**Warning: TotK NPC's Appear in this Chapter**
With a thud, a red-skinned, pig-like body fell to the ground. It landed in the grass, lifeless and bleeding from a deep gash in its chest, staining the soft green blades with its purple blood. Nearby, another body fell, this time with an arrow in its head and causing far more commotion as it banged against the wooden beams of the fort that kept their base high in a large tree's branches. Finally, it hit the ground, but only mere seconds before another one followed, having burned to death by a rumbling explosion that had occurred above. Eventually, the overgrown grass was littered with bodies, with only two living ones remaining on top of the fortress's platforms.
The naked Hylian, worn sword in hand, and the last hog-beast, sniffling and snorting with a wooden club drawn, faced off on the uppermost, crudely built platform of the tree. With a fierce, unyielding gaze, Link stared the beast down. Angered, the bokoblin squealed, trying to provoke a reaction out of him to no avail. This one was smarter and stronger than the rest. The Hylian quickly glanced down at his sword before meeting the pig's red eyes again, taking note of the cracks forming in the blade of his battle-weakened traveler's sword. Holding his breath, he allowed time to slow in order to look behind him, where three large, red-painted barrels were stacked behind him. Plan in mind, he faced the bokoblin again as time resumed normally, readying his sword with a challenge in his eyes.
Noticing the look, the bokoblin screeched before leaping toward him with its club raised high. Gripping his sword tightly, Link lunged as well, but instead of allowing their weapons to clash, the Hylian stepped aside, allowing the monster to fly past him. With a quick pivot, he struck the pig in the back, breaking his sword and sending the monster careening toward the red barrels. The moment the bokoblin hit the red-painted wood, it cracked, and with a blinding flash of light, the barrels erupted into a fireball, pitching Link forcefully back from the resulting shockwave.
Link tumbled off the platform, plummeting through the tree branches until landing on a much larger, lower platform, cracking the wood with a heavy thud. His body vibrated upon impact, and he gasped in pain, releasing his pent-up breath. Body heaving, he tried to get up, only to shake his head and lay back down on the splintered wood.
Yeah… That hurts. I'm just… I'm just gonna rest here for a moment, he thought as he laid his head back. As his breathing evened out, he stared up at the mystical ceiling of the realm he was in. It's only floor four, and the camps have already gotten harder. I didn't think I'd see one of their tree fortresses here, and that was the first blue bokoblin I've seen so far. I guess nothing is off the table here, huh?
With a sigh, he lifted his sore body up from the dent in the wood. Carefully, so as not to pick up any splinters, he stood and journeyed down the tree fortress, where he came to a stop in front of the group of bokoblin bodies bleeding out onto the grass. Crouching down, he began digging through each of their pouches and belongings, taking whatever could be used. Occasionally, he would find a nut or an acorn, small morsels he would immediately scarf down due to the absence of food so far.
I already lost the axe and sword, he thought as he chewed, still scavenging through the bodies. These clubs are gonna have to do. I can't be picky with how little I'm finding.
Picking up the clubs and simple bows he found in the monster's clutches, he looked around at the rest of the trees that surrounded him, spotting a few mushrooms growing at some of their bases.
Looks like I'm having mushrooms today, he thought as he placed the clubs and bows on his back. It's better than nuts. I hope you're doing better than me out there, Zelda.
...
"Wait, so you really are the princess of Hyrule? That's why the Great Daruk called you Tiny Princess?" Yunobo asked in shock.
"It's the truth," Zelda said. "That's why Link was there to stop Vah Rudania all those months ago."
"No wonder he's so great at everything… I thought it was strange that he knew the Great Daruk, but now it makes sense! He's the Hero!" Yunobo continued in awe. "And that means you're a hero too! I've heard stories about how the princess of Hyrule kept a huge monster at bay after the Great Daruk was lost. You kept us safe for a hundred years! That's so long!"
"She's pretty great," Celessa chanted alongside the large Goron.
