Chapter 4: Burning Wish

A wish to leave the village.

A wish to be free.

A wish to experience the world all over Hyrule.

The large bonfire in the center of the village shined brightly as many people gathered around it. Everyone held a mask, in anticipation for the Mask festival's final conclusion for the year. Link walked along with Saria as they gathered to find a spot in the moonlight.

"Is it really fine for me to go along with you? What about your brother?"

"Well…"

He can't see her anyway. This should be fine if we meet together at the bonfire.

His expression remained solemn as he silently walked to the gathering. He was holding a lantern, with his face reflected on it. Trying to plead to his parents was a feeble effort, but he did what he could. Even with Raven supporting him, there was still a rift between them.

"Link, it didn't go well?"

"…"

He nodded.

Nikki peeked out from under Link's shirt and flew up towards them. Link sighed as he talked about what happened that afternoon, with his brother supporting him. It wasn't pretty.

"Link! I told you to not get close to your brother! Why won't you listen?"

"But…"

"No means no!"

"Just let me explain!"

His father didn't want to listen to him, until his mother quickly came to lessen the tension between them. Raven was waiting outside, waiting for their view on Link joining the Hero's Ceremony along with him. It seemed as if any mention of Raven drove his father into a frenzy, recalling a traumatic event.

"Please forgive him for running away from home. It's been many years since he left. Would you give Link a moment to say what he wants? There's a festival going on. Don't make it more troublesome for us."

Father sighed and begrudgingly sat down on a chair.

"What is it?"

Link looked down on the ground, biting his tongue.

"Let me participate in the Hero's Ceremony."

Nikki flew over Link, reminiscing about what happened. Despite the shock from his parents, they still allowed him to join the upcoming tournament. But they begged him to stay in the village despite that, despite all his pleadings to them.

"Raven was by the doorway, but he never came in! Your parents were right there! There could have been another reunion!"

"I don't know, Nikki. They still reacted badly just by mentioning him at all. It's probably my fault…"

Link's face remained gloomy until he spotted Raven in the distance. The bonfire was burning brightly, with constant laughter among the masses. They rendezvous on the outskirts of the bonfire, with many food vendors selling nearby. Saria hid behind Link as the two of them reunited once again for the final day of the festival.

"Don't worry about me! I brought a mask with me for this. This should do it."

Raven took out a weathered old boar mask out of his bag. He was dressed in more protective armor for the night, due to him preparing for his next shift as a guard surrounding the bonfire. It signified his role as a Hyrulean knight, along with all the others before him.

"Are you sure about this? Are knights on shift allowed to do this?"

"Come on! Don't look at me like that! You've got the best knight in all of Hyrule protecting you. There's nothing to worry about!"

He sure acts carefree despite everything that happened back at home.

Link sighed and also took out his mask. The fox grinned back at him, excited about being freed. He awkwardly looked back at it before putting the mask back inside his bag. A steady sound of drumbeats echoed through the village, signaling its last ritualistic act.

"It's starting! Let's not miss this!"

Raven rushed ahead of Link and disappeared into the crowd.

Nikki looked back at Link in disappointment.

"Did he really just leave you? You better catch up quick."

"I know. I'm coming."

They quickly went and followed him, with Saria quietly trekking behind them. A center platform was placed near the bonfire, with an announcer on top. They began chanting together to cleanse their sins, with everyone pulling out their masks once again.

"Burn our sins. May the goddess Hylia forgive us and accept our offerings of wood and fire. The masks of old release us from our suffering. May the spirits protect us for this new year."

The crowd continued chanting along with him.

"Bless us with a good harvest. Bless us with a good year. May evil not prosper in this holy kingdom. May the last light shine upon us."

The drumbeats then switched to a more cheerful melody as the crowd excitedly prepared to throw their masks into the bonfire in front of them. A commotion of laughter and rowdiness got more intense. A long line was formed around the bonfire, with the frontline going first.

"Are you hungry? I brought some Deku nuts from the forest."

