Link had no idea what to expect as the elevator took him downwards into the earth. The strange structure seemed like it could be some sort of bunker, but was there really treasure like the Old Man suggested? What would it even be? Gold and jewels? A rare weapon or something? He couldn't imagine what the massive stranger would want with money given he lived alone in the middle of nowhere. A weapon could at least help him survive against the Bokoblins and who-knew-what-else was skulking the Great Plateau.
It felt like minutes passed, with Link's world being one almost entirely of darkness. He was in an elevator shaft barely bigger than he was, with only the dim blue glow of the platform he was standing on providing any light. Eventually, though, he finally started to see something new.
The darkness went away in an instant, the young man finding himself lowering through an odd cylinder of blue light, in a room with the same material and patterns as the structure up above. It seemed the Sheikah, whoever they were, really stuck to an aesthetic they loved. The walls were made of a black material, with lines and dots glowing orange being the only real decorations. Somehow, despite no major light source, the entire room was lit up perfectly fine.
There wasn't much else to see save for yet another pedestal to use the Sheikah Slate on with a structure above it like the one on top of the Sheikah Tower. Aside from that, there was a metal fence blocking off a hallway and two metal slabs on the floor. When Link reached the bottom end of his descent, the blue column around him faded away, and he stopped forward. The instant his foot touched the floor, a voice called out in his head. It wasn't the woman from before, it was a brand new voice.
Male. Old. Raspy. Yet wise and soothing.
To you who sets foot in this shrine...I am Oman Au. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.
Despite knowing it was fruitless, Link looked around for the source of the voice, naturally finding none. "Hello?!" He called out, hoping to get a response this time…but there was nothing. Just the eerie silence of the area around him. Speaking of which, it wasn't a bunker but a shrine, it seemed. The name Hylia didn't ring a bell, but Link noticed the similarity to Hyrule and wondered if there was a connection or if it was just a coincidence.
Most importantly, though, what did this voice, Oman Au, mean by a trial? A trial for what? Treasure? Did the Old Man know about this? Why would treasure to a goddess be available just from doing a trial that apparently any stranger could start? Despite how odd it all seemed, it wasn't as though Link felt that he was in any danger. The voice of the mysterious woman in his head wanted him to take the Sheikah Slate, meaning that if he was going to trust her, he had to trust anything related to the Sheikah, and that meant this shrine.
Even with this mindset, Link remained cautious as he slowly approached the pedestal and put the slate in it. Like before, the device latched on and folded into the device. He was prepared for just about anything to happen after he saw a number of towers erupt from the ground, even from vast distances away.
Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune...
Rune? What did that mean? Link wondered this to himself as the device over the pedestal started to glow just like the one on the tower, unusual symbols running down towards its bottom as a single large droplet of some sort of liquid formed. As it grew to its full height, the droplet fell onto the slate, the handheld device glowing blue. On the screen, a series of six empty black boxes was displayed, and on the third box, a symbol appeared.
This symbol was something U-shaped, which something inside Link's scrambled memory recognized as a magnet. Lo and behold, text appeared above the image, both in the same script on the Sheikah device and in a language Link could actually read. Apparently, this rune, whatever that meant, was called 'Magnesis'. Once more, the platform beeped out a shirt phrase.
Rune extracted.
With that, the device spun and propped the slate up, allowing Link to take it. After doing so, he looked at the screen, which was stuck on the six boxes. He made a mental note to figure out how to use all of the slate's functions later. For the time being, the Magnesis addon was hogging his attention. Unsure of what to do, he tried tapping the magnet symbol to see if that activated the rune.
When he did so, Link was startled as a strange light emitted from the slate, causing purple lines to appear all over the floor and walls! Facing the screen away from him, the young man saw the metal slabs on the floor were glowing yellow. Magnesis…with a magnet symbol…and magnetism effected metal. It was pretty hand that information like this stuck in his mind…
Connecting these dots, Link pointed the slate at one of the slabs, and a silhouette in the shape of a large magnet enveloped the slate, waves of energy connected it to the metal slab. A bit startled, Link jerked his hand back just a bit, surprised when the piece of metal slid towards him! He made his hand go still, and the large object went still as well.
It couldn't be…
Link moved his hand to the left, and the slab of metal mirrored his movements, showing there was a large hole being hidden beneath the metallic obstructions. More noteworthy, though, was that he was moving such a large object, one much heavier than he was, with a simple movement of his hand! No effort needed! He lifted up his hand, and the slab went up into the air, the slate, or rather the rune, doing all the work for him!