The afternoon sun continued to blaze down on the fields of Akkala, a region neither Zelda nor her companions realized they'd be spending another day in. While the three were definitely still a bit shaken after their encounter with the guardian, the tension managed to dissipate fairly quickly. It may have something to do with being in a much more forgiving region than Eldin and its volcano, or the fact that Yunobo kept a cheerful smile on his face as he journeyed with them. Regardless, by the time they returned to the fields and orange-hued trees, the group was laughing and chatting again, almost as if nothing bad had happened at all. At least, that's how most of them were.
Though Zelda and Celessa's smiles had returned, Paya remained silent, looking down at her feet as they followed the path, something which didn't go unnoticed by the princess. After glancing over at Yunobo and Celessa, noting that Celessa had started telling the Goron stories of old, Zelda slowed her pace to match Paya's.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked the Sheikah, stepping a little closer to her so the Goron and pilgrim couldn't hear. "You still look a bit rattled."
"I–I–I'm fine…" Paya managed to say in a small voice.
While Zelda had come to accept the Sheikah's tiny voice, even while claiming she was okay, this time felt different. She was quieter than usual, so silent that if Zelda hadn't been looking at her, she would've thought she wasn't there at all. Her hands and legs were still trembling, while her gaze was fixed on the ground. She didn't even participate in the small talk with the rest of the group.
"You're sure?" Zelda asked again.
She knew it was a repetitive question, but it was all she could manage to ask. The guardian attack hadn't been easy for her either, but she couldn't help wanting to ensure that Paya's nerves were steady. After a few moments of listening to their own boots against the dirt as they walked, the Sheikah finally spoke again.
"I–it's just… to think my ancestors built something so terrifying," she said quietly. "W–we made that thing—"
"—in order to protect us," Zelda cut in immediately. Paya gave her a nervous look, but Zelda's eyes remained firm. "While, yes, they're quite… dangerous now, those machines were meant to save us. They're the reason our kingdom didn't fall 10,000 years ago. Your people created something extraordinary in the past. It was Ganon that took that safety and tainted them with literal malice."
Shocked by Zelda's vehement defense of the guardians, Paya quickly nodded. It was clear to Zelda that Paya was still on edge, yet even she couldn't deny that she was also slightly feeling the same way. Concluding that nothing she could say at this time would help her, the princess lightly placed a hand on Paya's shoulder and gave her a simple smile.
"Hey! Tarrey Town in view!" Celessa suddenly called out in front of them.
Upon hearing this, Zelda jogged ahead to survey the valleys before them. In the distance, she could see the small town. It was a unique settlement, built upon a considerably small plateau of the same red rock the land of Akkala was known for. The plateau itself was surrounded by a shallow body of water, though its elevated surface could easily be reached by crossing the natural bridge that connected it to the rest of the valleys the group had been traveling across. The village itself, while reminiscent of Hateno and Kakariko, had a much newer architecture than the two ancient towns the three travelers were familiar with. Every house was boxy and colorful, exactly like the display houses Bolson had set up in Hateno near the bridge of Zelda's very own home.
"Woah, it's really built in the middle of water!" Yunobo exclaimed in wonder, staring down at the village.
"You can definitely tell Bolson had a part in designing the place, huh?" Celessa asked, placing her hands on her hips as if taking pride for the old carpenter in his absence. Zelda nodded with a smile before Celessa spoke up again. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on! Make sure you don't fall off the bridge, Paya."
"I–I–I'm not that clumsy… am I?" Paya asked as Celessa and Yunobo walked off, but Zelda simply shook her head and gestured for her to follow.
"If you feel as though you are, you could always apply to be a waitress somewhere," she said, only half teasing. "It worked for me."
As Zelda told Paya of her time at the inn with her strict but loving innkeeper, the group journeyed down the valley hills, and before long, they were traversing the natural bridge into the town on the plateau. While Zelda and Celessa strode over the grassy bridge with ease, Paya and Yunobo trod lightly, careful so as to not choose just then to be clumsy. Finally, the group reached the village gateway, one built with supports of finely carved stone brick holding up a wooden sign with neatly carved letters spelling Tarrey Town.
