Into Faron
"Sweet Nayru, I'm here to—" The fierce god appeared next to the Goddess of Wisdom, continuing to speak to her. There was a purpose in his mind, a strong one. A sense of duty. Time felt like a spectator in his own body as he watched their muted conversation occur before his very eyes, mystified.
The Goddess of Wisdom wore a distinct look of curiosity on her face, only her eyes suggested that whatever was being said couldn't be true. Her body language as she replied was confident, snarky even. Her golden eyes never left his, not for a moment. He felt a knowing smile emerge as she jokingly pushed his shoulder. Following their short laugh was her floating up to kiss his cheek.
'She said, "good luck?"' That was the only thing he could make out before she continued speaking.
WWHOOSSHHHHH.
Blinking, his gaze settled on a dark cloudy atmosphere. He recognized the sky encompassing his void. The sounds of waves and moving water infiltrated his ears. The bright, silvery waters were in the midst of retreating away from his body as he laid on his back in the black sands along the shore. Sitting up, it became clear there was no logic behind the water being able to come up nearly that high. The slope should have been too steep. 'Why…am I down here and not on the cliff?' He could see it just to the left of him in his peripherals.
With a blink, he was back at its edge, patiently sitting and looking out to sea. There wasn't any sand to brush off either. 'So weird…what was that? Is this a dream too?' Before he could begin to ponder the idea, the deity flinched as a flustering warmth consumed his face and ears. His surroundings briskly morphed into the Goddess of Power's regal abode where he found himself atop her silk sheets and pleated pillows.
He could feel her moving around on top of him, catching a glimpse of her ruby ponytail dragging just out of sight against the bed. 'Th-This is definitely a memory.' Yet it was astounding how vivid it felt! Time knew what came next as he felt the black fabric covering his torso get torn open, catching glimpses of its particles dissolving into the air with the remainder of it to follow.
His ears could have holstered a flame from how they burned at the sound of Din smacking her lips. Not to mention the terribly devilish snicker that followed! Not a second after, intense euphoria exploded on the left side of his torso where his ribs ended, making his abs contract as he jolted upward from lying on his back with an enamored hiss.
Only…as he opened his eyes, Din's domain melted away to reveal his hotel room. He found himself back in the simple bed, propped on his elbows as he stared into Link's startled face. The deity's chest rose with each passing breath before subsiding with a gentle sigh. Donning a look of amusement, his eyes cast a soft glow while the heat remained in his face, "What an interesting way to wake me."
Link had one hand over his mouth while the other twitched, hovering just above a red-purple splotch on the god's torso. The knight's face turned another shade of red with each passing word, "A-Are you um…okay…Time?" His wide eyes regarded the other similar markings scattered across his upper body, "Where d-did these come from? I didn't…er…see them last night."
'What if I joked and said he did it but couldn't remember? Haha! No, while funny, I don't think his heart could take it. He's already riled up about something anyway.' "No worries, they're just love bites," He had to laugh at his predicament, "You made me think I was elsewhere for a moment."
"Wha—!?" The champion gasped as his ears and neck joined the fluster, "Wait where did you think you were?!"
'Hm, Din really meant it when she said she was going to make sure I wouldn't forget…leaving me with something akin to Hylia and I's butterflies…only they're on my body of course. Even then, I bet they'll fade soon.' He was purposefully vague, "Just elsewhere, dearest, but that was a while ago." Time took a hold of the hand still near his torso, smiling at the glow that followed, "Also, I wouldn't be so eager to touch them unless you want some yourself." 'Oh oops, that only made his heart beat faster…wow much faster…'
Link's eyes fluttered at this information, "Eh!? Well I—y'know—I just woke up and—to me—you're covered in bruises…I-I didn't know that's what that meant when I—"
The deity pinched his cheek, cutting him off, "Aw, it's cute when you're flustered." His eyes slyly squinted, "Also I know, just take it as a lighthearted warning. That's all." 'Ha. Ha ha.' He watched the knight's eyes obtain an inquisitive gleam, 'So interesting how his sentiments change once the parameters are set.'
"Well…" It made sense that he was cautious with his words, "You're not actually sinking your teeth into someone, right? You mean that figuratively?"
"Interesting question," Time thought for a moment, "I suppose it depends on the person, but since you're likely asking for yourself, there's no need to be so rough. Perhaps a graze would do." His head cocked to one side, "Why ask? Though, I suppose I could say good morning in a different way if that's what you want."
Link's eyes widened as he yanked his hand from his grasp, "I asked because I was curious about what it meant in general! I'm not asking for myself!" He fanned his face, a sense of knowing lining his brow, "You don't mean that, right? I bet you're just teasing me like before."
His expression was innocent, "I'm not teasing. In fact, I'd quite like to get on with the formalities of waking to another day."
"Which are?"
