Chapter 5: The Land

Ayri gripped Link a little tighter. They were gliding over the vast plateau, and even she had to admit that it was a beautiful sight. She almost knew what it was like to be a bird. Drifting through the sky, letting the breezes hit from every angle...to her, every tree was a mushroom, and the far-off mountains looked like anthills. The pair drifted past a hunk of rock sitting in a patch of grassless earth, probably a fortress that been lost to time. The brickmaking and mortar mixing meant nothing to nature.

Even Link's typical squeamishness had left him. "This is amazing!" He yelled. "Look at all this, Ayri!"

"Yes, yes, just focus on where you're going." Ayri chided.

"Alright, alright!" Link chuckled. The air voyage would not last much longer; they were descending down to earth below.

Moreover, for all of the wonders Ayri could still see from above, she could not ignore what remained of Hyrule Castle in the distance.

She knew it did not truly matter if the castle was overrun by weeds or crumbling as badly as the lump of sorry stone from before. It still was the former stronghold of the Royal Family, the greatest bane of Ganon short of the Hylian Champion himself.

It occurred to Ayri that she had no idea how she would begin explaining this misadventure to her Yiga compatriots. And what would happen to Link after it was all said and done? Would he just go on with his life, blissfully unaware that he had been in the presence of a member of the most daring and devious tribe in Hyrule?

Questions for another time.

"You see that castle, all the way over there?" Link spoke up. "I, uh...I can't imagine the work put into making it. I wonder if there's anyone still there...if it's still livable, I mean."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up." Ayri's voice was curt. "If there's something time won't kill, I don't know what it is."

Except for Lord Ganon, she thought to herself automatically. The Great One is eternal...

Link looked down as he steered the paraglider. It would not be long before his feet hit the ground. Nonetheless, he was still marveling over the castle. Even now, it seemed to be a towering testament to what people could put together when they put their hands and their minds to the task...

Suddenly, the young man felt a hard pit in his stomach. Link's brow furrowed. What was going on?

He felt something catch in his throat. Colors began to flash behind his eyes.

"Link, you alright?" Ayri asked.

"Yeah, I...I..."

"It is clear to me that the goddess Hylia has yet again kept her eyes upon us." King Rhoam Bosphoramus stood upright, his voice gruff and authoritative. "And she has delivered a favor in the form of you, young man."

"T-think nothing of it, Your Majesty."

Link was nervous, but he tried his best to keep his face placid. He and his uncle were kneeling before the sovereign himself, the ruler of the entire kingdom. The two of them had been allotted barely enough time to wash themselves and change clothes before they were rushed to the throne room. There, the pair had knelt before the King and the Princess, and Link was made to recount his story.

Even though the king was getting on in years, he still possessed the gravitas and stern gaze that suited a man of his station. He was practically a mountain on legs, and his frame strained against the finery he wore. His white beard was trimmed and neat, while his face looked like it was made of weatherbeaten oak, and just as resilient. The bejeweled golden circlet on his forehead seemed to gleam brighter than the sunlight peering through the stained glass windows of the throne room.

The king stood with his back to his throne, with Chief Advisor Astor on his left side and Princess Zelda on his right.

Astor was a short, thin man, clad in a hooded black cloak and a long gray smock. His face as pale and smooth as milk, with sunken brown eyes. One would be forgiven for mistaking him for a skeleton. His smile was small and tight.

Princess Zelda herself was clad in a gown of fine white silk, her golden hair adorned with a circlet like her father's. A few locks were hanging loose, framing her face, and her green eyes sparkled. It seemed unbelievable that she had been dragged into a Bokoblin den not long ago.

The king continued, "And you, sir, should be proud of your success in training this lad."

Link fought down the burst of resentment that almost flooded his heart. It took all of his stength to not turn his head.

"I could never neglect my nephew, Your Majesty. And while lessons matter, it is up to the student to make the most of them."

Princess Zelda took a step forward.

"I must also give praise. I cannot thank your nephew enough."

Link bowed his head lower still, the tips of his ears growing hot.

"Your Highness." Link's uncle spoke again. "If I may ask, how does the queen fare?"

Link dared not make a move. But he listened intently.

"The queen is in good hands." King Rhoam's voice grew heavy. "Our healers are working to the best of their ability."