"It's so pretty!" Yunobo exclaimed as they walked under the sign and into the village.
"Have you really never been to Tarrey Town? It's the latest hotspot on the map, you know?" Celessa asked as they were stepping onto the town's specially-made pathway of wooden planks.
"This is actually my first time leaving Death Mountain," Yunobo said as he looked around the colorful buildings. "The boss said he'd give me a real task since I was doing so well learning how to mine… I didn't think it would be so different, though!"
To Zelda, who had visited Goron City before, it wasn't surprising that Yunobo would be so amazed. Compared to the mountainside city with caves, the rocky huts that served as houses, and the constant river of lava, Tarrey Town was far more intricately built. The houses lined the plateau's edge, giving the town a circular layout. The actual edges of the plateau were fenced off, keeping the children who liked to run around safe from falling into the waters below. In the center of the settlement was an angular man-made pond, with multiple small fountains that kept the water high, and a goddess statue placed prominently in front of a large, pink wooden pillar with a heart carved into its front. All of this, coupled with the yellow and orange trees and specially crafted lamppost, made Tarrey Town one of the most aesthetically pleasing villages any of them had ever seen.
As Yunobo and even Paya— who was brought out of her depressive state thanks to the town's beauty— gazed around in amazement, Celessa stepped over to Zelda and leaned toward her ear.
"I just kinda thought of this," she said quietly, "but, wasn't the last time you were here when—?"
"Hey! It's Princess Zelda!" a voice suddenly called out from above.
Everyone looked up to see a hawk, one almost as tall as Yunobo, flying down toward them. Just before he could crash into the ground, with a powerful flap of his large, teal, feathered wings, he landed on his talons and stood tall as he looked at Zelda, not acknowledging the Sheikah's cry of surprise at his arrival. As Celessa turned to inform Paya about the Rito, the birdman spoke to the Hylian princess.
"Princess Zelda! You finally came back! Are you okay?" he asked.
"Y–yes, I'm okay?" Zelda answered, though it came out as more of a question. Suddenly, it clicked: this is what Celessa was mentioning to her just a moment ago. The last time she was in Tarrey Town was when the Yiga had begun their search for her. Clearing her throat, she continued with much more confidence. "Yes! Yes, I'm okay! The Yiga have been dealt with, at least for now. That is what you're referring to, yes?"
"It sure is! We've all been worried since then," the Rito said. "Old lady Monari has been praying to the goddess statue for your safety almost every day since then."
"Old lady… Oh! The elderly lady that covered for me when the Yiga first appeared!" Zelda exclaimed when the lady in question appeared in her mind. "Is she here? Can I see her?"
"It's pretty late in the evening. The old girl probably went to bed already," the Rito said. "You can see her tomorrow if you'd like; it would really put her at ease."
"Tomorrow… Will we still be here tomorrow?" Zelda asked, turning her attention to Celessa and Yunobo.
"Well, I mean… He's not wrong," Celessa said, looking up at the sky. "The sun's already setting. I'd be surprised if we could talk to the carpenter at this time of night."
"A carpenter?" the Rito spoke up. "Well, yeah, we have one of the best carpenters here in Tarrey Town, if that's who you're looking for."
"We are, mainly for this one here," Zelda said. She gestured toward Yunobo, who looked between her and the Rito before realizing he was supposed to speak.
"Oh! Y–yeah! My boss wanted me to come and see if he'd be willing to take some stone off our hands," he explained. "Is it too late to find him?"
"Usually, no, but… Uh…" the Rito said. "These days, not really. I don't think it's my place to say why, though."
"Aww," Yunobo said dejectedly. "I didn't make it in time."
"W–w–well, it's alright, isn't it?" a quiet voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned to look at Paya, who was nervously fidgeting her fingers, averting her eyes away from the Rito so as not to stare. "D–d–did your boss say you must return by evening, Y–Yunobo?"
"Well, I guess he didn't," the large Goron answered. "Maybe I'm a little in over my head thinking I could get to town with an answer and back all in one day."