"Just come here, I won't bite. Promise." Link tentatively scooted an inch forward before the deity wrapped him into a tender squeeze with a joyful laugh. Moving his hair out of the way, he planted a smooch on the side of his forehead, "Mmwah! Good morning!" That wasn't truly what the custom entailed, but he figured he might as well water it down...a lot. A thought came to mind, "Oh hey we're doing something today aren't w—" The word evaporated as another wave of euphoria rocked his midsection. His gaze flit to a hand in the midst of carefully sliding away from another mark as each passing breath he took grew slower and deeper. The fierce god gingerly took the champion's jaw between his thumb and index finger, speaking in a low yet enticed tone, "Hah, someone's interested after all, sly knight."
Link stuttered, "I—er—that was an accident…y'know since y-you hugged me." His voice grew tiny, "I was in the middle of l-letting go…mostly."
"Mostly, he says," Time drifted closer, peering into his light blue eyes, "Is that right? I think your eyes reflect a different thought. A curious one perhaps.~" Witnessing his cheeks turn red and his gaze quickly dashing away was enough confirmation. He pulled the champion into his lap and leaned him back at an angle.
His heart nearly beat out of his chest, "Where are you gonna," he took a breath, looking between his face and torso, "put it?"
"Let's see…" Fierce Deity assessed his figure for placement, "I'll be considerate, don't you worry." He thought of how the knight's sword strap diagonally cut across his torso to the right with a smaller strap wrapping around to the left. Hiking up his shirt, he mentally drew the lines, his eyes landing just beneath his right pec. 'There.' His grin revealed sharp upper and lower fangs as he shifted the hands holding Link's back, getting his body to curve toward him for easier access. A carnal part of him savored the echoes from the gushing heart before him. It made the crimson bands on his cheeks reveal themselves with a glow.
He bent forward, descending closer to the bare skin. Time opened his mouth wide enough to align a single fang to where it ensured no blood could be drawn no matter the reaction the knight could have. It just touched his skin before his corporeality returned at full force. He froze in place as he dropped his descendant from his grasp.
"Oof!" Link's head bounced against the mattress, "What was that fo—!?" He blinked at the sapphire eyes glaring back at him.
"LINK!" He hissed, grabbing his shoulders, "Why the hell were you going to let me do that!? Aaarrgh! Dear Goddesses!" 'WHAT. THE. HELL.'
"What!?" While his face turned tomato red, he clearly believed he was justified, "But you're the one who said—"
"I know what I said!" 'Goddesses above, I'm sure he feels like he's learning something about me, meanwhile really I'm learning things about him! What the hell is this complacency!?'
A beat of silence passed between them as they held their gaze.
"Well!" Link folded his arms, giving his defense, "You made it sound like it wasn't gonna hurt so I sorta thought it couldn't be so bad!" He looked away, maintaining his fluster, "If all of your touchiness and kissing is cordial then how would that be any different?" Now muttering, "Or so the logic makes it seem." His expression became bashful, "Though, that really was an accident, but it would kinda answer my question so…" He put his index fingers together, "Y'know…"
'Logic…I really dislike how that's not a terrible point…hell, in some ways I'm probably the same since I've definitely tried to make sense of things that way too. Dammit.' His cheeks turned pink, 'Doesn't change the way I felt beforehand. What was that?' Time puffed out a sigh, he didn't have time to contend with those feelings at the moment, "Link…you kill me. You really kill me." He facepalmed, "So what do you want me to do?"
His eyes cast away again, "To be honest, half of my question was wondering whether you'd stay true to your words so…"
Seeing as the champion was still supine, the Hero leaned over him, his silver-white hair waving as he shook his head and moved Link's arms, "You're absolutely impossible." Staying true, he finished what he—well, Link— started. He felt the skin briefly shudder beneath him, more so when he kissed it. Getting up, he caught a glimpse of Link's look of bliss with a loose hand hanging over his mouth. "There. That was it."
Technically a lie, but only because he knew how much further that could've gone had he not "come back" so to say. 'I get it, but what the hell is that face?' His lips were tugged into a frown as he watched the knight's eyes roll back into view.
"Dear Hylia…you must be using magic somehow." His breathy tone said enough, "Otherwise it makes no sense how that felt so nice just now." He went on to murmur about how there's no way teeth could normally do that to someone.
'Well,' Time's brow rose as he thought of his previous encounters with the Goddesses, 'Actually they're probably just like that. I would know.' He shrugged, "I mean, if that's the case, I wasn't consciously doing it." Then he tugged on Link's hand, "Now c'mon, you got what you asked for, so let's get going."
He shot up, "Hey don't say it like that!"
The Hero smirked, "Um, that's exactly what happened so…that's tough. Sorry." Though, that didn't keep him from pondering as he got dressed, 'This better not become a regular thing let alone a daily thing!' He watched his descendant slip the sword on through his peripherals, inquisitively rubbing his chest, 'What's more, I feel like there's a part of him that knows what he's doing! But…' might as well be frank, 'I kinda don't blame him! Granted, he's literally just interested— or "dying to know," in his words—what all I can do. At least his intentions are relatively harmless. Meanwhile, I'm going so far as to adopt the way the other Goddesses speak just in case they mention something and I can learn anything else about my "true self." I can tell the effect it's taking on me, however slight it may be.' His hand went to his chin as he briefly thought back to a moment ago, 'Even then, I can't believe I really thought of doing those things afterward…Damn customs…how would he even look at me after something like that?'
