Note:
I've written quite a bit of the Great Plateau already, but one thing I've struggled with is how true to the in game text it should be. I want to expand and explore the original story. How far off the text can I acceptably go? I guess we'll find out.
2.
2.
As Link moved down the path, he had some misgivings. He didn't know where he was. Was it wise to approach a stranger on the road? His instincts urged caution, but he had no other leads. Other than the voice urging him on in the cave, he had no hints or guidance. Sure, the voice had said the Sheikah Slate would guide him, but so far it had simply opened a door.
Link moved back under the cover of the trees. He would follow the figure, but he would do so with caution. Link froze when his foot caused a loud snap as it landed on a stick. The stranger had already seen him, but Link knew he should be more careful. Link might not remember who he was, but he knew better than to announce his arrival to every creature in ear shot. He slowed down, watched his footing, and moved closer to the trees.
Under the trees, Link began looking for a large stick. He had nothing except some musty old clothes. A stick could be useful. It could look innocuous, but would work as an improvised weapon. He watched the ground. As he approached a tree, he saw two large red mushrooms peaking through the forest litter.
His stomach rumbled in response and he licked his lips, considering. He felt as if these were edible. He had a feeling he'd eaten them before, but perhaps not raw. He grabbed a few and stuffed them into his pouch. He wasn't desperate enough yet, but he wasn't going to walk away from a potential snack.
With a little more searching, he found a long, sturdy stick. He held it in his hand like a walking stick. Happy with the decision, he set off once again down the hill where he could see the figure – an old man – seated by a fire.
Then, a distant voice. Was he hearing it, or was it only in his mind? He was not so far from the old man now that the old man wouldn't hear it, but there was no reaction from him. Link looked around, trying to identify where it was coming from, but it seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.
"Link," He moved forward, his eyes scanning for the bearer of the voice.
"Link." It was more insistent this time, stern, like a parent chastising a child. "Head for the point marked on your map on the Sheikah Slate." He pulled out the slate. The screen glowed at his touch. It was mostly blank, but an orange mark could be seen. He moved a little and saw that the direction he was traveling seemed to be bringing him closer to it.
He put the Sheikah Slate away. He would follow the path for now. It seemed to be taking him in the right direction and he didn't want to staring at it while a monster snuck up on him.
He was nearly to the old man, who was watching him approach without moving, when he saw the tree near the old man had apples. A huge smile lit Link's face. He ran to the tree, looked at the branches and leapt up, grabbing the lowest branch and pulling himself out to the limb with two juicy apples hanging there. He dropped down, clutching his prizes. He resisted the urge to eat them immediately. The old man was right there. He hastily stuffed them in his pockets. In case something went wrong, he wanted his hands free.
Retrieving his stick, Link approached the old man, unsure of what to say. For a moment Link stared at him, searching for any hint of recognition in the old man's eyes. He had a long, magnificent beard that obscured much of his face, with his hood pulled up, all that could really be seen were his eyes. Were they familiar? Link didn't know.
Link tried a smile as their eyes met. "Hello?"
The old man laughed, "Oho ho! Well met, stranger!" Well, that answered one question. Link relaxed a little. This man seemed friendly enough. Link still kept his hand on his 'walking' stick though. The old man continued, "It's rather unusual to see another soul in these parts."
Link nodded as if he understood what the man meant by 'these parts' and asked, "Who are you?"
"Me?" The old man sighed, "I'll spare you my life story." Link could hear regret in the old man's voice. He wanted, desperately, for the man to tell him more, but what right did he have to ask it of him? "I'm just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now."
Link nodded, trying to think of another question that might give him some much needed answers, but the old man beat him to it, "What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?"
Link hesitated. He wanted to tell this man that he had no idea, that he was lost and confused and still trying to figure things out. Instead, he sat down at the fire, watching the old man. When the old man didn't protest, Link set his stick against the rock wall.
Not able to answer his question, Link replied, "Where are we?" He looked around again, seeing the large building further on, the ruined edge of what appeared to be a wall, and the vast openness beyond, littered with mountains visible even from here.