After moving the metal back and forth a few more times, Link placed it off to the side. He immediately wondered how such a device even worked and what the limits were when it came to size. Another thing he wondered was if this was the treasure the Old Man spoke of. The ability to move massive, heavy metal objects with no effort was beyond useful, especially to an aging individual. The stranger seemed so confident there was something to find in this shrine, it made Link wonder if he somehow knew what was down here all along…
He thought about if he should head back up and ask the Old Man about this directly, but while doing so, he noticed a ladder leading down into the hole. Peeking in, he saw a mild drop into a tunnel leading further into the shrine. After a moment, Link decided to go further in. There was still the voice he heard in his head, and he wondered if Oman Au was in the structure somewhere…
So, Link went down the ladder and through the hallway that led to a small set of stairs, taking him up and past the metal fence. Looking to where the turn led, he saw a line of stone blocks obstructing his path, too tall for him to jump up and grab while too smooth to climb. Near them was a metal cube just the perfect size for him to get over the blockade. Hardly seemed like much of a trial so far…
The young man simply moved the metal block, so it was near the stone ones, climbing on top of it and over the obstacle, leaping to the floor. Quickly, he regretted this as he saw something unusual in his path ahead. It looked like another Sheikah device, but not like one he had seen before. It stood on three bendy, metal legs with a somewhat wide body and a dome for a head of sorts.
As if alerted by his presence, the machine stirred, its body and head glowing orange as its legs lifted it up. A single blue eye started to shine in the middle of its dome, the entity giving off a beeping sound and turning to look directly at Link. Without further warning, it started to march towards him, its eye glowing further.
Metallic body. Durable. Low to the ground. Awkward to strike at.
Link didn't need any further clues to realize he was in danger, cursing himself for becoming too relaxed! He got his shield and club ready just as a strange blue light started to focus in on the machine's eye. Every fiber of the young man's being screamed at him that he was in danger, and he didn't understand why. He just knew the brighter the machine's eye got, the more he felt something horrible was coming.
He wasn't sure what to do, and simply kept his shield up as the gathering energy reached its apex. To his shock, the machine shot a beam of energy, a laser, at him! Link braced himself as the bright projectile hit his shield, the impact sending a shockwave of pain up his arm and all the way to his shoulder. On top of that, he both felt and heard a large crack appear in the piece of bark, knowing another hit would destroy it entirely.
Not wanting to give his strange new foe another chance, he rushed it, hoping that it'd surprise it enough for him to attack…assuming something like that even could be surprised. Some sort of machine…Sheikah technology, he assumed…and a part of the trial? Reeling his club arm back, Link felt his blood go hold as the machine started to gather its energy again. Acting fast, he slammed the weapon into its eye, hoping that would stop its laser attack.
Unlike with the Bokoblins, the shoddily made club didn't do much to the machine. In fact, if it did any damage at all, it wasn't evident in any way. It did halt the energy gathering, but it was possible that could happen from any impact. While noticeably delayed, Link felt his mind starting to turn off as his battle instincts started to kick in. As the machine backed up and started to charge its attack again, the warrior quickly put together that it was the only thing it could do to him.
He had gotten right up to it, but it offered no other attack, and explicitly put a distance between the two in order to charge up another laser. Link couldn't allow that, and sprinted to close the gap, shield at the ready in case he wasn't fast enough. Thankfully, he was, and he smacked the robotic enemy around several more times with his club, still not sure if he was doing any actual damage or not. It let out beeping noises, and jerked about with every impact, so the attacks seemed to be doing something to it.
However, each time Link let loose an attack on the machine, it didn't seem to slow down or grow weaker in any way. This process repeated several times where it would make a gap between the two and try to shoot another laser, only for Link to close the distance and smack it with his club. It seemed that the robot wasn't programmed to strategize in any further way than just trying to use its laser. Each time it did this, even in his less-conscious battle mindset, a stab of fear and panic managed to shoot through the young man for reasons unknown…
What made things worse was that the club was clearly not made to hit objects as hard as the hostile device. Splinters started to fly off of it with further attacks, and cracks even started to appear in the club, showing that it was close to becoming worthless. Link even tried the Magnesis rune, but apparently whatever the robot was made of wasn't compatible with the ability and he sadly couldn't just lift the machine up and slam it on the floor until it broke. Simply running past it wasn't an option either, as when it wasn't charging its laser, it could scurry pretty fast and would outpace Link.
With no options left, the young man tried one last thing. When the robot, yet again, created a gap between the two, he stayed where he was and readied his bow. Once more his instincts did the work for him, Link not even needing to stop to aim. As the energy gathered at the single blue eye of his opponent, the warrior unleashed the arrow into the glowing orb, piercing it in a single try! The projectile broke through the machine's single eye, half the shaft buried into the dome.
Clearly, the robot had no idea what to do in this situation, starting to beep in an almost frantic, panicked manner as it shuffled around, its head swiveling back and forth repeatedly. Acting fast, Link readied his shield and closed the distance between the two, slamming the piece of wood into the back of the arrow, driving it deeper into the opponent's dome. Apparently, this caused the tip of the arrow to strike something crucial within the robotic, as it let out a whine as its body crumpled to the floor, the lights on its body turning off.
It didn't stir again.
Link let out a breath of relief as his brain started to turn back on, and then he started to pant as the usual exhaustion washed over him. So far, he only came across beneficial technology from these mysterious Sheikah. He never expected one of their creations to attack him! Though he was warned this was a trial, so it wasn't too surprising. Speaking of which, further down the hall was a set of massive metal doors reaching up to the ceiling. It was odd how only that robotic foe issued a challenge for him during this trial. Everything else was just using the Magnesis ability to get through simple obstacles. But why…?