He checked the tautness of his bow string, 'With that said,' he waited to catch Link's gaze before opening the door and heading down the stairs, 'I can't help but wonder just how far he'd take it. I get the feeling he knows he could tell me to stop and I would, but…I dunno. It sorta feels like there aren't many more lines to cross with him. I'm not sure if that worries me.'
When they strolled into the hotel lobby, they found Zelda hugging Impa.
"Good luck!" She wished, giving her an extra squeeze, "And of course thank you for doing this for me! I get the feeling we'll finally discover something new!"
The Sheikah's smile was warm, "I'll try my best, Princess. I feel the same way about you visiting the spring. Remember you can always call me when you get back, okay? I'm always here if you need me." With one final hug, she warped away.
"O-Oh!" She was briefly startled when she turned, "Goodness, you're both so quiet! Ah," she pointed to the Hero's hair, "I guess I'm a little surprised. I had the impression that it would fade away, Hero."
"You and me both," he agreed, "Maybe it still will, I don't know for sure." Their conversation continued as they walked toward the gates.
Zelda pointed out the red magic still surrounding him, "How do you feel about the blessing? Do you feel any different since yesterday?"
Time internally frowned as he tried to keep himself from glancing at her knight, 'Oh I feel different alright!' But in the meantime he shook his head, "I still feel the same honestly. At this point, it seems like an accessory I can't take off."
They exited the Great Plateau into Gatepost Town, "What an interesting way to put it. I suppose I look forward to seeing if it changes anytime soon." She nodded in the direction of the town stables, "Well, let's hurry out of here before it gets any later."
His conversation with the Princess made it easier to ignore the stares coming from each and every person they passed. He'd catch his hand gravitating toward the knight's with the same intent he had while wanting to use Hylia as a pillar to stand behind. He ultimately kept it glued to his side. No need to add him to whatever conversations they were having about the Hero. When they arrived, a new issue arose. "Aw, Grace," his mare sniffed in his direction as he happily strolled over to her, "Poor girl, you're short again." He turned an ear in to listen to her snort, "Oh no you're right, I'm just tall again, my bad. Had to make sure you really knew the difference. Keep you on your toes."
Zelda laughed at his antics while her knight covered his smile, "Goodness, Hero! I can't say I'll ever grow tired of the way you talk to your horse. I'm sure you're the apple of her eye."
He scratched the star of her forehead, "Gosh I hope so. I think it'd break my little heart if she didn't after all this time." Planting a kiss on the side of her face, he caught Link motioning from him to Twilight. He waved off his offer, "Oh, nah." He pat the palomino's neck as he let down the stirrups, "I'm sure she can handle my weight," Time looked back to her, "right, pretty girl?" His shoulders rose, "She's nearly a month older anyways. She's grown some since I was last on her."
Link nodded his understanding, mounting his mare.
"I'll let you know if I'm too much for her, don't worry." Yes, it looked a little silly considering he sat half a foot shorter than the other two on their steeds, 'But what am I going to do? Zap you and make you into a fully grown horse?' He chuckled to himself, 'I bet that's something Hylia could do or maybe Farore, but there's no need. It'd only make things awkward if…' A thoughtful wince developed with each phrase, 'I went back to…my smaller form. Hm.' His finger went to his chin, 'But last night I…I tried the void thing Hylia told me about and yet nothing came off my face. Am I stuck like this too? Shouldn't I be happier coming to that realization?' Who knows? Currently, "consistent" couldn't describe him less.
They trotted out of town and passed through the Outpost. The path took a right and they traveled through large hills that sloped the land on either side. As always, seeing new sights filled the Hero with wonder and curiosity. Beyond that was a large, royal arch that led to the Bridge of Hylia. There was even a fountain in the middle of it! Though, the sparkling waters and tiny islands captivated his attention more. He could imagine the Goddess wanting to show him what the little islands had in store.
However, once past the bridge, they were reminded of how feral the lands could be. Bokoblins stood at the edge of overhanging cliffs to their right with bows at the ready. Time tossed Link his shield to use to protect Zelda while he shot them down one by one. As the lush became denser and their ears picked up more sounds of chirping birds and beetles, the attacks only got worse. At one bend, Link was slashing down lizalfos that jumped from the bushes. At another, the Hero leapt off his horse to shoot down a large group of keese.
"Wha—" He scoffed, taking down another three, "It's the middle of the day!" 'I'm getting low on these arrows too! I should've bought some before we left!' Once that was taken care of, he had a measly ten left. "We should take a break for now and reassess our plan," He suggested, getting off Grace. The others followed suit, "Actually…what was it again? There's a stable probably an hour from here, right?"
