess, if I may?" Agitha interrupted with a small smile.
"Uh, go ahead." Zelda motioned to the mask salesman. It wasn't like her attempts were getting anywhere.
Agitha practically skipped to the stubborn man. He didn't look at her. She took a seat next to him.
"Mist Mask Salesman?"
"Mm?" He glanced at Agitha out of the corner of his eye.
"Do you have a family?"
"Only me."
"Friends?" she asked.
"I prefer the term 'clients'."
"I don't really have a family either," Agitha said. She reached out and let her fingertips graze over a white masquerade mask. It was shaped like a butterfly.
"Go ahead," Feliz said.
Agitha picked it up and traced the inlaid gold lazily. "I don't really have many friends either."
"Servants?" he questioned, his tone suspicious.
"None."
"Mm."
"Before a week or two ago, my only friends were bugs. Not that they were bad friends. They just weren't able to speak back too well. But my friends aren't the reason I'm willing to fight. Nor the money. Nor fame, or power, or attention."
"No?" He looked at her expectantly. "Then why?"
"Do you remember the Hyrulean War of Unification?"
Who didn't? The war lasted nearly twenty years. Thousands from all races were killed. The last Zelda and link had fought in that war. Link had died, and that Zelda was the princess' mother.
"My mom and dad made it all the way to the last couple of weeks. They were nurses."
"What happened to them?"
"They were taking care of a Sheikah girl when a rebel of the same tribe killed them. The girl barely survived and was terribly scarred for it."
"Miss…" Feliz said softly, his brows knit together as if he were in pain.
"Mister Mask Salesman, I don't want to see anyone else die. So, please, help us. You'll get more business with people alive anyways."
He was still for several long seconds. It was like time itself slowed down. The only noises were his heavy breaths. Finally, he gathered all his masks except one – the one Agitha held – and stood. The bag regained its rightful place on his back.
"I'll help," he said.
"Thank you." Zelda smiled, though it was quick to falter when he spoke again.
"It's not for you. It's for her. She's the only reason I'm helping, so if she gets hurt, you will regret it." His smile vanished for a few terrifying seconds, then found its place on his face once more.
"Sir, your mask," Agitha offered it back.
"Please," he said with a gentle smile. "Call me Feliz. And you are?"
"My name is Agitha."
"Agitha, keep that mask. Consider it a sign of our new friendship."
Zelda couldn't complain. Whatever it took to get this so-called hero on their side.