As he pondered this and started to get his breath back, Link walked past the robotic husk of his opponent and used the Magnesis rune to grab hold of one of the doors. As easily as with all the other metal objects, he moved the door, so it opened up for him. And what lied beyond was far from what he was expecting…
The young man found himself in a small chamber with a strange encasement in the center. A small staircase went up to it, and what was inside the structure baffled Link. It was a man, but not one like he ever thought he'd see, this man was mummified, and it seemed like he had been for thousands upon thousands of years. His garbs were unusual, wearing raggedy white pants and nothing else but golden bracelets on his wrists and ankles with what appeared to be a large circular hat strapped to his back. Strangely, this mummified man still had long, white hair that went down to the floor. The corpse's hands were in front of him, making the shape of a triangle.
You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.
Link flinched as the elderly male voice from earlier spoke within his mind. Somehow, this unseen presence knew he had reached, apparently, the end of the shrine. After all, aside from the mummified corpse, there was nothing else in the room, not even a doorway to some other part of the structure. He then looked back to the monk-looking figure and opened his mouth, then shut it again.
It couldn't be…
"Are you Oman Au?" He asked, looking at what he presumed was a corpse. The voice he heard seemed ancient and ragged, the type of voice he'd expect to come out of the withered thing sitting before him. But was that really possible? Link supposed it wouldn't have been all too surprising given everything he had seen today. Technology that seemed impossibly complex, monsters, voices in his head, and the monstrous entity that was Calamity Ganon. Was an ancient, corpse-like man all that strange in comparison? Unlike before, he got a direct response to his question.
You are correct, I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a Sheikah monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Calamity Ganon.
Knowing nothing of mummification, Link couldn't tell how old the monk sitting in front of him was. Or…was he even mummified? Maybe he simply sat there for countless years as his body simply shriveled up. It seemed almost ridiculous, but the young man couldn't help but keep more of an open mind about what he should consider impossible. "You said you're blessed with sight, so does that mean you knew I'd come here one day?"
Not you specifically. But a hero of Courage and resolve. Now that you have finished this trial, my duty is fulfilled. Go, take the rune I gave to you, and bring peace to Hyrule. May the Goddess smile upon you…
Before Link could argue, to demand further answers, Oman Au started to glow. His body began to fall apart into whisps of green light until there was nothing left but the empty box he had been sealed in. The young man was both amazed at what he just witnessed, but also upset that he didn't get to find out any other answers. He'd have known more about Hyrule and, maybe, knew more about Link himself. While the young man had no idea what a person sitting still for a hundred years would look like, the monk that he had spoken to seemed like what he'd imagine. Maybe he knew of Link…but that was wishful thinking, given he didn't even refer to the young man by name. And there was no guarantee he was only within this shrine for a century. Could have been hundreds or even thousands of years for all he knew, but he'd guess some time before Calamity Ganon had struck…
With no further purpose in the shrine, Link started to head back, pushing the destroyed robot over to the stone blocks to use as a boost. As he went back to the elevator, he pondered the female voice he kept hearing. She was so invested with the saving of Hyrule and believed it was Link's part to play explicitly. Oman Au mentioned he vaguely foresaw Link's presence and was given this ability by the 'Goddess Hylia' he spoke of. Perhaps…she was actually real. Maybe she was the voice he kept hearing! He had no idea who else it could be…
Either way, he wondered what he was going to tell the Old Man. The Magnesis ability could easily be considered a treasure, but Link had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that giving up the Sheikah Slate was among the worst things he could possibly do. Should he lie or just tell the Old Man to his face he had no intention of parting with the mysterious device? Yet he needed that Paraglider to get off of the plateau and into the lower parts of Hyrule…so he felt stuck…
By this point, he reached the elevator and stepped on it once more. It reactivated with a hum and started back up again, taking Link upwards. The return trip was far less stressful than the way down since he knew where he was going this time. In fact, the trip upwards seemed a lot shorter, at least in his mind. Before he knew it, Link was back on the surface, blinking a few times as the sunlight poured into the small alcove of the shrine. When he stepped out, he-
"Ho! Back again so soon!" The Old Man's voice called. Link flinched and turned to see the taller man was lingering by the shrine's entrance, sitting by a recently made firepit, a small blaze going. "Oho, I did not mean to frighten you, young man! Please, sit, and talk. Join me by the fire."
Link was a bit annoyed at being startled but did as the Old Man asked anyway. It seemed a bit odd to have a fire going in the middle of a warm day, but he couldn't deny it was soothing. "How long was I down there?" It hadn't seemed like a long time…yet the trip didn't feel super quick either.
"I admit, I was paying much attention to that." Admitted the elderly man. "Either way, you've gained something important there, haven't you? A new way to use that machine on your hip." As he spoke, he pointed a dirt-caked finger at the Sheikah Slate.
This made Link tense up, wondering if the Old Man had somehow followed him without being noticed…but that just seemed so unlikely. "…How do you know that?" He bluntly asked, seeing it as pointless to try lying. The Old Man spoke so confidently that it was evident he knew he was right.