Zelda and Link looked between each other.
"Actually," the Princess laced her fingers together, "there are no stables out here. One, there simply aren't many horses in Faron. Two," she gestured to the woodlands surrounding them, "as far as I know, no one's been able to tame this forest for centuries. It's…a little dangerous as I'm sure you can tell."
Now this felt familiar. Finding yourself in a predicament where all you could do is work with what you have and figure it out along the way. "Ah okay, this should be pretty easy then. This is what I'm used to. Granted," he looked to his empty left hand, "I normally have a sword. Also, I don't have many arrows left, but I'll see if I can't make some. I could go collect some of the ones I used too."
Zelda was pleasantly surprised at his comfort in their less-than-ideal travel situation, "Oh great! Otherwise, my plan is that we get in, find a place to set up camp, and then begin searching for the spring." Her weight shifted to one side, "We were pretty lucky with the Spring of Power, I must admit. It's hard to gather information about an area when people tend to not come back from it."
That got a laugh out of him, "Makes sense. Let me go get those arrows from back there and we can go look for a good camping spot." Rather than take Grace, he simply zipped away. The Hero was gone for a few minutes at most, his return bringing a gust of loose grass he picked up. "This is pretty disappointing; I could only find five." He shook his head with a smile, "Let's keep going."
It would turn out they were in for some luck when they ran into more monsters raining arrows at them from cliffs. Rather than shoot them down, Time jumped onto their level and personally took them out. Namely by grabbing their face and burning the flesh off of it. This left him to loot their primitive quivers and took the focus off of the Princess and her knight, letting them get over the bridge ahead. Once he was done, he hopped off the last ledge, calling his horse over, "Everyone okay?"
"Yes, we're fine," Zelda replied, wearing a grateful expression.
He turned to show his full quiver at his back, grinning with his hands on his hips, "Well, seems I'll have to save arrow-making for another day! This should be good." Meanwhile, in his head, 'Those bastards would have killed us! How did they have so many!?'
It became obvious past the wooden bridge how the woodland forest morphed into a semi-tropical jungle. The clearing ahead of them and to the left had the thickest palm trees Time had ever seen with even bigger leaves! It was a little more open than he preferred, but closer coverage also meant closer hiding spots for potential enemies. He pointed it out, "Hey, how about just over there?"
"I feel like we're too out in the open…" Zelda muttered, gesturing further beyond, "What if we pressed in farther?"
He considered it, 'I guess this would be the part where I say that this forest is giving my gut feeling a field day with how terrible this entire place seems to be.' It started as soon as they entered the cover of the trees past Lake Hylia. 'She's more right than she knows about how dangerous it is out here. I don't know what it is, but there's no way we're not constantly being watched. I don't mean the monster encounters either, hell, I can feel eyes right now!' His head whipped over his shoulder. Nothing.
"Sorry, thought I saw something." He waved it off, "Probably just a small bird. Anyways, yeah, that can still work too. Just keep in mind that we're pretty easy to ambush the closer we get to the trees."
"Ah, I get what you're saying."
Time nodded, "Yeah, I don't like sleeping out in the open either, and while it does mean that someone could spy on you and you wouldn't be able to see them, if they came running at you, they'd have to come out of their cover too." 'If they didn't shoot you first…but again, cover doesn't save you from that either.'
Now she seemed to be holding back a tinge of worry, "I…I didn't think about it like that, though you're right that I should be. We'll go with your idea."
"Hey no worries, I've had plenty of near death experiences getting ambushed in forests." He took a mental picture of the spot while Zelda took a physical one with the Sheikah slate, "One could say my wisdom does not come without scars."
That got both of their attention. The Princess spurred her horse into a walk to continue down the natural "path" the forest appeared to have, "Goodness, at this point I almost feel a little silly for not remembering you have far more experience than the both of us combined."
"I don't blame you, I had you all fooled for a long time thinking I was just a crazy kid from the forest."
"Speaking of which, why didn't you say anything before?"
Link's eyes portrayed that he already knew the answer.
"Think about it, would you have believed me? Sure it might have connected some dots, but not all of them. Even if I showed you the Triforce on my hand at the time, it's easy to think it would still be impossible and you're not in the wrong for innately thinking that way." He didn't want to leave any avenues for her to misconstrue his words into something self-deprecating, "Besides, that would have implied a million things that aren't true, such as me being the Hylian champion or the one to defeat Calamity Ganon."
This turned her gears, "Those are very well thought out points. It reminds me of how you knew Link was going to pull the sword this entire time."
He smiled, "Since the day he tackled me after I killed that scytheman." Now the Hero laughed, "Man that annoyed me so much, getting treated the way I looked. Even worse, I couldn't understand anything that was being said so I was pretty defensive most of the time. Buuut, it's been that way for a long time and I've grown to know my predicament pretty well. I can't get mad at everyone for acting the way they did, haha." He looked to Zelda as the land sloped into a hill, "Oh by the way, thanks for saving my skin yesterday from Purah and Robbie. I have no idea where they're getting all of that from."