"Your call, Princess," Celessa said.
"We might as well stay for the evening. We've all had a… long day, to put it simply," Zelda admitted, looking between them, noticing how dirty and battered they all were after the unfortunate guardian attack earlier that day. With a nod, she turned back to the Rito. "It looks like we'll be staying here for the night. Um.. Do you mind showing us where the inn is? I wasn't even here a day before I had to leave the last time I visited."
"I guess that's true, isn't it?" the Rito chuckled. "Sure, I can take you to the inn. It's not far from here, actually."
"Thank you… Um… I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name," Zelda admitted guiltily. The birdman laughed.
"The name's Fyson, and it's no trouble at all!" he answered as he began walking down the wooden path. "We didn't speak for very long while you were here before. Actually, speaking of before, we kind of owe you an apology..."
"An apology? If anything, I owe the people in this town an apology for what happened before," Zelda said as she and the group followed him, but Fyson shook his head.
"You couldn't control that. The Yiga were at fault, those creeps," the Rito grumbled angrily. "No, it has to do with that promise Hudson and his wife, Rhondson made to you before you left that day."
"A promise? I don't remember a promise, though," Zelda said.
"They promised we'd keep your secret; the secret that the princess had returned to Hyrule," Fyson said. Suddenly, that did sound familiar.
"Oh… Yeah, I heard the princess was back thanks to a rumor that spread from Tarrey Town," Celessa said.
"Now that you mention it, most people that found out said they'd heard it from Tarrey Town," Zelda said, placing a finger to her chin in thought. "I think even Manny said something about it when Link and I returned to Hateno after the monk's trial…"
"Yeah, that's our fault," Fyson said. "We couldn't keep one of our own's mouth shut, and he went along spreading the word, most likely out of spite—"
"It was Hagie, wasn't it?" Zelda asked.
Of all the people she did remember in the short time she was in Tarrey Town, that was a person she couldn't forget. The money-loving man with blonde hair and a bushy mustache was ingrained in her memory. Fyson guiltily nodded.
"It was. Sorry about that, Princess," Fyson said, lowering his head in shame. "He's really afraid his rupees will dwindle if you retake the throne. He really can't see there are more important things at stake here…"
"It's quite alright! Please, don't feel guilty about it," Zelda assured him. "In fact, he actually may have made things easier on me. Without the Yiga threat, and spending a little time with those in Hyrule, I've actually decided it is time I claim the throne, if people across the land will accept me. So far, it seems as though I have a good amount of support from those who already know I've returned. I guess I can thank Hagie for that."
At the sound of the princess's rather smug tone, the Rito laughed again.
"Glad to see it ended up helping you," he said. "Still, the promise was broken regardless. Hudson and Rhondson felt awful about it. You might want to tell them that it ended up helping when you see them in the morning."
"I will, but you make it sound as though I'm supposed to see them," Zelda said, perplexed. Stopping in front of one of the colorful buildings, Fyson turned and gave her a confused look of his own.
"You said you were looking for the carpenter, Hudson, right?" he asked.
Zelda recalled the Gerudo-Hylian couple that had sent her off during her last visit.
"Oh! He's the carpenter?" she asked, remembering the burly man's unique bowl-cut hairstyle.
"You didn't know he was the carpenter that built this village? I could have told you that," Celessa teased. Zelda gave her a glare.
"Look, there was a lot happening back when I was here!" she fumed. "I was only in town for a few hours before the Yiga appeared. It's hard to remember everyone you meet in such a short amount of time. Besides, I don't believe anyone actually told me he was the carpenter…"
"Well, the fact you met him and his wife should make things a lot easier for you," Fyson said before gesturing toward the colorful boxy building they stood next to. "This is the Tarrey Town Inn. The Zora, Kapson, is in there renting out beds when not performing wedding ceremonies. I think you may know him from a century ago, Princess— at least, that's what he says."