"Clairvoyance!" The Old Man announced…then let out a chuckle. "Well, something akin to that, anyway. I believe as one grows older, though the world around him dims, the things normally unseen become clearer. Perhaps it isn't true for anyone and is unique to me. Either way, I know you've gotten a new addition to your Sheikah Slate."
For a second, Link stared at the Old Man, trying to study him. The fact that he had his hood up and a large beard made it difficult to read his expression. His eyes gave nothing away either. "So, you know what this is? I never told you what it was called…"
The Old Man let out a small laugh once more. "Did I forget to mention that?" He asked, almost like he was being coy. "Yes, the Sheikah were, and still are, a technologically advanced tribe. They once inhabited this plateau we sit upon, but moved elsewhere long ago. That eye symbol you've been seeing is their mark. That slate, the towers, this structure here, and the ruined Guardians were all made by them ages ago." Near the end, he gestured to one of the decayed creations that were stuck in the ground.
Link couldn't help but feel uneasy just by looking at the Guardians. Thinking of it, the robot down below seemed similar to the robots buried in the ground. Was it just a smaller version of these Guardians? Tearing his gaze away, he looked back to the odd man. "So, you want the Sheikah Slate?"
"Mmm…Well, about that…This not the only shrine on this plateau. There are another three more just like it. I want you to get the treasures in each of them for the Paraglider."
"Hey, wait, that wasn't the deal!" Link couldn't help but raise his voice a bit. The Old Man had been nice to him, yes, but he didn't have time to run around this entire plateau doing errands. It was possible he'd get more runes for his Sheikah Slate, but that was no guarantee. He needed to get elsewhere and try to find some more answers. If he really had been asleep for a century, he couldn't imagine running into anyone that actually knew him, but he could surely get some sort of info…
Thankfully, the Old Man didn't seem bothered by Link's annoyance. "Well, I said to get some treasure, but I never said it was in one piece. I'm afraid I must insist you go to the other three shrines. You're a healthy young man, it should be no trouble for you. If you refuse, I'm afraid I must keep the Paraglider for myself."
Unfortunately, that was the kicker. The Old Man had the only way to get down from the plateau. Given how tired he got just from short fights, Link couldn't imagine trying to climb down that massive wall. He'd tire out and fall before he was even halfway down! And as annoyed as he was, he couldn't just take the Paraglider by force! He let out a sigh and nodded. "Okay, fine. I'll accept this new deal." Link stubbornly refused to consider it part of the old deal, at least.
This seemed all fine with the Old Man, who let out yet another chuckle as he stood up. "Excellent!" He boomed as Link stood up as well. "I suggest climbing the Sheikah Tower to get a look around the area. That would be the best way to see where each of these shrines are! You can use your Sheikah Slate to put temporary beacons on things you see with it."
At first, Link had no idea what the Old Man meant, but then he remembered when that rock formation glowed green! He was sure he could figure the process out if he tried. "Okay, I will. But you promise when I go through all the shrines, you'll give me the Paraglider, right?" He wanted to hear the Old Man say it loud and clear.
Once more, this didn't bother the stranger. "I promise. Once you go through all the shrines, I will give the Paraglider to you. Now, you had best get started. This plateau is bigger than you may imagine. It could take you a few days to reach everywhere you need to go."
That was good enough for Link. Not that he had much choice. Such a long detour wasn't what he had wanted! Either way, he started off towards the tower as the Old Man sat by his fire once more. There were so many things the young man felt he had to do. Just getting off of the plateau felt like a marathon of tasks on its own. Then there was whatever the world had in store for him once he left. He had to find some way to get rid of Calamity Ganon as the voice in his head wanted him to. Not only that, but he needed to regain his memories. He had to know who he was and where he came from…and if he had truly slept for a hundred years. He really, truly wanted to believe that it was some cruel lie the voice came up with…but why would she do that…?
Forcing himself not to think about that, Link pondered what the other shrines would be like. He had no way of knowing if they offered other runes, but they very well could. Were they all trials, like Oman Au's? Did they all gave an ageless monk waiting for him? If they did have runes, his Sheikah Slate was bound to get more useful…was it something he could really just give up…? He'd really rather not, of course, but if it was the only way to get the Paraglider, then he'd have to do it!
Like before, he avoided the Bokoblin camp, staying near the decayed machines, the Guardians. Like before, he felt his hair stand on end when he got close, his nerves urging him to run away and protect himself. But why? The one in the shrine was just for a trial, right? The Old Man literally called them Guardians, so they wouldn't be hostile or evil machinery, right? They were Sheikah inventions, and so far the Sheikah had provided him with more help than hinderance. That, and the Old Man would've surely mentioned if the Sheikah were devious in nature…
The walk was uneventful the Bokoblins once more unaware of Link's presence as he went by them. Before too long, he reached the tower again, realizing the trip up it would be far less pleasant than the trip down. Climbing that tree earlier had winded him, so he felt like he'd need a nap by the time he reached the top of the tower! Procrastinating wouldn't get him anywhere, so he took a deep breath and put his hands and feet in the footholds and started upwards…
As he expected, the trip up the tower was a pretty intense workout for him. The small platforms along the way were crucial to his climb, Link knowing if he didn't stop to rest on them, he'd never make it to the tower's top! It was strange, if he had truly slept for a century, he couldn't imagine why he was so low on energy. Did he not eat enough? All he had was a few apples, after all. Next time he came across an apple tree, Link knew he'd have to make a stop and eat the branches bare!