The old man laughed again, "Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough." He stood, gesturing with his stick – a lantern attached to the top. "As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence, I shall tell you." He pointed around them, "This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."
Hyrule. Link clenched his hands. Of course, why hadn't he remembered before. Hyrule was where he lived, where he. . . No, he knew it was more than just where he lived, but he couldn't summon out the memories. It was important though. He held the name in his mind, hoping he wouldn't forget it.
The old man turned, pointing to the large building. Link stood to look with him. "That temple there, long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies." A temple, that made sense. "Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay."
"Decline?" Link interrupted. He felt a pang in his chest. Why did that word bring such dread to his heart? The old man nodded.
"Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self. . ." He trailed off, watching Link intently. As if sensing Link's distress, he sat down again, gesturing for Link to do the same. "Sit, rest." An offer. "I shall be here for some time."
Link sat again, appreciating the gesture. His head was reeling. He felt his mind trying to piece things together, but there were too many pieces. The weight of the Sheikah Slate reminded him he had somewhere to be, but he wasn't ready to walk away from the only other living person he'd seen so far. He knew Hyrule, the word decay didn't feel right to him. His memories were blank, he couldn't recall details, but he had a sense of what the world should be. He couldn't reconcile the collapsing building in the distance with what his mind seemed to be trying to tell him.
Link tried for a smile again, "What are you doing?"
The old man returned the smile gently, "I'm relaxing by the fireside, of course." He pointed to the embers on the edge of the flames. Link picked up the object he was pointing to – a roasted apple. He bounced it gently in his fingers. The smell of the apple was enhanced. He put it to his mouth, his stomach angrily growling, and took a bite. His tongue burned with the heat, but the soft, sweet apple made him feel immediately better.
The old man said, with a glare "I beg your pardon? I do believe that is my baked apple!" When Link tried to stutter out an apology, the old man continued with a laugh, "Forgive me – I could not resist pulling your leg." He smiled warmly then, "Please help yourself."
The feeling of relaxation that had started to come over Link vanished. There were too many unknowns. He felt that this man was powerful and potentially dangerous, but he wasn't sure if he was a danger to Link. Despite his uncertainty, Link finished the apple. Link looked around and stood reluctantly. It did not seem he would find any answers here. He wanted to look at the map on the Sheikah Slate, but he was unwilling to do so in front of the old man. The temple stood invitingly in the distance. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as if he should check it out.
"Thank you for sharing your fire," Link said to the old man as he stood.
"Where are you rushing of to now? Is speaking with a strange old man truly such an awful use of your time?" Link straightened his shoulders refusing to let this old coot badger him.
"There is someone I am looking for," Link said vaguely, then murmuring, added, "I think." Link wished he at least had more information for himself if not for the old man.
The old man nodded and smiled, waving his lamp at him. Link stood and continued walking down the hill. He turned back once and saw the old man still sitting at the fire, facing away from him.
Link moved down the path, thinking vaguely of visiting the temple before visiting the orange dot on the Sheikah Slate when he heard a grunt of surprise from the bushes to his left. He grabbed his stick and balanced himself on his legs. A creature with red skin charged at him, holding its own stick as it rushed him. Link jumped backward and then moved in as the creature – a bokoblin, the name surfacing from his memories – overshot and stumbled. Link took his stick and smashed it across the bokoblin's back sending him sprawling. Link looked at his stick. It was broken in half. Creating some space between the two of them, he threw the stick at the bokoblin's head. The creature was still moving.
Link looked around. The bokoblin still had its stick, giving it a greater reach. Another branch, thicker than Link's previous one was nearby. He sprinted for it, scooped it up and turned. The bokoblin was right behind him. He smashed the stick across his face. The creature went down. Panting, Link watched as the creature darkened, its skin turning black before it disappeared in a small puff of purple tinged smoke.
He stared uneasily at the space where it had lain. A piece of horn was all that was left of the creature. Link reached down and grabbed it. Maybe he could make a weapon out of it?
Link looked around. He had strayed from the path, but he could hear the gentle sound of waves. He followed his ears until he saw a small pond. A fish disrupted the surface, leaving a trail through the surface of the water.
