"Are you sure your Greek is good enough?" Link's mother asked him for about the tenth time in the last 24 hours. No matter that English was widely spoken enough that they, in all likelihood, wouldn't need him to speak Greek at all. No matter that, in the event English did fail them,
Greek was far from the only language spoken in Athens and they could easily need Macedonian or one of the other languages fairly common to that part of the world. No matter that Link spoke all of those languages and more at least enough for anything they could possibly need. In her mind, they were going to Greece therefore they would need someone to speak Greek.
This trip to Athens was something he had been looking forward to for months now. He had an innate draw to ancient places of worship. They'd gone on trips before, but he'd never been anywhere quite as old as the Acropolis. He'd read about it, knew nearly all there was to know, but he wanted to be there. Places like that always evoked a sense of reverence in him. They felt right.
"Good enough is undervaluing my Greek" Link replied. He didn't like to act so arrogant, but he'd found women usually assumed a man was boasting. So, to get them to believe his competence, he had to seem a little arrogant so they'd at least believe he was 'good enough'. Besides, 'good enough' was undervaluing his skill in language learning, he just didn't like to advertise it.
"Doubtless" his mother replied, dryly, but she dropped the topic. Link smiled.
He was worried by that darkness he sensed. It was more prominent this morning, something he'd never noticed happening before. Did it mean anything? He couldn't see what it might be. It was still impossible to lock on.
His father was watching the news in the other room, nothing local of course, so Link didn't pay any attention… until he heard gunfire. Walking over, he saw the news was covering a terrorist organization called the Ten Rings based in the Middle East somewhere. Apparently they'd… captured Stark? Link was trying to remember who that was when the reporter informed him that Stark was the CEO and genius of Stark Industries, a weapons company. How had they managed taking him? Well, Link doubted anything other than a demand for ransom could come of it. They wouldn't have the materials to build any of his designs.
Finally, the time came and, after loading up the vehicle, they left for the airport with more than enough time to make their flight, and left Link's worries behind.
Adrian wasn't always sure of himself. He had trouble remembering the last ten years or so. Today was better. He could even remember not remembering. His family's smiles were bright as he greeted them properly for the first time in months. Normally he'd be worried about when his mind might give out on him again. But not today. Today he knew he'd last a while yet. It wasn't chance that had given him back his lucidity this time. After a lifetime of waiting… the boy was finally on his way. He wouldn't be a boy for much longer. He couldn't be. But he would if Adrian didn't manage to get to the pool. Now… how to give his family the slip…
Link did end up speaking Greek. A lot of Greek. Also some other languages. His parents might as well have put a sign on his head that said: "Our Son Speaks Greek". Every time they went out for the day, eventually his parents would choose a stall that didn't have English letters and have Link translate. That would set off a chain reaction - everyone wanted to speak Greek if they had a choice - and often lead to deals for the three of them for the pleasure of it. Link could not comprehend why. Today, thankfully, they were finally visiting the Acropolis. He'd told his parents that he planned to enjoy himself here. Specifically, to not bother him with translation aside from words written in ancient times. They'd agreed, they liked visiting the current culture of a country they visited, but they let him enjoy what he loved, the ancient culture, at least for a while.
Link basked in the feel of the ruined temples. He walked in and around them, reading the scripts that were still legible and still spending time with the pieces that weren't. His wandering eventually led him to one of the oldest standing (though also very small) buildings. This one was decorated with odd symbols that scholars couldn't decipher. Link studied them. Nothing jumped out at him, but something… felt like it should.
He eventually turned to move on, ignoring that nagging feeling that said he was missing something, but was stopped when he heard someone call out with a distinctive Greek accent. The voice had called out Link's name. Link turned and found a very aged man standing inside the doorway of the shrine he'd just been inspecting. The man spoke in Greek "I've been waiting a lifetime for you to make your way here."
Link hesitated. Common sense told him to just walk away when someone he didn't know addressed him this… casually. But he found no threat in the man. He was incredibly old, not to mention weary, leaning on a cane and breathing laboriously.
Link approached the man carefully, "How… do you know my name?"
The man smiled, "It was the name given to me. As I said, I've been waiting nearly my whole life for you."
This answer left Link feeling that the man hadn't answered anything. However, rather than press for details, Link guessed he might learn the answers more quickly if he asked less obvious questions.
"What… were you waiting on me for?" he asked, carefully.