Going slow and safe, the climb felt like it took hours, though wasn't nearly so long in reality. He took about half a dozen breathers on the way up and started to feel a bit embarrassed at himself. Given his physique, this lacking stamina of his made no sense on its own, there had to be an explanation…!
Before too long, Link made it to the top of the tower, panting heavily as he lied by the hole he just crawled out of. He flopped onto his back, catching his breath as he stared at the ceiling of the structure atop the tower. His head was swimming with what felt like hundreds of thoughts about what he had to do and what he needed to figure out. His memory, the other shrines, the Paraglider, Hyrule's safety, Calamity Ganon, Hylia, the voices in his head…! Yet despite all these thoughts, Link felt his eyes shutting as his body started to grow heavy and still. Just a few minutes rest, and…
…Link opened his eyes, and the sun was nearing the horizon. It had felt like the blink of an eye, yet it was clear he had fallen into a deep sleep as he sat up. Looking off in the distance, he saw there were maybe two hours left until sundown. Seemed almost ironic that only now after a nap lasting a mere handful of hours did he feel energized compared to what may have been a full century of sleep!
As Link was about to stand up, he saw there was something to his left that he spotted out of the corner of his eye. To his amazement, it was a small pile of apples, some flatbread, and a bottle full of crisp, clear water! The Old Man left this gift for him, surely, but how did he do it? Did he Paraglide from somewhere up high, or somehow scale the tower and leave it all without stirring Link?
It didn't matter.
The food was hastily and graciously consumed, the water drained to the last drop! Link sat back and let out a relieved sigh as he felt energy slowly building in his body. Maybe a true, full meal was all he needed! He at least wanted to remain optimistic. He made a mental note to thank the bearded stranger later, and also felt this may have been a one-time deal. The fact the Old Man didn't travel with Link made the young man feel he was on his own for the most part. Not that he could blame the elderly man, he may be large and capable of climbing the tower, but he was still in his twilight years…
Thoughts of the Old Man aside, Link knew he had to keep moving on. Thankfully, the area was still bright enough that the young man could see far around him as he stood and walked to the tower's edge. In fact, as he looked to the southeast a bit, he spotted the familiar orange glow of one of the Sheikah Shrines! It was nestled in some decayed ruins, thankfully the rotted stone around the structure was not tall enough to conceal it. Though there was a bizarre skull-shaped rock near the ruins, in the only true path that seemed to lead to it, with the unfortunate sight of more Bokoblins. He'd have to deal with them when the time came…
Trying to properly work the Sheikah Slate, Link pointed the device at the shrine, seeing that the object's screen turned on seemingly on its own. Not sure what the buttons on the device did, the young man tried to simply tap at the shrine's image he saw through the slate. To his relief, a red glowing beacon appeared on the structure! He figured it out! Okay, so that was one shrine, and it wasn't too terribly far away, so there were just two more to spot…
Fiddling with the slate some more, Link found he could make it zoom out and look at things farther away much easier. He made a mental note to take some time and work out all the mechanics of the device…especially if he was able to convince the Old Man to keep it later on. Using this function, the young man saw another shrine far past the one amongst the ruins and was on the southern tip of the plateau. It was very far away, and only because of its orange glow that made it stand out like a sore thumb was he able to spot it at all. While no expert on such calculations, he estimated it'd take him a full day to reach it.
The distance wasn't the worst part, however, as this new shrine was on top of a cliff! It was possible he could find some other way to reach it or else he'd be stuck scaling up a cliff wall and he really had no idea if he was capable of that! Surely he'd figure something out in the meantime…or so he hoped. In any case, he placed a second beacon, this one green, on the shrine before looking around for the final structure.
It took Link a minute or two to spot the last Sheikah Shrine and when he did, he felt his heart sink a bit. Not only was the fourth shrine clear on the other side of the plateau from the tower, but it was atop the snowy mountain he had observed earlier. This wasn't just a matter of stamina but keeping alive from the cold! His clothes weren't warm enough to trek across a snowy mountain! He estimated his time on the mountain by itself would be another full day.
Warm clothes. Fire. Food and water stockpile.
This was less like a quick errand and something that could take half a week to accomplish. With mountains rising up high in the sky, he couldn't tell if he could take a shortcut to the third and fourth shrines that way or not! Either way, he had to prepare ahead of time to avoid dying on the snowy peaks of the Great Plateau. His thoughts once more went to the Old Man. Though he had no evidence of this, Link had the suspicion the bearded stranger wasn't going to be leaving out supplies for him in the middle of his sleep like a helpful spirit. Yet…surely he wouldn't turn Link down if he asked for help, right? Something to keep Link warm could surely be arranged! The young man could gather apples and now had two bottles to use, and if he truly had to, he could fill it with snow and let it melt as a way to get water. Just eating the snow by itself would make him too cold…at least if it melted it'd be a bit warmer…a fire being very helpful with such a process! Link had the large axe, too, so just some clothing was all he needed!