"I am happy to hear it, Your Majesty." Link's uncle replied.

"I thank you for your concern." The king's eyes drifted. "As we speak, her health continues to decline. All we can do is pray that Hylia grants us another favor." He blinked, and his demeanor returned. "Now then..."

Zelda cleared her throat. "If there is any way we can thank you, please speak up."

The King stole a quick glance toward his daughter, clearly annoyed that she disturbed his tempo, but he said nothing.

Link could tell exactly what his uncle would ask for. The question was inevitable, the answer was assured, and the outcome was certain. He had to preempt the man.

"Your Majesty, and erm...Your Highness," Link raised his head to address both the king and Princess Zelda. "I would hate to overstep and ask for too much, but...may I have a home in Hateno Village, my birthplace?"

King Rhoam raised his eyebrows. The princess blinked. Link's uncle looked up, mouth open.

"I moved here so that...I could train under my uncle." Link went on. "But I think I would be better suited living in the village, working in some shop or other service. It's a simple life, but a worthwhile one, I think."

King Rhoam was silent for a few moments. Finally, he nodded his head.

"I can scarcely believe that you would ask for such a paltry reward in return for my one and only daughter's safety, but so be it. I will make arrangements immediately."

It was then that Link dared to shift his eye towards his uncle. The older man's face was slowly turning purple, and his entire frame began to shake.

"N-Nephew," the older man whispered. "W-what are you saying?"

"Now, now," Chief Advisor Astor spoke up for the first time, smirking. "You should be happy that your nephew has earned a reward from the Royal Family."

"Indeed." King Rhoam nodded. He waved his hand. "You may now take your leave, gentlemen. Princess, let us retire to the study."

"Yes, Father."

The princess trailed behind her father and the advisor. Just as she was about to join them through the doorway, she turned around, and caught Link's eye. She gave him a smile, and a nod.

Link could not help it. He smiled back.

"Whoaaa!"

"Ack!"

Everything was a blur. Link felt the rush of air, and something hard hitting his back a split-second before he felt his lungs force all the air out. It took a while for solid shapes to form before him. When that happened, he suddenly realized that Ayri was sitting right on his chest.

"You idiot!" She snarled, her face mere inches from his. "What the hell happened back there!?"

"I..." Link swallowed. "I'm not sure. I was just flying along, and..."

Link groaned as he felt the slap, and squirmed beside the broken paraglider as Ayri got back off of him and stomped her foot.

"It's only incredible luck we were just about to land when you let go of the glider! What's wrong with you!?"

"I-I don't know..." Link sat up, rubbing his cheek. "I'm sorry, Ayri."

"Stop it." She turned on her heels and marched off. Link sighed. Very slowly, he got back on his feet. He reached into his baldric pouch, and was satisfied to see that the Sheikah Slate was undamaged.

"Argh! Well...whatever!"

Airi took a few deep breaths. Neither Link's sudden fall nor her anger were of any use to her.

"It doesn't matter," she sighed. "We're almost off the plateau. Let's just keep moving."

The area was mostly clear grassland, except a great mass of broken stone that she had assumed to have once been a small fortress, similar to the one they had passed earlier. She began walking towards it, and Link stumbled behind her.

The pair did not talk as they walked towards the rubble. Once or twice, Ayri looked behind her, and could not help but feel guilty as she saw her companion's reddened face and slumped shoulders.

"So, why are we going in there?"

"There are a lot of hidden valuables in this land, even in places like this. You never know what you can find."

There was an enormous crack in the side of the stone, and Ayri kept her bow at the ready as she approached it.

"So…" Link began. "If you ever found the treasure you want, what would you do with it?"

Ayri blinked. Oh, right. Link still believed the story she told him and the old man at the cottage, that she was a treasure hunter. Why not keep up the illusion a bit longer?

"I guess..." She pretended to muse. "I guess I'd buy a quiet home for myself somewhere, sort of like the one the old man has. Although maybe something with more rooms, and more comfortable..."

Ayri's speech was cut short as nearly tripped over something. She gripped her bow tighter and looked down. It was a shield, and an old one, having long past fallen victim to rust.

Link came closer to her. At length, he bent down and picked it up with his right hand. With his left, he pulled the small axe, the one taken from the Bokoblin at Mount Hylia's base, from his belt. He smiled.