"We've spoken a few times. He used to be on the Zora Council, though I didn't even realize he wasn't there when I was in the domain yesterday and earlier today," Zelda said, trying to ignore Celessa's latest teasing about remembering a Zora from a century ago, but not many in Tarrey Town. "It'll be good to see him again. Celessa, I said I was only here for a few hours, will you hush?"
"Well, I guess you'll properly meet him tomorrow. For now, I hope you enjoy a more peaceful stay this time around in Tarrey Town!" Fyson said, spreading his wings out. "Oh, and make sure you stop by my shop if you need some gear! I just got some arrows in from Rito Village! See ya!"
With a powerful flap of his wings, the Rito soared into the air, flying back across the plateau toward his shop tables on the other side of town.
"Do you think he came up with that line himself? The 'around in Tarrey Town' part?" Celessa asked as they watched him fly away. "It kind of rhymed."
"I don't think it did," Zelda said.
"I think it did," Celessa said simply.
"Alright, why don't we go inside the inn?" Zelda said suddenly. She loved Celessa to death, but she was joking around a bit more than usual, even when compared to being drunk. It was only then did she realize Celessa might've been coping with what happened earlier that day by joking around. "I think a good night's rest could actually do us all some good."
Nodding in agreement, the Sheikah and pilgrim headed up the stairs toward the inn's door. The Goron didn't follow.
"Are you not coming, Yunobo?" Zelda asked.
"Me? Oh, no. I couldn't fit through one of those doors," he answered. "It's alright, though. I'll find a place out here to sleep. We Gorons can get comfortable anywhere we can curl up. I actually have a friend I might visit. You may have met him when in town, Greyson and his little brother, Pelison?"
"Yes… They ran the ore shop, if memory serves me right," Zelda said.
"That's them!" Yunobo exclaimed. "I'm gonna go say hello before turning in for the night. You have a good evening, Princess!"
"You as well, Yunobo," Zelda said with a slight bow.
With a large smile, the Goron turned, but before he could curl into a ball and roll away, he looked worriedly back at the princess.
"Um… Will those two be okay?" he asked. "They still look a little shaken after what happened…"
"You really have a kind heart, caring so much for those you just met," Zelda said warmly. "They'll be alright. I believe they just need a bit of time, that's all."
"Good. That's good." Yunobo replied. Relieved, he curled up into a ball and rolled away down the path to find his Goron brethren.
Following up the stairs after Paya and Celessa, Zelda pushed open the door to the inn to reveal a beautiful interior. While it wasn't as big as other inns, it certainly had a homey charm to it, one many other inns failed to capture. The walls inside matched the beautiful colors of those on the exterior, and the decor consisted of pretty, finely trimmed potted plants and smooth sanded, filled bookshelves that separated the front desk from the beds. Stepping inside, she looked at the old, red-scaled Zora who was standing behind the reception desk.
"Princess Zelda. It's good to see you again," the Zora said with a small bow. "I didn't think we'd meet after such a long time."
"It's good to see you as well, Kapson," Zelda said, returning the bow. "Um, it is good to see me, yes?"
"It is, worry not," Kapson said. "I may not have been in Zora's Domain during your last visits, but word travels. I know what happened with Lady Mipha, and even if I didn't know, I didn't blame you after we old fish came to our senses when Link saved us from Vah Ruta."
"I appreciate that," Zelda said, reassured.
"Have you been there recently?" Kapson asked.
"We just left this morning. I spoke with the council about… possibly taking my place on the throne– after learning and proving I can handle it, that is," Zelda added quickly, but Kapson simply nodded.
"That's what I'd expect from the council. You have my full support, especially after what happened with the Yiga here in Tarrey Town," the elderly Zora said. "Now, let me not take up any more of your time. Your friends already covered the cost of the inn. They should be just beyond those bookshelves."
"Thank you kindly, and thank you for your support," Zelda said.
With another bow, she headed across the room and between the bookshelves to find two large beds, where Paya and Celessa were setting up for the night.
"Princess, welcome back," Celessa said cheerily. "Man, to think we were planning to reach Goron City today. The goddess has a way of throwing us off track, doesn't she?"