Link wondered if he had been in a survival situation like this. This was all common sense, but they came to him so effortlessly! Speaking of surviving, he reckoned the Old Man had to have a permanent place to live, to keep the elements and monsters at bay. A cave, a hut…yes, a hut! He delivered bread, and bread meant wheat. Probably a small field of it somewhere near where the Old Man lived with machinery to process it into flower! He had to find out where the stranger's true home was!
Placing a green beacon on the last shrine, Link looked around, using the Sheikah Slate to zoom in on the surrounding areas. It didn't take him too long to spot exactly what he was looking for! Past the shrine in the ruins, and near the cliff where the third shrine was, he saw a small, cozy hut by a small forest! That had to be where the Old Man lived! Link didn't actually see the towering figure, but that could just mean he was within the hut or elsewhere on the plateau. He seemed to get around pretty easily for a man his age! Looking closer, Link saw a small patch of land where wheat was growing in neat, even rows. There was probably the necessary tools to process them into bread somewhere near or within the hut.
With everything physically laid out, Link knew what his plan of action was. He would head to the shrine closest to him, then stop by the Old Man's hut and hope he was around. The young man was willing to even wait a day or two if necessary. After that, he needed to find a way to the second shrine he scoped out getting thoroughly prepared and traversing to the snowy heights of the mountains. He figured he should have the hardest shrine for last partially due to the chance he'd find more runes for his Sheikah Slate, ones that could possibly help him on his journey. Link would hate to tackle the snowy shrine next and find out one of the other two had something that would've made the trip easier!
Taking the second bottle and placing the Sheikah Slate on his hip, Link prepared himself for the descent down the tower. He felt more energetic thanks to his rest and the food, but who knew how long that would last? Getting his feet in the footholds, he started his climb slowly and steadily. It quickly became apparent that this trip was going to be easier than the last descent, and far more than the climb back up! Maybe it really was as simple as a nap and some food, as Link was halfway down the tower before he even started to feel winded!
It wasn't long before Link made it to the tower's bottom, needing to catch his breath, but it was nowhere near as severe as before. He made a mental note to still be careful in case this boost of energy was temporary. As he made his way to the next shrine, he kept an eye out for a way to get to the ruins without getting too close to the Bokoblins he saw earlier. He didn't get a headcount, knowing it wouldn't matter much because there could've been any number of them in the skull-like cave anyway.
He wondered if just sprinting past the Bokoblins was a good idea. Would they chase him? How far? Link had already seen they were capable of using bows and arrows, which implied they were able to hunt. Would they chase him down, firing off arrows all the while? As dim as they seemed, Link knew better than to fully underestimate their intelligence. After all, they could craft weapons, shields, and bows for themselves. Crude, easily broken examples, yes, but that took some level of intelligence!
Though he kept an eye out for convenient, alternate paths to the shrine he was heading towards, Link saw none. At the very least, he still avoided the smaller group of Bokoblins he passed when going towards the tower for the very first time. As the sun was getting close to setting, he grew close to the Bokoblin camp. Thanks to how dark it was getting; it was tough to see what lied too far ahead. The skull-shaped rock was looming overhead and stuck out even as the sun started to hug the horizon. He decided to go along the path as far from the encampment as he could, going nice and slow. As Link got closer, he started to see the familiar red monsters milling about, each one armed with either a club or a bow. To his astonishment, something he hadn't noticed earlier was a small watchtower, only about a dozen feet high, with a lone Bokoblin keeping watch.
Link froze when he saw that the creature keeping watch was facing right towards him! It was leaning forward and squinting a bit, such a motion visible due to its large eyes, as if it were trying to work out what it was seeing. Did it…spot it? Was it trying to tell what he was, and if he was worth alerting the others for? Without warning, the Bokoblin jumped in place and grabbed something from his hip. Link's heart sank when the monster raised the object to his lips and the sound of a horn bellowed out!
The other Bokoblins looked towards the watchtower, the creature that spotted Link jumping up and down in place while frantically pointing at the human. Even from a distance, he heard the grotesque creature jabbering away in what almost sounded like a language. Immediately, the monsters looked at Link and started to snarl and roar, charging towards him as more Bokoblins came from the skull cave. In total, there were nine running at him and the lone watcher remaining on his tower.
Outnumbered. Weapon and shield damaged. Bokoblins may chase over long distances.
Not knowing how far the Bokoblins may pursue him, Link decided to make his stand where he was, his mind yet again starting to focus solely on combat as he got his bow and an arrow ready. Some of the monsters also had bows and arrows, but he was sure he was a far better shot than they were, though he'd have to let them get close due to the poor craftsmanship of his bow. His superior skills proved true when he quickly aimed and let a projectile fly at the nearest Bokoblin as it came within range. The arrow pierced through its eye and scrambling its brain, causing it to collapse dead in an instant.