"To show you the last truly sacred place in this ancient place of worship."
That had Link's attention. It was still sketchy, but the temptation was strong. The man could, of course, be insane only that wouldn't account for his knowing Link's name. And if there was a chance… something… real still existed… Link studied the aged man again. He truly was frail, he looked older even than Serine and not nearly as well kept. No, this man would not harm him, Link doubted he had the speed left in his bones even for a surprise attack.
"Why… me?" Link asked
"You we're born to rediscover the most ancient secrets this world has to offer. Both those of light… and those of darkness. You are Link. The Link."
Link struggled with what he was hearing. Yet the man had called him by name. And even if he was wrong… the chance at seeing something left of some ancient religion… something not ruined.
"I'll come."
The man smiled, almost in relief, and beckoned Link into the shrine as he himself turned and
walked deeper in.
The old man made his way over to a small panel of symbols that had survived the weathering of time inside the still-standing walls, "When I was a boy I was fascinated by these symbols. They aren't Greek, as I'm sure you're aware. Eventually I reasoned they weren't even human made."
"You thought they were made by aliens?" Link asked.
The man chuckled, "No, my young friend, something older than humans. I set about trying to
find anything that spoke of or showed people that weren't quite human. There's plenty, of course, some think that Atlantis wasn't human by design, for example. But I eventually looked at the symbols themselves, not for a language, but for a picture. It took time but finally, in my teens, I realized the truth. I didn't need to decipher anything. The secret was hidden in the temple itself."
The man gestured at a ridge-like structure at the meeting place of the walls and ceiling. It was decorated with more of the symbols like the ones on the panel. No, Link realized, not more of them. The same symbols, just in a different order. A repeating order. Seven of the same symbols on the panel in a constant repeat.
Link turned to the old man, who was smiling broadly, "You saw it much faster than I did even after I thought to look for the answers up there."
Link touched the first symbol in the order he'd seen. There was no visual difference made… but… ever so faintly… he heard something… faintly… musical. Link took off his hat, heedless of what the old man might think of his long, pointy ears. He touched the next symbol. This time the note was much clearer. He still couldn't say how… but he knew this panel was a… magical soundboard of some kind. One with only a single scale. Link finished the song, pleased with the tune. But noticed the old man looking slightly confused.
"Do you… hear something young man?" He asked.
Link frowned, "You don't?"
"No, I just touched the symbols."
My ears. Link realized. Somehow his ears could pick up tones others couldn't.
The old man shook his head, then turned and pointed to a stone stairway leading into the ground that had absolutely not been there before, "It doesn't last very long, and anyway we don't want anyone else finding this place just yet."
He led the way down the stairs, still explaining what he knew: "As far as I can tell, these stairs were always here, that pattern, or I guess the tune? Anyway, it temporarily removes the stone at the top of the passage. And down here… " he trailed off as they emerged into a small cave that had clearly been man-made. Or at least, consciously made, if they old guy's guess at a pre-human civilization was correct.
It was surprisingly well-lit, for an underground chamber, but Link couldn't place where the light was coming from. The walls sparkled, tiny multicolored crystalline objects reflecting the light that came from nowhere. It was dominated, however, with a large pool of the clearest water Link had ever seen. Columns supported the chamber, with their origin somewhere in the depths of the water. Even looking directly down, Link couldn't see the bottom, the light didn't reach the bottom.
"This pool is, or was, sacred I think" the old man said. Link turned to him. "When I first discovered it I had a leg injury I was foolishly trying to hide. When I touched the water, it healed me. When I, perhaps a bit recklessly, tried swimming in it, it showed me something. A vision. It showed me you. I saw it all through my own eyes, so I never knew exactly when you'd come, but I never doubted you would. Today, I woke up more lucid than I've been in a long time, I had Alzheimer's. But I knew, somehow, today was the day you'd come. And when I came down here… it cured my mind. I still won't live much longer, but I'll at least remember myself and my life until the end. I've done my part, or most of it. Now it's your turn. You need to take a swim yourself, Link."
Link… believed every word. His mind already seemed to believe that something like this, something most would call unnatural, was entirely real. Not just possible, but real. And the man wasn't lying either. Link… could hear it.
Link nodded to the man. And he pulled off his clothes, all of them. He didn't feel any fear or shame. Then, unhesitatingly, he dove into the Goddess's Pool.