Green With Irene Chapter One
When the hero did not appear the people cried out to the goddesses, for salvation. Let us seal the evil away with a great flood! It will preserve our people, counseled Nayru. No sister, kindle mount doom call my fire and burn the usurper, raged Din. Gather the sages and seal him in the sacred realm proposed Faore. As the goddesses of wisdom, power, and courage debate, the people grow bitter and cry for vengeance not deliverance. The decision is clear the people had united in prayer for judgment.
Lo the Triforce deities, rained fire upon the land of Hyrule decimating the monster hordes, the people, and the forests of Hyrule. Then Mount Doom erupts, clearing the land of towns and cities with devastating rock slides and earthquakes.
The evil wizard is destroyed and with him the Triforce though monsters accustomed to heat thrive in this new teraformed land. Smoke chokes the skies the soil turns black charred beyond use. Lava pools dot the landscape Mount Doom continues to spew forth fiery vengeance. The rivers become inhospitable, practically boiling from the heat.
Our story is set in the period following that time when pockets of people begin to reform civilization.
On the side of a cliff thick, rolling smoke belches out of a small cave. The red cloud continues to billow out of the cave's aperture for several minutes, never dwindling in its constant attempt to flee that dark hole. The wind blows pushing the red vapor to the sky, enabling an awful flight. There is no other avenue for escape for drilling a hole is a concept in the mind of some unborn inventor decades hence. The local animals, mostly scavengers; keep their distance from the dreaded cave, as is their habit for this is a regular occurrence. When they observe a two-legged creature enter the cave it becomes off limits. This unwanted visitor is why no beast lives there. It and another of its kind had made a den there seasons and seasons ago before some of those animals had taken their first steps.
The red mist congeals slowly turning green, without naturally turning yellow first. In the center of that smoking crater in the cliffside a woman stirs a pool of brackish multicolored water of blood reds and putrid green swirls. It is too dark to discern any features she stirs until that which she seeks appears it would be soon. "The color has changed; the brightest star is in its zenith and it is all ready. "That is assuming I followed the instructions in every detail." This was her first solo vision-casting her mentor had finally moved on to the realm of the goddesses now her path would be revealed.
How would the stars guide her? Now that she was alone they seemed untrustworthy leaders. Now what did green mean? Each color represented the result of the vision. She tried to picture Gram, and the word green it was no use she would have to go over the full list when the night ended. It would help her sleep thinking of Gram always calmed her.
It was happening! A solid mass was manifesting out of the transparent mists. She clapped happily her effort was rewarded, waiting for the next fortuitous sky had been a grim prospect.
A figure undoubtedly masculine with pointy ears, it was completely green yet of a darker shade than the obscured portions. A headdress formed above the male and slowly lowered onto his head dropped, by two black hands; otherwise the figure was naked; the ears were the only clue as to identity; a red flash issued from the vision as it recoiled from view.
Bowing down and thanking the stars the witch ponders her vision eager to interpret it. "I do not like the look of those black hands. Is it a malevolent presence or merely magic? Gram said it could mean either. It has to be a positive vision. All the omens were good, rarely is misfortune present on perfect nights for vision-casting such as tonight. A green man with pointy ears? A chieftain or a future chieftain? Come on Irene! There were two things in the vision it should not be hard to figure out."
Now her thoughts are stilled, too tired to think she undresses then slinks off to bed slumbering almost before she hit the pelt and drew up her quilt.
Moments before at the base of the hill that led up to the cliff, a scruffy hunter limps through the sparse brown underbrush his arm at an unnatural angle, a blue wolf skin makes an improvised sling. Covered in viscera he collapses into a fetal position. His gaze fixed on the darkness around him. "I can't see it" he cries tears falling as he feels his cuts oozing pus, the pain was not the reason, he had wanted a reminder before he went on to the Great Sea a reminder of his people and of her. Flash! A red-light flares and there it is ocean, he passes out uncaring if he awoke on that great sea or on this accursed land.
The sunrise the next morning brings a soft amber glow to the hilly bracken strewn, pockmarked landscape. Uncaring about the world outside Irene is over the coals of her cave repeating the chant She had been taught to remember what the colors in visions mean.
Red tells of passion great
Yellow brings a visit from a goddess, a token of fate.
Blue harbors the patient those who unbrokenly await.
Grey is the color of deception beware of they that break their vow as soon as it is spoken.