Seeming enraged by this, the archers got ready and fired at Link, who had started to run off to the side as they prepared to attack. The arrows landed harmlessly into the ground, Link preparing another arrow and firing it at another Bokoblin within his range, this missing its mark a bit and piercing its shoulder instead. Even with these skills he had required at some point in his unknown past, it couldn't be expected that he'd perfectly hit his target every single time!
The bow started to become a dangerous weapon to use as the club wielding Bokoblins closed the distance. Link fired off one last arrow, dropping a second monster with an arrow between the eyes. Getting his own cracked club and his shield ready, Link swung first at the nearest Bokoblin when it came in to attack. The wooden weapon cracked the beast on the side of the head, causing it to collapse onto its side. Two arrows were fired at Link at this moment, the young man dodging one as the other scraped along his arm, tearing at his shirt and drawing blood. Thankfully, the wound wasn't too serious, and he was still able to fight! Another club wielder charged Link, slamming its weapon down upon him, the warrior barely able to use his shield in time. The splintering sound that rang out at the impact let Link know the shield had two, maybe three more impacts left before it'd become entirely worthless.
Needless to say, the fight was chaos. Half a dozen Bokoblins all ganging up on Link and doing their best to brutally kill him! Even with his natural instinct regarding combat, he was having trouble. Exhaustion didn't strike him as harshly as it did before, but he still felt a bit rusty, the potential for great combative feats within him, but not enough recent practice to drag it out. He took some hits with a club to the shoulder and enough blocked blows for his shield to simply fall apart. A few other arrows whizzed by him, luckily never hitting him directly, but one cut his cheek and that really made his heart start pumping!
His club wasn't doing so well either. The skulls of the Bokoblins weren't nearly as hard as the small Guardian he fought, but the existing damage to the weapon along with the newest fight started to add up. With each blow he landed, the club started to crack more and more until he harshly slammed it onto the head of a charging Bokoblin, and the thing practically snapped in half!
There was only one more Bokoblin by this point, aside from the one still watching from its tower. It was a club wielder, and it seemed almost smug at the fact Link had no weapon to defend himself with. Showing its lack of intelligence, it seemed horribly shocked when the young man picked up a club from its fallen brethren, closing the distance and hitting the Bokoblin so hard on the head that he swore he heard its skull crack.
Before the watchtower Bokoblin could think of running away, Link got his bow ready and sprinted at it, getting an arrow prepared as he went. The monster turned to the ladder to try and escape, but before it could take a step, an arrow went through the back of its head, killing it in an instant.
The encampment was cleared.
Covered in a thin veil of sweat, Link looked at the carnage around him as he caught his breath. Even with all the Bokoblins he killed, he didn't feel the usual amount of exhaustion as he did before. He did wince a bit, though, the pain starting to swell as his adrenaline stopped pumping and his brain turned back on. Link found himself wondering if there were worse monsters on the plateau somewhere. If the Bokoblins were as bad as it got, he felt he'd be okay. He had no idea if he'd meet another Guardian in one of the shrines, but he knew its weakness, so he didn't feel worried.
Link looted the camp, taking as many arrows as he could carry as well as replacing his club and getting another flimsy shield. A weak shield was better than none at all, at least. By this point, the stars were starting to appear in the sky, and most of the sun had dipped below the horizon. He wondered if he should camp out in the skull cave…but there was always the chance that there were other Bokoblins hunting or gathering and could return at any moment. As dumb as they were, Link was certain they'd take full advantage if they found him asleep and quickly dispose of him.
He had no idea what lurked around the plateau at night, so he didn't know where to rest. Inside the shrine, perhaps. Chances were no monster would enter a location like that, right? The Old Man's hut was still hours away, so he could maybe go there and rest there for the remainder of the night. Surely the stranger would accommodate him! For the moment, Link decided to play it by ear and see what going through the next shrine was like. It may not even be safe to camp there for whatever reason!
The stars came out while Link made his way to the ruins, the ancient structures still a good twenty minute walk away. He kept referring to his Sheikah Slate, making sure he was always going the right way. Glancing up at the night sky, he saw the moon was in a waning crescent, and almost found that he knew that amusing. He knew how to fight, the names of the Bokoblins, survival strategies, the meanings of many, many words…but he knew nothing of himself. It really seemed like only his personal memories were erased, and he needed to find out why…
Once Link arrived at the ruins, he saw it was rather unclear just what sort of structure they used to be. Time, and possibly some other outside force, made sure of that. There was just so little left of the building that it could've been just about anything. It being made of stone made Link wonder if it was somehow related to the Temple the Old Man had pointed out earlier. The two structures were so far, so that probably wasn't it. When Link was about to enter through a hole in the wall, he froze and realized something.
Silence. No Bokoblins. No animals.