"You could say that," Zelda said, still eying Celessa before looking at the beds between them. "Are there only two beds?"
"There are. Two of us will have to share," Celessa replied, before turning to Paya. "What do you say, Paya? Shall we be bedmates?"
"Huh? O–Oh… S–sure…" the Sheikah said quietly. After a few moments of checking to ensure she was prepared for the night, with her white hair now released from its bun, she stood. "I'll be heading out for a while. I'd like to go pray at the goddess statue in the center of the village. Please excuse me."
"You want to go out alone? Are you sure you'll be okay?" Celessa asked, but Paya simply nodded before walking past Zelda and disappearing behind the other side of the bookcases. Worriedly, Celessa gave the princess a look. "Do you think she'll be alright?"
"I think she just needs to process things her own way. Now that a goddess statue is nearby, I think she'll be able to do so," Zelda said, keeping her eye on Celessa. "How are you doing?"
"Me? I'm fine—" Celessa began, but Zelda gave her a stern glare. Hesitating, Celessa sighed and sat down on the side of one of the beds. "It was terrifying, the guardian was. There aren't many guardians in Akkala because Old Man Robbie took care of them, and most of the guardians in Lanaryu are old or already broken. To have a fully functional guardian coming at you, firing those… death beams…"
Celessa gave a shaky sigh, closing her eyes as she raised both her hands to brush her bangs out of her eyes.
"I can't fight something like that," she said as Zelda quietly moved to sit next to her on the bed. "I reached for my sword when it went after Paya, but… What was I going to do? If Yunobo hadn't come, it would've been all over for us—"
"You saved my life," Zelda said. "Again. You moved me out the way of the guardian laser. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here right now. There aren't many people who can stand up to a guardian. As much as I appreciate and find Yunobo impressive, if the guardian wasn't focused on us, I don't know if he would've fared any better, honestly."
"You had to deal with so many… all of those destroyed guardians…" Celessa said, scrunching her brow above her closed eyes at the thought. "All the guardians we passed by at Fort Hateno on the way to Kakariko… Link fought all of those. Just one was crazy enough, but… all of them?"
"Link saved a lot of lives that day," Zelda said, remembering the day he had fallen in her arms. "He doesn't even remember the actual battle. All he can remember is when he fell."
"Just that one puts so much into perspective… and I've been glorifying it—" Celessa said, but Zelda placed a hand on her shoulder, to which Celessa opened her eyes and met hers.
"That's absurd. No you haven't," Zelda said. "You've done nothing but support me, something I'm most grateful for. Don't let those thoughts get to you, okay?"
Celessa stared into the princess's deep emerald eyes before sighing.
"Come on, I'm supposed to be making sure your thoughts stay in check," she said. "Since when did the roles reverse?"
"Where do you think those thoughts of mine came from?" Zelda asked playfully. The two giggled, finally releasing the pent-up tension.
"Thanks for the talk," Celessa said after a moment. "It really helped. You're pretty wise… When you want to be."
"Don't say it like that!" Zelda scolded. "I'm trying to be better, you know…"
The two laughed again before Celessa looked down at the bed they were sitting on.
"I know we were supposed to be preparing for bed, but I'm really not all that tired," she said. "Maybe my adrenaline is still high from what happened earlier."
"Shall we take a walk? Explore the town?" Zelda asked, pushing herself to her feet. "I saw quite a few lanterns. I'm sure the town would look lovely in the evening hours. Maybe that'll further calm our nerves."
"Sure, why not?" Celessa replied. Pushing herself up as well, the two headed for the front door as the pilgrim said, "so, what do you think Fyson meant about Hudson and Rhondson?"
"What do you mean?" Zelda asked.
"Well, he said they were turning in early for the night, but he didn't say why. Said it wasn't his place," Celessa remarked as they passed the front desk.
"They're trying," Kapson stated simply as they passed by. Pausing, Celessa quickly turned around in excitement.
"They're trying?" she repeated as if ensuring she had heard the Zora correctly. Kapson nodded as Zelda looked confusedly between the two.