"Thanks, Saria! I can share some with Rav—"

The line behind Saria abruptly showed a huge gap between them. A couple visitors and locals were freaking out, trying to shoo away the spirit with their masks to no avail. But there was nothing he could do about it. It would always happen whenever Saria goes into the village.

Hopefully they would give us a spot close to the bonfire. It would be a perfect spot to make a wish if we get close enough…

Link sighed and they continued walking forward in line.

Soon, it would be their turn.

"A wish? The bonfire can grant wishes? That's crazy!"

"Shh! Don't respond like that in front of the crowd here. I just thought if you know about something like this…"

Raven chuckled at his younger brother, treating it like a joke. He smirked as he gave Link a pat on the shoulder, explaining what it is. After all, it could just be another tradition in the village that nobody has ever questioned.

"You see, those kinds of talk were just old wives' tales. Long ago, there might have been a reason for doing it. But I'll do it with you if you want me to. It won't hurt to do it if people wanted it."

"…"

I didn't think he would say stuff like this. I don't know if he can even see spirits anymore.

Link looked down on his mask, as their turn was coming. Saria was right behind him, nodding forward. The bright flames of the bonfire was in front of them, ready to their fill of masks.

Their cleansing of their sins to the goddess.

"Saria, what do you wish for? You can go first."

"Are you sure? What about your brother?"

"I-It's fine. Just do it. He doesn't seem like he can see you at all…"

"Oh."

She immediately became gloomy and sad from his remark. Link gently pushed her forward to the bonfire, so that she could throw her mask and make a wish. Nikki flew up next to her, imitating a mask throw as support.

Saria gently threw hers, making a wish.

"May Link be able to leave the village soon. May he be able to experience freedom."

The fox mask quickly turned into ash from the flames, with the spirit releasing a white line of vapor into the air. Many crackles from the other masks and firewood hid the supernatural effects sounds in the bonfire.

Now it was Link's turn.

"I wish that I could leave the village, and hope that Mother and Father can understand me."

He threw his mask into the bonfire, with another puff of vapor coming out of it. The fox spirits were finally reunited together. They blew spirals of smoke and danced inside the bonfire before leaving in a wisp of smoke.

The dance of the spirits.

I've been wishing for this every year now. Will it every come true?

Link sighed and turned around to look at his older brother. Raven was quiet as he looked upon the bonfire in front of him. There was a sense of melancholy and silence, as he positioned himself to throw the mask into the fire.

It was unlike his usual self during the festival.

What is he thinking about? Does he want to wish for something?

Thump.

Crackle. Crackle.

Raven's mask immediately burned up in the blink of an eye. The charred pieces of wood crackled, waiting for his wish. There was a moment of silence before he said his wish.

"I wish to go back to the castle. Just let me return there…"

The castle? Does he mean the Hyrule Castle?

Link looked up in awe, curious about what to ask him.

"The Hyrule Castle? Raven, did you work at the castle?"

Raven turned around and rubbed his head, acting confused.

"Well…something like that. It's nothing, really. J-Just a castle guard, that's all."

"A castle guard?"

Wait, but he wore such fancy armor during the knights' procession a few days ago. I don't think a simple castle guard would be given such an elaborately decorated show…

Link wasn't convinced at all. But he didn't want to push him too much for information. Just from seeing his brother's reaction, it seemed like there was something off. Raven shook his head in dismay and turned away from Link.

"Sure, a castle guard. We always need a lot of guards to protect Hyrule Castle. The usual. Is that clear?"

"O-Okay. I get it."

"Good."

Changing the topic so fast. It's best not to pry too much right now…

Link looked down on the ground, embracing himself with the heat of the bonfire near him. Raven didn't say a word and didn't speak to him for some time. After a while, a knight guard came over towards Raven, signaling his shift.

"I better get going. I'll talk to you later."

Link nonchalantly replied back.

"Don't fall asleep on your shift."