Black is a magic token or tell of its misuse by malevolent forces. Green is good fortune luck in abundance it shall come right on time it is never late.
"It had been red, then green yellow, green again, and finally red. Great passion good fortune a goddess and red so another passion or the end of it? But the vision itself was of a fortuitous chief." Needing knew materials Irene throws on her well-worn black pelt, her blue hair loose untamed it billows behind, as she exits the cave.
The witch is descending the cliff following a short trail of trusted hand and foot holds down from the cave, a bag slung over her shoulder. She would start with the farthest ingredients, the seaweed, and the crabs by the sea collecting the toadstools the rarest component on her return trip. She moved towards the ocean, the ground giving way to sand dunes. This route passes in front of her abode, and quickly leads to the sea, the only difficulty lay in traversing the fine white ever shifting sand. In the cool of the morning the sand kept from burning her bare feet hence the early hour for this trip.
She went to where the tide had just left, to collect the sea weed. As she catches an elusive crab, there were so few of them left. A faint sound reaches her ears, carried over that featureless landscape. Across that open space cutting over the sounds of waves it was a song a soft keening. She had never heard a noise like that an imitation of an animal but, not one she could remember. It was also clearly in pain, without delay she stuffed the crab in her bag taking off towards the noise. Her feet pounding the sand her arms pumping as she crossed the distance as fast as she was able. Her chest is heaving lungs opening greedily to get more and more precious air. "It cannot be much further by the stars I hope I am on time, green good fortune it is always on time it is never late." The thought came unbidden to her mind after the study that morning.
The hunter continues to wail, crying his tears would join the Great Sea his sorrow shows his repentance. "I never thought my tears would come so easily, the pain and my loss took care of that." He recalls the scene, green Chu-Chu's and Lizalfos overrunning the camp his people had never been the best fighters the men had encircled the women who had thrown spears from the center while the men held the line. They were fighting them back driving the huge lizards a few feet at a time covered in the blood of their inhuman attackers. It was tough work, splattered in goo from the amorphous blobs aiding them. The weapons were plunged in and slowly withdrawn from the Chu-Chus Link had dispatched the last slime ball, when Tanick the warrior next to him, had been set ablaze by a monster's flame-breath. He ran off screaming the line broke. In the present Link's wails became louder, "I am alone. I will sail the Great Sea soon and join them." After that outburst his voice gave out vocal cords raw mouth dry, he was there for some time he was slipping. Wait! He could hear footsteps he halfheartedly looks for a weapon not finding one he waits for the worst. A young woman bursts into the clearing he should be happy to see her, he would be if she was not looking at him with unseeing eyes.
By the stars! A Hylian painted green with no clothes my vision was true! Down to the smallest detail. He has to be the chieftain no magic element though or diadem so it could still come to pass. She comes out of the trance. She rushes over his lips are moving but no sound comes forth from this broken Hylian. Stop! Do not waste your energy stay with me Green. She inspected his broken right arm which is why she had to call him something the pain must be intolerable as she probes and prods. As the paint fails to come off, she realizes it is blood of some kind of beast. "You gave as good as you got huh, you gotta be tough I am going to shift you to one side." He was covered in cuts of various kinds, teeth marks claw marks blisters from a near fire. He was stoic the same unperturbed look was maintained throughout her ministrations. How was she going to move him? he had to be cleaned off or there would be infection. A red potion would stop the bleeding a green potion would give him enough strength to walk assuming he had come of his own volition, judging by the state of the ground he had crawled most of the way. She sees some green toadstools in the direction the traveler had obviously come from. Swiftly plucking them the potion brewer shouts over her shoulder. "I will be back as quickly as I can, Green you focus on being here when I return." Why does she keep calling me green?
She still had red potion left she mixed the ingredients for the stamina potion faster than she had thought she was able adrenaline coursing through her petite body at an astonishing rate. Irene placed the mixture in her kettle glad Gram always made her clean it after a concoction was made in it. While it heats up, she grabs her spare pelt and inspects the cauldron. I used all the right ingredients the coals are hot enough; it should turn out okay but I will have to return and stir it. Fate says he live but if I do not help him correctly, he won't. She has to take it slow climbing with the jar of red potion loose in her bag. Hating the necessary delay, she pushes on.