"Trying?" she repeated. "Trying what?"
"You're so innocent, it almost hurts," Celessa said. "They're trying, as in trying to have a child!"
"Oh, yes, of course— trying to have a child?" Zelda repeated, now that she understood what they were saying. Flushing, she looked at the elder Zora. "A–are you sure you should be telling us such personal things?"
"I'm the one that married those two. Besides, it's a very normal occurrence shared between true love," Kapson said. "It's a beautiful thing. You young fry act so strange when it comes to these sorts of things."
"It sure is a beautiful thing!" Celessa cheered.
"I still think it's a very personal thing…" Zelda said, but Celessa simply rolled her eyes and tugged at her arm.
"It looks like you have even more to think about now. Come on, let's take our walk," Celessa said, before telling the innkeeper, "thanks for the information!"
Closing the inn's door behind them, Celessa and Zelda walked down the steps and back onto the town's wooden road. The sun was much lower now and nearly obscured by the cliffs in Akkala's distance, the darkening sky a prelude to the oncoming night.
"I still feel wrong for knowing such a thing…" Zelda said, but Celessa only giggled.
"Does it bother you so much because you want to know the details?" she asked.
"Wha– no! Why would you say such a thing?" Zelda asked, still red in the cheeks, but Celessa just gave her a cheeky grin.
"To take notes, of course!" she teased. "Maybe see how Rhondson was able to get Hudson to take the hint. Knowing Link, you could probably use some tips."
"I mean, you're not wrong, she gave me some advice on relationships in the past— I mean, no! Celessa!"
Laughing, the two continued to venture through the town. With the sun setting, it was rather deserted, allowing Zelda to breathe a sigh of relief now that she was sure she wouldn't run into Hagie. He was certainly not a person she wanted to deal with today. For the rest of the evening, she just wanted to relax and allow the earlier events to wash away with the notes ringing in her ears.
Notes? Zelda suddenly thought. Her pointed ears perked up as she looked around while asking, "Celessa, do you hear that?"
"Hm?" Celessa hummed as she and Zelda came to a stop. Placing her hands on her belt, she listened quietly before her ears perked up as well. "Yeah, I do hear that. It almost sounds like a—"
"—a violin," Zelda finished.
It was very faint; if their ears weren't so sensitive, they probably wouldn't have heard it at all. Curious as to where the music was coming from, the two continued to follow the path, listening intently for the source of the serenade. They soon found themselves standing at the entrance gate of Tarrey Town, and while the notes had certainly become more apparent, it was clear they were still a fair distance away. The sun had disappeared completely, leaving only the dim moon and starlight to shine from above. This allowed Zelda to notice something across the natural bridge that connected Tarrey Town to the rest of Akkala's valleys.
"Do you see that?" she asked Celessa, pointing out across the bridge. "That light over there?"
"The orange one? Yeah," Celessa answered. "It looks like a campfire."
"That's where the music is coming from," Zelda said. "Shall we investigate further?"
"I'm not sure why you're asking when you'll just go over there regardless," Celessa chuckled.
After receiving a smile from the princess in return, the two strode across the bridge. At the opposite end, they found the campfire that had beckoned their curiosity, but more notably, they also found a surprisingly fancy, but clearly old carriage. Though obviously travel-worn, its wood had been expertly carved, the sides painted in beautiful greens and reds, with a sleek brown mare harnessed to its front. What surprised them most, however, was the source of the clear, dulcet notes echoing through the valley. Standing in front of the fire, playing a small, wooden instrument that was propped on her shoulder and held under her chin, was a woman. Through the darkness, illuminated by the fire she stood near, Zelda could make out a few strands of familiar purple hair.
"Jules?" she asked through the music.
The bowstring that created the musical vibrations against the violin's strings faltered as the woman jolted in surprise. She quickly turned to reveal a rounder face with much sharper eyes than Jules was known for having. Even both of her eyes were visible, different from the usual one eye that was always covered by Jules's bangs.
"Jules? I–I'm sorry, but I've never heard of that name," the woman said nervously.