"How do I look?"

Ayri did her best to mask her disdain. It wasn't just that the shield was in sorry shape. Link held the axe loosely, as if the weapon was an afterthought. His legs were straight instead of bent; overall, a poor battle stance.

"Just follow me."

Was he really trying to impress her by playing the tough guy?

The pair slipped through the crack in the wall. The structure was roofless, and the walls had crumbled. Broken swords and a few more ruined shields were scattered across the ground. But those details meant nothing to Ayri. She froze in her tracks. She could have expected a Bokoblin or two lounging around in the open space, or perhaps a Moblin. But not the terror she beheld.

There was a black cylinder jutting out of the earth, covered in dirt and moss. For a few fleeting seconds she prayed that the thing was inactive, that the years of neglect had brought it to a state of uselessness. But it was not to be. The cylinder began to rotate, and a small circle set into the metal began to glow blue. A whirring sound, just barely louder to Ayri than her own pounding heart, hit her ears.

Link was frozen in place as well. "W-what's going on?"

"No time!" Ayri shouted, almost leaping backward. She realized with sudden horror that Link had not moved.

"You idiot! We have to run!"

But something had come over Link. He stared at the cylinder, his jaw tightening. He watched the circle flash white, and...

Time seemed to crawl to a halt. He felt his body become lighter, as if his skin was made of air. A chill hit his bones, and he barely registered his right arm raising itself.

There was a flash, and a beam of blue light burst forward from the circle. Link's right leg moved forward, the foot slamming into the earth, and he swung his shield.

Ayri watched, dumbfounded, as the beam bounced right off the shield, and struck the cylinder dead on. And then there was nothing but smoke and scattered bits of metal.

Link's arm fell, and he stood there, breathing hard. The front of the shield fell to the ground, leaving the broken handle in his hand. Ayri looked from the plume of smoke to the young man. She stumbled over.

"You...you...just..." Ayri sputtered. "How the hell did you do that?"

Link dropped the handle before he began to toy with the axe, a strange expression on his face. "I don't know. I...I really don't know. What was that thing?"

"A Guardian, what do you think?" Airi burst.

"Do they always do that?" Link was equal parts horrified and amazed by what the chunk of metal had been capable of. How it had launched that blue...whatever it was. Even without having fallen victim to a direct hit, he appreciated the fact that he would have been reduced to ash if he had not...gone into the state of slow time as he had.

Airi looked at him in disbelief. "Do they always...of course they do! Have you been living under a rock all your life?"

Link paused, but he had to say something...

"I was sleeping in a cave..."

Airi's mind raced through the possibilities of what she could next; slap him, turn her back, stomp her foot, shout. But she did not get a chance to do any such things. There was a low chuckle.

"You handled that better than expected." It was a new voice.

The pair spun around. The old man was standing right behind them. He shook his head with a mirthful chuckle. Ayri was lost for words.

How does he keep doing that!? She screamed in her head.

"I don't blame you for being startled by Guardians." The old man said to Link. "This land was not such a barren one. This Kingdom of Hyrule..." His voice turned wistful. "...was once something close to paradise. But when tragedy was about to strike, the people thought that they could rely on these Guardians...an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. But thanks to the work of Ganon, everything that could go wrong did, indeed, go very wrong."

Ayri squinted. This story was not a new one to her, and they would not shock anyone, besides the starstruck twig of a man beside her. But the old man's tone was...it was like he was drawing on personal memories. But the Kingdom of Hyrule had fallen a century before...

Link pursed his lips. "Can you tell me more?"

The old man pointed at Link.

"In fact, I'd like an audience."

He turned on his heels. Ayri watched him walk towards the crack in the wall.

"Come along, children."

Link took a few seconds to put his axe away. He was a bit disappointed to realize that his hand was trembling. Ayri nudged him, and he followed her out.

Once the pair stepped out into the sunlight, the old man beckoned for them.

Link stopped suddenly. He seemed to be scrutinizing the old man's face.

"Have we met before? Sometime before I woke up, I mean?"

The old man's face hardened. "Follow me. I will show you the Temple of Time, and there, butI will explain everything."

Hoo boy. I went from being caught up in things to having a lot of free time. So I kind of went ahead and put down two chapters in one go.