I have to wait for the girl no more crying, the girl said she would return…the girl, he was having visions of his girl llia her short hair, radiant blue eyes, the way she cared for the pigs. They had been looking for a few wild boars to capture and those beasts had followed them back to camp while they carried the prized animal. She had just kissed him as a reward for wrangling the humongous animal when the monsters fell upon them. "llia get Grandma to the fire go! After snagging a sword from the blacksmith's stash, he watched his fiancé flee out of the corner of his eye. He joined the men in forming a defensive circle. The one that failed to protect her. He remembered every gory detail as his people of outset Island were slaughtered, until the boar had bowled over his attackers something was off though where was Aryl? His sister had not been among them. That explains how the boar got loose he had tied those knots perfectly. Aryl had saved him now he had to save her.
When he woke the girl was uncorking a jar filled with red liquid, without a word she was force feeding him the contents of her bottle. He managed to swallow without gagging. The more he drinks the better he feels every gulp enabling him to force down the next one. It was brisk tasting like he imagined volt fruits would taste tingly but sweet. "There you go Green the bleeding has stopped what do you have to say for yourself?" She was trying to distract him as she removed the blue, blood sodden, impromptu sling. Unsure where to begin he says nothing, not even as she tightens the new sling around his broken arm. "The inside is died red how much blood did I lose?! I feel fine though, enough to…" He staggers to his feet then the ground rushes up to meet him the girl catches him seconds before he hits the ground. "Close one, good reflexes she is having no trouble supporting my weight she could do this indefinitely. We are the same height as well.
"Woah take it easy Green healing your wounds and replacing your energy are two different things. One repairs your body the other refuels it. Let's say you come to me with a leaky bucket I plug the hole then fill it with water. The red portion fixed your bucket the green potion will fill it with water. You needed both and in that order. You rest you hear me! I am going to get the other kind of potion; I will have to brew it I'll try to hurry. Nod if you understand!" He does as she commands with the slightest motion that still could be interpreted as a nod. She scampers out of the clearing; he falls back exhausted. "All this for a stranger a nomad with nothing to offer in return when my voice comes back, I have to ask her why she did it."
She was a little delayed her nerves were affecting her ability to concentrate much less perform the task set before her. "Stir till it begins to bubble then add the stamina bass eyeballs when it changes color add the rest of the fish. Then the butterflies and grass hoppers toadstools come last or do they go in with the bass carcass." Her hands were even shaking this was a most stressful half hour for the witch when it was done, she let out a spectacular sigh of relief.
Link was not in any pain just discomfort he had to keep the arm still it was still clearly broken. Whatever was on his skin was starting to burn, and itch like his he was covered in hot granular sand. The sun was beginning to set as well so far, he was unmolested by any monsters or animals he doubted that would remain the case at night. He spent the time trying to talk each attempt was raspy he managed to keep from coughing. His caretaker arrived just as night was creeping in and around him. "My name is Link." She smiled at him, without showing her teeth and pointed at her familiar bottle now full of green liquid. He drank slowly not enjoying it as much this concoction tasted strongly of fish. Even for a man who grew up fishing on an island it was very briny. "Usually that makes people gag on the first taste, you must have quite the iron stomach to finish the lot. My name is Irene, now that we have been formally introduced put your arm around my shoulder, we have a ways to go yet. "Where to?" Grunts the wanderer as he follows her orders. "The beach you need a wash, then we have fixed us a leaky bucket.
As they stood there at the top of a little sand dune he could see the waves by moonlight, there it was the sea. Tonight he would not join his fellows on the final voyage by a thanks to some last minute intervention. Now able to move without aid he ventured towards the water his rescuer watching him closely. He could feel her eyes tracking his every move, "I have turned the corner she does not need to watch me so closely it reminds me of something. Becoming more careful he stopped musing long enough to carefully steer around some rather large see shells atop the sand. "How could I forget the memory was Aryl head bobbing in and out among the various trails at home, as he tracked her from the lookout. I wonder if this is how she felt." Following the feeling of being watched he found his observer at the top of the dune, almost at the water he sprinted for it. Finally he received some privacy as he began to bathe.
She did not like how long he was taking; it did not take very long to clean some wounds not in salt water. I bet that stings, he won't admit it though not after what I've seen. She had seen much tonight he had to be her vision she would nurse him then what? Sending him off was not an option her good fortune was with him, a total stranger.