Zelda crossed her arms, subtly revealing this must have peeved her more than she'd previously let on, "I have to agree. Not to speak poorly of them, for I still enjoy their help with my research, but I can't help but think of the royal gossips that have been at my neck for years about the state of my powers. 'She's not the one…she can't be the one…false princess…' I've heard it all despite my father's attempts to shield it from me when I was younger." She sighed, "I have ears…though sometimes I wish I didn't."
Time was appalled, 'I'd heard of people not believing in the prophecy but damn!' "That's so cruel! And as if they have room to talk!" He huffed, "These people…they have no idea what it's like to hold so much responsibility…without ever asking for it either!"
That struck a thoughtful chord with the Princess as her eyes became glossy. She softly sniffed, sounding grateful, "It means a lot to hear you say that, Hero." Zelda looked to the trees around them, "Ahem, our objective." She glanced at her knight, "We didn't pass it right?"
Link shook his head, "Not yet."
'Ha, what she doesn't know is that he hasn't been looking either!' He kept his smile to himself.
The jungle had grown thicker and the air even more moist as they continued. Now a couple of hours into their search, sweating was becoming an issue. In the meantime, flashy birds called to each other as lizards scampered up trees they passed. Colorful butterflies danced in the sunlight, and they occasionally spotted a blue-gray water buffalo with great, curved horns. Perfect to keep in mind for dinner options later. Though, they kept coming across these ancient-looking stone statues. They seemed to depict a dragon? It could be anything with sharp teeth though…
"Ooh, bananas…" Time noticed as they passed a plant with a bunch growing. They were still green though, "Wait, bananas!?"
Zelda chuckled, "I know what you're getting at, and don't worry, the Yiga don't seem to be that prone to coming out this far. Though, you'd think they would, considering this is one of the few places in Hyrule where bananas naturally grow."
"Ah okay." 'Oh my Gods that made me feel worse!'
The sounds of pouring water drew closer and closer as they neared a patchy, wooden bridge. Just to their left, there were magnificent falls flowing into the great stretch of water gushing beneath them. "Floria falls…" The Princess muttered, taking a picture with the Sheikah slate.
Meanwhile the knight and the Hero were enjoying the mist cooling the air. 'Ahh, we should totally take a break here…' He was getting ready to suggest as much when a rumbling voice boomed in his head. His jolt caused Grace to snort as she shifted on her feet.
Ah, it's you, Fierce Deity.
It is I, Farosh. Protector of these forests.
Might I be permitted to join your presence?
Time had absolutely no idea who this was, however, they did ask nicely. Not to mention "Farosh" clearly has ties to the name "Farore." 'But I don't see a dragon anywhere…' Meh, he'll allow it, 'Of course, in fact I could probably use your help.'
The water under the bridge startled them as it began to bubble something close to a boil while the ground trembled. Just as the trembling began to die down, a lightly colored dragon erupted from the water! Sending a spray into the air, it quickly spun circles about the bridge to coil it's long body around it, leaving it's head and large talons to rest a ways from the deity.
Farosh's scales were ivory with an electric yellow glow emanating from beneath each one. She had one long, wavy, yellow, glowing horn that resembled the symbol of lightning from the side. The spines jutting from her back glowed as well. She had sea green sclera fit with striking magenta eyes. A wild, white mane flowed in the winds she kicked up merely by existing, and her several pairs of legs were covered in dark scales and ended in glowing, sharp talons. Finally, her muzzle was long yet rounded, and her large ears closely resembled that of a goat. Her deep voice resonated throughout the jungle, "How pleasant it is to make your acquaintance."
"Dear Hylia!" The Princess exclaimed. All three of them were baffled. "Th-They're REAL!? THEY CAN TALK!?" She yanked her journal from her waist and furiously began jotting in it.
"I can hardly believe it myself…" Link muttered, his stare traveling to his ancestor.
"…I think I can understand her." Time hopped off Grace and got closer to the giant beast, "I'm pleased to make yours as well, Farosh. Farore wanted me to pass along that she says hello."
Her smiling eyes displayed her happiness, "It brings me great joy to hear from my ancestor. I am sure she knows I am grateful."
"Hero, you can speak to it!?" Zelda sounded even more surprised than before, "How?"
Farosh brought her muzzle down to rest on the bridge, her talons scraping against the wood as she adjusted. The Hero put a hand to her snout and lightly pet it, "She speaks the Old Hylian! Can you believe it?!"
His casual actions already struck her with further disbelief, "Y-You're petting—" She took a breath, "N-Never mind. What's um…she saying?"
"Basically hello at the moment!" He called back, "I'm going to ask her to help us find the spring!" The deity turned to her, watching her eyes go from his hand to his face.
"Ah yes, however may I assist you? It would be an honor."
"Could you give me a few pointers to where the Spring of Courage is? We're looking for it."