Link's stomach, somewhat sated, decided to show how ungrateful it was by growling. Biting his lip in thought, Link moved slowly down to the shore. Could he catch the fish? He didn't have any string. Looking closely, he saw that several fish were clustered together. How could he catch one? An idea struck him. He looked around. Was there a rock or. . .
There at a small overhang above the water was a large rock. He began climbing back up the hill, away from the water. If he aimed well, could he knock out a fish? When he reached the top of the overhang, he peered down into the water. There were some plants growing on the surface of the water, but he could see several fish swimming beneath them. He lifted up the rock, grunting in effort. Moving to the edge and aiming, he threw the rock into the water with a loud splash.
The rock fell right between the plants, before Link could search for any potential food, he heard a strange knocking noise and then laughter. He looked up.
Hanging in the air in front of him was a . . . leaf? A leaf with a face? Link jumped back, grabbing his stick in case it was an enemy. Instead of attacking, the leaf laughed again and yelled, "You found me!" Link remained frozen, "Huh? You're not Hestu!" Link lowered his arm, "But you can see me?" Link nodded mutely.
"I didn't know your kind could see the children of the forest!" Link stared. The leaf creature was floating in the air.
"What are you?" Link asked.
"I'm a korok!" The creature exclaimed, laughing again. "If you run into Hestu, give him this!"
The creature handed a small seed like item to Link. It had a weird smell. Link didn't want it, but he didn't want to offend the small, jovial creature either. He stuffed it into the pouch, hoping it wouldn't mess up his mushrooms. The creature began moving about above the water, dismissing Link from its mind as it danced.
Link took a step back, thinking of retreating, when he remembered his attempt at 'fishing'. He stepped back to the edge. A fish, floating on the surface. With a cry of triumph, Link jumped off the ledge, sending water everywhere. The fished bobbed in the water nearby. Link reached for it, grasping the slimy creature between his hands.
Then, slowly as his clothes were not designed for swimming, he began swimming back to the shore. If he could just find another stick, he could ask the old man to use his fire and roast it up. His mouth watered just thinking about it.
When he reached the shore, he took a moment to catch his breath. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold and the sun was shining brightly. Hopefully his clothes would dry quickly. He made his way back up the hill and up the path where the old man and his fire were.
The fire was dying, the old man having disappeared. Link quickly ran towards the trees, one hand grasping the fish, the other reaching for branches. He moved back to the fire and began feeding it, building up the flames. Link surveyed his work. He took one longer stick back out and tried to sharpen the end on the wall. When it had enough of a point, Link skewered the fish with it and held it over the fire. The heat from the flames began to dry him. After a few minutes, Link stuck the stick in the ground so it could cook and took off his shirt. He held it over the flames and then gave up and laid it out in the sunshine to dry.
He sat back down, watching his fish, imagining what it would taste like. While he waited, he took out a mushroom and put it on the edges of the fire. He was willing to risk it. He had a calm certainty that he could eat them. When he felt certain about so few things, he decided to trust himself on what he did know.
As the fish cooked and the mushroom roasted, Link took stock. He had clothes, he had a meal on the way. He'd need to find a better weapon, sticks weren't durable enough to provide reliable protection. The sun was high, he still had quite a bit of daylight left. He should be able to make it to the temple relatively quickly. If it took longer than expected, at least he would have shelter when it became dark.
Finally, the smell of the fish was too tantalizing to avoid. Link reached out, plucking the stick from the ground. He used his teeth to rip open the skin and looked at the flaky white meat. Ignoring his burning finger tips, he pulled apart the fish, picking out bones and consuming the flesh. He threw the head in the fire where it smoked before catching fire. Then, he pulled the darkly roasted mushroom out and looked at it. Even though he was no longer ravenous, he could eat more. He thought it might make sense to try the risky food while his stomach was full. He blew on the mushroom and brought it to his lips.
It had a smoky taste, and the roasting didn't do much for its texture. He didn't feel any immediate side effects, so he let himself relax. Only time would tell.
With a sigh, he stood again. A lot had happened today, but he still hadn't really learned anything. Pulling his shirt back on, Link headed once again toward the temple.