He had heard the calls of birds and saw squirrels and rabbits scurrying about as he went about the plateau, he just paid little mind to them. Yet, here, where it seemed safe for them…there was nothing. No Bokoblins to harass the animals, yet none saw this place as a haven. Link felt a sense of unease as well, his club and shield ready for whatever it was he may face. His movements were slow and careful, his ears straining to pick up the smallest of sounds…but there was nothing to hear…
Link rounded the corner and nearly yelled out as the monstrosity loomed over him. Stone-grey skin, a single eye, and a clawed limb using the decayed wall as balance as it readied to strike…! Except…that never happened. It took the young man a moment to realize that he was looking at one of the large Guardians, this one not buried in the ground. Instead, it looked to be using its long, clawed appendages to perhaps start climbing over the ruin wall. At least, that's what it was doing before it became inactive.
It was strange, the other Guardians Link saw were buried in the ground, which made sense if they were destroyed and left where they stood. This one seemed like it had suddenly stopped in place in an instant, like it was somehow petrified in a split second. What could do something like that, though? Calamity Ganon, maybe? The Old Man spoke of the Sheikah in a benevolent light, so it stood to reason it was Calamity Ganon and the monsters, surely its minions, and their attack on Hyrule a century ago…
Despite its frozen state, Link still felt his blood go cold just looking at the thing, and he had no idea why. He moved passed it, making sure he was going the right way, when he saw another Guardian, this one buried in the ground. Yet, as he got closer, his hair stood on end as it shifted and started to glow! Its 'head' jerked up and detached from its body, seeming to activate in some way as its eye glowed blue, and the rest of its body glowed a strange purple hue.
Link found his feet rooted to the ground, jaw dropping as the Guardian swiveled, unable to properly move, until it was looking right at him. If he looked to the ground, he'd have seen blades of grass seeming to sway from the Guardian, as if nature itself was trying to flee from the metal monstrosity. A beam of red light came from the eye, wavering along the ground until it touched Link. It didn't hurt, it wasn't an attack…it was aiming at him as a beeping noise rang out. Blue energy gathered around its eye, and Link quickly raised his shield.
Yet when he did this, every fiber of Link's subconscious screamed at him that it was a foolish, suicidal move. He sprinted to the side, the red targeting laser following him. It only stopped, the beeping noise going much faster as the energy-gathering reached its peak, and what felt like an electric current burst in the area. The Guardian fired a laser as thick as Link's arm, the beam missing him by several feet, but it didn't mean he was safe.
The attack slammed into one of the stone walls of the ruins, a deafening boom filling the air as heat and force slammed into Link's back, flinging him into the air and making him land yards away. His ears rang as he shakily knelt up, looking back to see that the Guardian caused a large hole to appear in the wall. It swiveled again to look at Link, beeping as it targeted him again as energy gathered around its eye.
Adrenaline pumping through him once more, Link decided fleeing was the best option. In a split second, he decided how to go about it. Rather than running forward, he ran back towards the hole in the wall, the Guardian's laser tracking his every step with that foreboding beeping noise. He moved as fast as his legs could carry him, not even glancing to see how close the robotic opponent was to firing its laser. When he reached the hole, he ducked behind the wall and kept running, waiting to hear the rapid beeping again…
But nothing happened. No beeping. No electric pulse. No explosion. Link ducked behind a piece of rubble, it and the stone wall separating him from the Guardian. He waited…and nothing happened still, even though it should've fired by now! It made him wonder…was it possible that it had to actually see him to attack? Slowly he stood up, creeping towards the damaged wall and peeking out. To his shock, the Guardian was back in its inactive mode, but as soon as he stepped into full view, it activated again. Instantly, it locked onto him, and he ducked back behind the wall.
After a few seconds, the beeping stopped.
Link let out a breath of relief, knowing these things had a weakness! He never imagined one of them might activate, let alone attack him! Even though he knew the weakness of the smaller Guardians, and assumed the eye was also a weak spot of the bigger once, he felt no desire to try and take the thing down. Something inside him just…churned and shifted when he looked at the robots, something that told hm to just get away from them…
Taking a few deep breaths, Link's adrenaline started to slow down, and he realized he was sore all over his body. Getting flung like that did a number on him, but he didn't feel like he was in any danger of dying or anything. He'd rest as soon as he got through the second shrine. In fact, he took out the slate and checked its location again, the structure on the other side of a nearby wall. He took advantage of the wall's decay, some of its bricks jutting out and making perfect places to grab and place his feet as he climbed over the wall and leapt onto the grass.
Before him was the shrine, looking exactly the same as the first, even up close. He approached the pedestal next to it and activated it with the Sheikah Slate, the door opening into the small chamber with the elevator. He gathered himself and stepped onto the pedestal, going down into the depths, hoping there wouldn't be any other Guardians down there…
A/N: It felt kind of weird making such a dungeon-y, video game-y series of events like the Sheikah Shrine. I still stand by the idea that it's fitting since they're explicitly created to be trials, so it makes sense for obstacles and enemies to be in the way. And keeping in mind that there will be very few, if any, shrines once the "tutorial" is over with.
Another thing is I don't have any explicit method of coming up with distances between locations. I'm not going by how long it takes in-game to get to places or some sort of convoluted pixel-measuring system where things at X-distance take Y-hours to reach. I'll make up the distances as I see fit, some locations being days or even a week or two of travel for Link. The Great Plateau is just small in comparison, the entire section going to take less than a week of Link's time, most likely.