"Climb onto my muzzle for a moment," Farosh instructed.
He looked to the others before doing as she said. He watched the bridge get farther away as she raised her face into the air, standing on her first pair of feet. He heard the sound of a zap before he ducked under a ball of lightning. It floated northwest of where they were.
"It would seem you've traveled a bit far, Fierce Deity. You'll have to turn back. I suggest keeping an eye out for the ancient civilization's structures. While not older than you, they were quite a prolific tribe who once cherished me."
He watched the elemental ball dissipate into sparks, "What happened to them?"
"The Zonai…I believe is what they were called." She spoke plainly, as if stating simple facts, "Just the same as those before them: ruin. It was so long ago the specifics have smudged with time. I apologize."
Time sat on her muzzle as she descended, "No worries! I appreciate the hints." He hopped off, "What will you do now?"
Instead of answering, her eyes slowly meandered to the thick woods, "I know you sense them too. Would you be so kind as to remove them from my grounds? I'll reward you."
He gave her a determined nod, "Believe me, I'll kill them with or without a reward."
Farosh closed her eyes to think, "Hmm, you possess magic from the Goddess of Power…perhaps I could forge you a blade from it, seeing as you lack one my eyes can perceive."
Just the mention of having something smithed for him, let alone by a dragon, made his eyes light up. Din's magic followed suit with a brief flare, "Trust me, they'll think twice about setting foot in your forest by the time I'm done."
"Your reassurance is promising." The dragon poked out a long slim tongue and licked the side of his face, "Goodbye for now, Fierce Deity. Please feel free to call upon me again." With that, she plunged back into the depths below the bridge, sending another flurry of gusting wind around them.
The Hero of Time looked at his hands when she left, 'Not older than me hm? Just how old am I? Was she talking literally? Like along a timeline? Or generally?' The distinction was worth knowing because, while he knew to speak as if things ran on a continuous timeline, it was his understanding that he could easily happenstance into anywhere along it. This time just so happened to be very far forward in the future. He joked around saying he was older than dirt back when Link pulled the sword but, 'What if that's really true?' His attention was redirected to the tap of footsteps getting closer.
"I can hardly believe what I just witnessed!" She gushed, "What did she tell you? What did her face feel like?" Link had dismounted as well.
He relayed her instructions, continuing to explain the old tribe when they were back on the trail.
"That's where these ancient figures coming out of the ground are from!?" Zelda had filled at least five more pages in her journal. Could someone be so aggressively inspired? Yes, she could.
"Mhm, Farosh told me she was favored by them, maybe they were like worshippers or something."
The Princess wasn't satisfied to hear that it was "ruin" that ended them, "There's no way that's all of it! There must be a way we can find out what happened to them!"
Time looked around, it was getting to be the late afternoon, which was time better spent hunting and setting up camp. They were getting close to their spot from before, "I bet we might see plenty more ruins when we continue tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!?" Her voice echoed through the trees, causing a flock of birds to scatter into the skies in the distance.
"Shh! Not so loud!" He resumed a quieter volume, "We should stop for now and set up camp, okay? It takes longer than you might think. Also…it's been too long since we've been attacked again, so stay sharp." 'Farosh and I know something's here, but she didn't tell me who or what exactly…it can't be the Yiga right?' Stupid question, 'What am I saying? Of course, it could be them! Though, with the attacks mainly coming from monsters, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a more intelligent pack stalking us from elsewhere.'
Zelda either had a hard time hiding it or felt comfortable enough to show how disappointed she was. But after closing her journal, she dutifully carried out the tasks he gave her: gathering firewood, finding a closer water source, and keeping an eye out for mushrooms and wild vegetables they could forage.
"I've seen all the plants in your study," Time praised, "If there's one girl in Hyrule that could poison us all, it'd be you Princess."
His compliment was a little strange, but she smiled nevertheless, gaining a twinkle in her eyes, "You've got it! There are so many diverse species I'm sure at least some of them should be safely edible."
He turned to Link, "You help get wood as well." A smirk emerged after reading his expression, "I know what you're thinking, but just wait, we're surrounded by wood and yet there's nothing to use. Happens every time. Easily takes the longest." The Hero took his shield back, "I'm sorry I get to do the fun part, but you can help me gut it when I get back."
"Well is there anything else you want me to do?" The knight glanced at the Princess, "Besides keep an eye on her?"
"Yeah something about the moisture in the air tells me it's prone to randomly raining here. Another con to sleeping out in the open." He looked to the large palms, "You can climb pretty well, right? Maybe cut down some of those leaves. I bet the both of you could construct something we can sleep under before I get back."
He nodded, "Got it. Don't die out there."
"Yeah ye—"
Link smirked, "Because I'll drag your body back and we'll eat you instead."