The path to the temple was in ruins. Cobblestones were missing, entire sections were gone, buildings that clearly had at some point surrounded the temple were barely standing, mostly just an outline of what used to be there. Link had replaced his stick with a new one, but he poked around in one of the outbuildings to see if he could find anything better.
The building had yielded a sturdier pair of pants, boots, and a bokoblin. Link was able to fend off the attack and when the bokoblin disappeared, it left behind a club fashioned from a thick tree branch. Link swapped his walking stick for the sturdier club and continued exploring.
Inside one of the outbuildings was a strange metal creature, with a bell shaped head and long legs made from interlocking metal pieces. The top segment of its head looked as if it had an eye in it. Though it was corroded, Link could clearly see a connection in the pattern on its bodies and room where he had awoken.
He couldn't say why, but the sight of it sent goosebumps all over his body. He felt a rush of adrenaline and he looked around, preparing for an attack.
There were no enemies in sight, but his heart was racing. What? What was he sensing? Should he know these creatures? He circled the creature. It seemed to have stopped mid motion. He could imagine it walking on its spider like legs, stalking, tracking, attacking. . .
Link shook his head. He was being dramatic. This may have once been an enemy, but now it was clearly a dead thing. Link felt an ache along his side. With his free hand, he put a hand over it, but it was just a phantom pain, he knew he had no injury. It wasn't a sharp pain – just an echo.
He moved closer to the creature. It didn't move. Link forced himself to touch it. Timidly, he put a hand over it and then immediately pulled back. When nothing happened, he moved in closer, looking at it. He felt that he should remember this, but as he squinted at it in the midday sun, he realized that maybe some things were better left off forgotten.
"Coward," but even as he said it, he knew his instincts weren't wrong. There was danger somewhere, just not now. He forced himself to walk away, not quite willing to turn his back on the machine.
Soon, he had no choice. The steps up to the main temple building showed him that the metal creatures were everywhere. They looked to be trying to crawl along the building walls.
A red bokoblin walked out of the temple entrance. Link moved forward. Wielding the club, Link swung out, aiming for the creature's head. The creatures fought with very little skill. Link had no trouble dispatching the creature.
Cautiously, he entered the temple. Light filtered in from the broken ceiling, debris and rubble were strewn about the floor. Some old clay pots were lined up against a wall. In the center of the room was a tall statue. The Goddess.
For a moment, Link considered walking straight there, his heart urging him forward, but there were too many places a creature could hide to ambush him in this space. He moved around the edge of the room, searching for any hidden foes.
He was rewarded for his diligence with a bow and a small quiver of arrows. He slung them on his back. He felt confident he could shoot the bow accurately, although he was a little worried about its reliability. The bow had definitely seen better days.
Finally, he felt ready to approach the statue in the back of the temple. As he walked up the stairs, he saw five smaller statues at the foot of the statue surrounding it, like an honor guard. And suddenly, in the presence of the gently smiling statue, Link felt a knot in his chest loosen.
Link knelt, nearly collapsing. A tenuous hope writhed through him, coiling in his chest. It was too much. He'd been wandering nearly all day and all he'd gotten for it were some bad feelings and memories of terror. He knew his name, he knew the name of his location and that was it. Who was he? Really? He looked up to the statue.
"Why am I here?" He asked. Certainly he hadn't come from nowhere. He could feel his past in his mind, hidden from him, scrubbed from his memory. Not gone, just … faded into obscurity. He just needed to find something to trigger it.
The statue just smiled down at him, the evening sun sending streams of sunlight through the broken temple walls. Link bowed his head, wishing, praying for a revelation, but none came.
Finally, Link took in a deep breath and raised his head. He had thought the temple might prove a sanctuary, a place to heal. If it was, it wasn't working for him. He pulled out the Sheikah Slate.
He hadn't made any significant progress toward the orange dot. The voice had told him to head there. Link stood. Even if he couldn't remember his own past, for some reason, he trusted the voice, so he would follow her advice. He walked out the side of the temple, alert to danger, and followed the slate.