Link did return about the time she had finished setting up camp, including cooking the crab from earlier. His skin was back to its natural hue though a little puckered. Irene could see even in the dim firelight he was tan with spots of pink from the small cuts dotting his skin they would soon join a small handful of scars. "Thank you for helping me, I feel much better can I escort you to your people before I go?" "There is one tiny problem with that Green you see it's just me out here." She paused expecting an interruption it was not forthcoming no one would have disbelieved her not in the face of that simple declaration of loss. "I can come with you make sure you heal okay, help with the hunting or did you plan on taking everything on singlehanded with no weapons. Do you even know the area? Because with that accent you have to be new here." The questions came tumbling out of the young witch. "She has a point Link admits to himself, there is one question bothering him. He asked it aloud, "How do you benefit from following me? why did you save me? You never even asked where I was going.
Here was the part where he called her crazy if she told the truth he may not believe her how did his people react to witches. She could tell him the vision or "The main reason I want to come with you is I am lonely ever since my Gram died, I lost my mentor, my best friend, on the same day I need to see other people. I need to get out of our… her cave." "I lost my Gram too, I am not the last one my sister was carried off, by those monsters. If you can help me look for her than I will welcome your company, I could use some help." "What was your plan, Green how can I help you find her?" It was obvious she had not seen anyone but him, that was disappointing. "First I need to find where I came from, I headed for the ocean it was all I could do to keep it in sight. Then figure out if the Lizalfos got her or if she got away. "Either way we are in this together, Link until you find your sister, I will help you. That is a heavy responsibility so I need to be honest with you, and answer your second question. I saved you because I am a witch; I can see visions of the future in the stars, control flying objects, and brew potions. I saw a vision about myself, helping you which I will do until your mission is complete that is my fortune my fate if you will."
"There was no such thing among my people what an odd way of thinking it is our fate to accomplish something grand. Our only fate on Outset was to join the final voyage and prepare others for it. Though the stars are said to be the home for the Great Sea, I must accept their guidance."
I do not care if you are a witch especially not after you saved me your talents our useful you help others with them. What other proof do I need that you are to be trusted or that your gifts have a good nature." "My magic is good but not all magic is nice it can be warped or twisted for evil ends. If anyone else claims my gifts do not trust them, I may not be the only one who saw the vision." He nodded, they sat there for some time taking each other in. Link was still shirtless, his torso glistened as flames danced on his still damp skin. Noticing this Irene beckoned him closer to the fire, hoping he would dry out. As he drew near Link got his first real look at Irene, She was pale her skin white as the pure beaches on Outset, her legs were folded under her, she was curled like a cat dozing in the sun. Her arms were slender at the biceps and well-muscled at the forearms, some of his native spear woman had similar builds from gripping their weapons. "No way it was spear work for her she is no warrior. They must be witchcraft related, from brewing or working magic." Her hair was blue as the ocean at sunset his people were mostly fair-haired either brown or blonde, he was unsure what to make of that to him dazzling blue. Her black pelt went to her knees, it was unremarkable, she wore it with the same grace of its original owner a puma of some kind. She did have two green earrings completing the look of a cat watching him from a secluded alcove ready to pounce. Link was ill at ease, he needed something in his hands most likely a weapon, he was her age, she had not expected that her vison had been of an older man perhaps him when he is a king? The muscles were not quite there he had definition around his core and arms lacking the broad shoulders and large pecs of her vision. In the flesh he was cuter softer he had the physique of a runner with wavy hair, blue enchanting eyes, clad only in the remains of his blue pelt cinched at the waist. The potential was all there he still seems broken, no lost. Blue harbors the patient those who unbrokenly await.Irene stood I will keep watch first you need more sleep, after all that happened to you." Link fell asleep easily untroubled by dreams or painful memories. When she woke him up to relive her of the watch they switched, he felt refreshed, renewed, it was a new day.
Authors note
I will try not to repeat the summary I played Link between worlds for the first time and wanted to do a more focused IrenexLink story, one where she is not just a fast travel mechanic. Figured putting the witch and the Hero into a sword, sandal, and sorcery world was the ticket. Trying to only pull from defeated hero timeline games led to the what if the Goddesses answered that cry for help in a different way idea. Less tech survived so more magic and weapons. I am Trying more internal dialogue so any thoughts on that are appreciated. Thanks to all readers new or old.
Sincerely, 4Coyote