His eyes were wide with shock as his mouth stood agape. He shook his head, giving his descendant an ornery look, 'Haha! Bastard!' It was hard to hide his dumb smile as he turned on his heels and left, keeping an ear out for heavier pounding hearts. He didn't need Grace or Twilight to haul his catch back, he could likely do it himself. Watching a heron fly overhead, the idea of eating poultry crossed his mind, 'Only it would take too long to de-feather…plus I can imagine Zelda crying having to watch that process, and that would make me sad too.'
An hour later, he was ten minutes into stalking a deer with drool threatening to drip off his chin. He readied two arrows, imbuing them with flame. Sure of his aim, he let them loose, fist pumping when the animal fell with one final cry. 'Yes!' Impressed with himself, he strolled up to his kill. An ear flicked, "What the—DEAR GODS!" Time whipped around, using his shield to block electric arrows aimed for his neck, "Thank goodness this is wooden!"
It seems a grumpy lynel had also been stalking the deer. It had dark gray skin and a white mane.
'So that's what that other heart was! I thought it was something else!' "Well too bad!" He retorted as the monster snorted steam from it's nostrils, "I killed it first!"
His words had no effect on the beast. It hunkered low to the ground, it was preparing to rush him.
The Hero considered his options: zap it to death with lightning, freeze it with an ice arrow—though that wouldn't last long, drill as many fiery arrows as possible into it's skull before it reached him…or skewer it with his sword. He mentally shrugged at himself with a chuckle, 'What can I say? I'm a sword-guy! I like the sword one most, so using the sword it is.' Upbeat, his blade materialized into his hands as he stabbed it straight through the lynel as it galloped full speed at him. The force of the light beam cutting through the beast made it explode, splattering him in dark colored blood. He spit up the gob that flew into his mouth, coughing, "Oh my—Ulk!" He could still feel it dripping off his teeth, the acidic flavor making his tongue curl in disgust, "Ew! Holy shit! That tastes SO BAD! Fuck!"
The blood got everywhere, so it wasn't as if he could shamelessly slurp water from a spare puddle either! Not wanting to take the chance of it being toxic, he heaved the deer over his shoulder and zipped back to camp, letting his sword dissolve before doing so. He puffed, "I'm back! Where is that water sourc—why are both of you more naked than before!?" His eyes darted between his shirtless descendant and the Princess who now wore her undershirt with it rolled up to reveal her torso. They were sitting beside each other, shiny with sweat and barefoot, "Did—am I interrupting something? I just want to get this blood off me."
Zelda shrieked what he implied, rapidly shaking her head as she skittered away from her knight, "Dear Hylia no!" She never blushed harder, "Of-Of course not!"
Meanwhile Link raised his eyebrows as his eyes drifted toward his own chest. He lifted the elbows of his crossed arms to reveal a light bruise from earlier that morning.
Now seeing that nearly made him stagger backwards, 'WWHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.' His eyes narrowed at the knight who hid his stupid grin, calmly setting the deer on the ground as Zelda briskly walked over to him.
"H-Here, I'll just show you where I-I found it. F-Follow me." Her fluster began to fade as she led him through the tropical brush, though it grew as she watched the Hero drop his equipment and pull off his shirt. It grew more when she eyed the splotches on his chest! She reached out, "Oh my goodness! How did thes—"
"Ah!" Time delicately snatched her hand between his fingers, speaking quickly, "I appreciate your concern but don't touch them!" He exhaled, "Phew…yeah they should clear up any day now, but they're um…really sore. It sucks." But her eyes had become more interested in his plentiful scars.
"Gosh…you have so many…" Her gaze became thoughtful, "You have a lot of stories to tell, don't you? A-Also sorry, I—my curiosity got the better of me."
The Hero stiffly spoke after getting in the water, 'This is so cold! ' "It's…It's okay," He hissed as his face scrunched, "And yeah, I could tell a couple later if there's time." He tried to settle in deeper but there was no way it was going to happen without heating it first, "Tell Link to start gutting that deer, please."
Zelda failed to hide her snickering at his expression, "Will do!"
As soon as she left, the first thing he did was snorf the water into his mouth, swishing it around before distastefully spitting it out. Maybe it wasn't toxic, but he'd have to wait to see if it had other effects later. 'Like restlessness, dehydration, those sorts of things.' After that, he set his hands aflame beneath the water, sighing in relief as it became warmer. He didn't need it to be hot, just not freezing cold! 'Besides, I might as well take the opportunity to bathe anyways.'
Fully disrobed, his clothes sat at the water's edge. Sure, his pants were wet, but a little fire could fix that too. He'd moved on from his face to his hair when Link nearly tripped coming out of the bushes. Time hadn't forgotten the sly reminder he so thoughtfully gave him. His tone was sarcastic, "What."
Link wore an ornery smile as he tilted the end of a stick in his direction, "I need to light the campfire."
He motioned to him, "Come closer first, I need to make sure my eyes weren't tricking me." The Hero waded to the water's edge, cocking his head in amazement once the knight sat down, "You've got to be kidding me! I don't remember that being there!" He searched his eyes, "You didn't—I dunno—hit yourself with the hilt of your sword in the exact same spot, right?"