"Haha! As if I'll do that. See you later."

Raven quickly put on his helmet and left the bonfire. Link turned back to face the crackling bonfire, now cooled down with less wood being thrown in. The crowd had died down, as most people already threw their mask in for the night. A few hours has passed since midnight, with the remaining ones drunk and full of laughter.

Nikki peeked out behind Link, flying up near the bonfire.

"Looks like he left. Let's rest up before the Hero's Ceremony."

Link nodded and smiled sadly back to the bonfire.

The Hero's Ceremony…it's really that close now…

The Mask Festival ended uneventfully, as Totem Village quickly began setting up for the upcoming Hero's Ceremony. Link didn't ask anything else about his brother's life anymore. Luckily, it seemed like Raven had forgotten about last night's quarrel.

All they had to do was focus on their training before the tournament began.

"Hyah!"

Link attempted to rush forward into Raven with his training sword.

He dodged it as fast as lightning.

"Too slow."

Raven smacked Link's sword out of his hand.

"Gah! What did you do that for? Isn't that against the rules?!"

Raven shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you need to do everything to disarm your opponent. It gives you an advantage."

He didn't need to say it like that. Does he know what it's like not being a skilled fighter?

Link kneeled down to grab his sword off the ground, and quickly went to get a training shield nearby. It was always better to give himself a handicap, especially against a veteran swordsman like Raven. But even then, the whole mock battle felt too one-sided.

It was like his brother couldn't manage his own strength.

He couldn't even handicap himself much just to train newer fighters.

"Link! Now it's my turn. Let me see you defend yourself."

Raven positioned himself across from Link, slowly taking out his training out of a scabbard in a stance. In one instance, he rushed forward and aimed at Link's neck.

Clank.

Link's shield immediately stopped the sword in its tracks.

He is so fast! He would have hit me if I didn't put my shield up in time…

But it wasn't over yet.

"Not bad. But you're not thinking ahead. Do you think I would such a straightforward move without anything else?"

"Huh?"

Raven then began to kick Link's feet, knocking him off balance.

"Ah!"

But he quickly regained control on the ground, trying to prevent Raven from disarming his shield. But it was already too late. There wasn't enough time to counter him.

"Nice try, but your movements were too predictable. Take this!"

He almost took out my shield! I only have my sword left…

Wait, my sword…

Link threw his shield to the side just as Raven completely disarmed it and used his two hands on the sword to take the sheer force of the attack. The sheer strength knocked Link to the ground, as he held on to the sword as best as he could.

"Not bad. You're pretty good with quick thinking, but your body can't take hits well."

Raven chuckled to himself, treating it like a joke.

He didn't really need to say it like that…

Link slowly got up and wiped off some dirt and debris on his clothes. Raven was already packing up some equipment and left the training stage outside the village. Nikki glared at Raven, flying above Link's head.

"I don't think that he is teaching you anything. He is being too rough with you."

Link sighed and kneeled to pick up his training sword.

Crack.

He turned it around to check for damage.

Crack. Crack.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

"Huh?"

The tiny cracks all over the sword broke and shattered together.

It actually broke. What kind of strength does he have?!

He dropped the pieces of the shattered sword to the ground and checked his leggings and back pockets. Two short daggers were hidden inside his clothes. Just in case of an emergency.

"Why didn't you use your daggers as weapons? Wouldn't it be easier for you?"

"I don't know. I think that it's better to hide them for now. They are just work tools for collecting herbs after all. They might not count it as a fighting weapon in the tournament."

Link examined his daggers, making sure they weren't damaged by the mock battles. Fortunately, they were protected by a thick sheath and avoided most of the damage. At best, he will only use them for defense.

I don't know if joining the Hero's Ceremony was a good idea, but I'll try it. I want to show Mother and Father my resolve in leaving the village from this. I can't give up now.

He thought about his Father's deal about leaving the village.

"Show me proof of your resolve by winning the Hero's Ceremony."

This isn't going to be easy.