The champion plainly shook his head, "Nope. That was you alright. Though, I can't say it has as strong of an effect on me as it does on you. However, it is a little bothersome rubbing against my clothes."
"Well what if I—" His thumb grazing over it was enough to send Link hunching forward with a gasp.
He inhaled as he spoke, wincing, "Oooh, okay okay…" He continued in a whisper, holding his side, "I take that back. Wow that really…that was very vivid and I don't know how I feel about that."
"Hmph," Time crossed his arms, "Well now you know how I felt when you got oh-so-curious this morning. Here," He lit the end of his stick as the knight stood, "I look forward to good venison."
"Pfft, I'll try. Why were you covered in blood?"
"A lynel wanted a piece of the deer too." He laughed. "Oh don't look worried, this one had a white mane and dark skin. That's a weaker class than the blue one you fought, right?"
Link's eyes popped out his head, "What the—NO! Those are far stronger than the blue ones! Y-You killed it!?"
"Well yeah. I sorta stabbed it with my sword and then it exploded all over the place. That blood was disgusting."
The knight shook his astonishment away, "I bet. Anyways, hurry up over here. What if we decide to eat fish tomorrow and you've gone and killed them all?" He looked real smug until Time's hand wrapped around his ankle.
A threatening aura pervaded the air, "Link, I am two words away from yanking you into this water and drowning you. Choose them wisely."
"With what." He cunningly replied, "Drown me with what? Pretty sure you've made it clear that could mean more than just water by now."
The Hero rolled his eyes, flicking droplets at him from his fingers, "Don't get cocky, damn you." A cheap smile spread across his face, "Now get before the Princess wonders why you're taking so long." He didn't take much longer after that. Several minutes later, he was shaking his fist with gratitude as they ate together, using large leaves as plates with their fingers and teeth as silverware. The Princess found edible berries and wild thistle fruit to supplement the tasty venison.
"Mm!" She hummed with joy, "Link I'm impressed you managed to make this taste so good!"
Time was far more passionate. Maybe it was because he was hungry, but his taste buds sang, "I know right!"
He simply nodded his thanks.
Zelda began to point to the Hero's chest next when her finger bent in defeat, "Aw, you put your shirt back on." She giggled, "What? A little shy? After what you wore previously, I would have thought otherwise."
"Zelda that was Cotera's doing and you know that. Otherwise, I'm not, thank you very much. Besides, this is pretty skintight anyways, you're not missing anything." 'Really, I put it back on to keep both of you from getting after those marks dammit! I know how you both are!'
"I suppose you have a point there, Hero, but how else would I ask for scar stories?" She asked, "I'd have to point to them right?"
"Ha, tough luck Princess. You'll get your chance some other time." 'Is that a hint of wickedness in her smile?! That's new…'
"Fun fact, I'm very patient. I'll be sure to take it next time."
From there, Time found out that they were sweating from fixing together a few of those huge leaves like he suggested. They'd constructed a makeshift covering to sleep under in case it rained and honestly? They deserved to be impressed with themselves! It was quite sturdy.
'I feel…in danger…' He thought as he rested the back of his head on his arms after wishing them goodnight. He didn't know how, but he was the first to lay his sleeping bag down and ended up with Zelda to his left and Link to his right. 'More in danger than the bad omens I get from this forest…which is strange in the first place considering I don't often find forests all that bewildering! I grew up in one!' He exhaled, closing his eyes, 'Whatever…at least Farosh knows it too. I'm really curious to see how that blade would turn out.' His mind wandered to the statue of Hylia they'd likely find, 'I have too much to ask her about, but especially—an animal!? I can do that too!? I almost want to ask how!' He mentally scoffed, 'If she'll even tell me! A lot of what's been implied about me lately is just so mind boggling! Turning into a beast, the Triforce of Courage I guess somehow being on my hand, Farore acting normal-ish to my noble form, but Din outright saying it's unbecoming…and then apparently I've talked to her in the past and to Nayru too…and maybe that's what my dream was showing me before I woke up…and yet,' His eyes flicked open as his brows came together, 'I really don't remember any of that! And then, the way Din was saying I returned? Like that was the first time she'd seen me after a while? She's seen me before?'
'This must be how Link felt before he found out I was the Hero of Time…always trying to connect the dots based on tidbits of information. Ha, poor guy…only now I would argue he knows too much. I guess things would be different if he wasn't so considerate. Though, he must think this god culture is weird as hell, and I can't blame him. When I'm like this—like normal I guess—it used to be alien too, but now if I loosely think about it, it could make sense. When my more…divine self takes over? I mean, it feels so normal! Like yes, duh, "kissing hands and cheeks is just what we do around here, what do you mean it's weird? You're the weird one."'
'Ugh,' All of this thinking conflicted too much. It made parts of his brain begin to pulse. He flipped onto his stomach, 'I think I'll shut up and sleep now.'