"O–oh, n–no, I—" Zelda stammered as her cheeks flushed. "I… had the wrong person. My apologies."
"I–it's fine…" the woman said awkwardly. "Um… is there something I can help you with?"
"Well, we were actually drawn by the sound of your violin," Zelda said, deciding it best to simply move on with the conversation.
"You heard me playing?" the woman asked, her own cheeks taking on a pinkish hue. "I–I'm so sorry! Did I wake you? We decided to camp out here so as to not disturb anyone, but I still ended up waking you—"
"You didn't wake us!" Celessa chimed in quickly. "We couldn't sleep and barely heard it. I doubt those who are sleeping would be awakened by the music, I can promise you that."
"That makes me feel better," the violinist sighed in relief. "I'm not that great at playing yet, so I'd feel awful if I had woken someone."
"Awful? You can't truly believe yourself to be that," Zelda replied with a furrowed brow. "Your music is beautiful."
"You really think so?" the woman asked.
"Of course," Celessa answered. "We were captivated by how soothing it was. Why would you consider yourself bad?"
"I… Well…" the woman murmured. "I guess it's not that I consider myself bad, I just know I can improve."
With a longing gaze, she looked over at the carriage beside them.
"I was just invited to this group, and we have dreams. I need to keep practicing so we can achieve our goals."
"There's more of you?" Zelda asked. The woman nodded.
"We just formed this little troupe. We call ourselves the Stable Trotters," the woman said. "A pretty silly name, but we chose it because we travel around and mainly play at stables. We want to play for more than just travelers, though."
"Like villages and others?" Celessa asked. The woman nodded excitedly.
"That, yes, and… You may find this silly, but… we also want to play for… the Great Fairies."
"The Great Fairies," Zelda murmured, remembering the Great Fairy, Cotera in Kakariko Village. "How many of them are there?"
"There's four of them. We're told they're all sisters," the woman explained. "There's also a rumor going around that they love music, so we want to play for them— all of them. It would be a dream come true."
"You'll have a hard time getting to the Great Fairy in Kakariko," Celessa said quietly, receiving an elbow to her arm from Zelda in response.
"I think that's a wonderful dream… er…" the princess hesitated.
"Violynne. My name's Violynne," the woman responded with a kind smile. Noticing the perplexed looks on her guest's faces she blushed even further. "It's a coincidence… All of our names are, I swear…"
"What are the rest of your names—?" Celessa began to ask, but suddenly the carriage creaked. Everyone turned to see a small boy, no older than four or five, peeking out from behind the wooden walls.
"Violynne… is it morning? It's still dark…" the little boy said tiredly, rubbing one of his eyes.
"Nope, it's still evening. Lay back down, Pyper; I'll keep playing in a minute," Violynne said soothingly to the child. Without question, the little boy disappeared inside the carriage again. Smiling, the violinist turned back to Zelda and Celessa. "That's Pyper. He's an orphan we picked up not too long ago. Again, it's coincidental but… by his name, I'm sure you can guess he has a talent for playing—"
"The flute," Zelda answered. Violynne nodded.
"He's so young, but loves the music," she said. "He would play for a girl his age at the stable we stopped by. He asked to come along in order to become better. I think he wants to play for her again. It's cute."
"Awww, young love! Look at the little man," Celessa practically sang. Zelda giggled lightly before looking back at the carriage. It was sweet.
"I'm sorry, but we never gave you our own names," the princess said, returning her attention to the violinist. "This is Celessa, and I'm Zelda—"
"Zelda? The princess of old that's rumored to have returned?" a high-pitched voice suddenly sang.
From behind Violynne, who turned at the sound of the voice, a man only slightly taller than Robbie could be seen bouncing toward them, with two others carrying boxes behind him. He was a very round man, shaped like a ball with two short, thin legs. His head was almost the same size as his body, with an extremely long, pointed nose to match his ears, a distinctive mustache, and curly, shoulder-length hair. He wore a tall, intricate hat decorated with a variety of colors that perfectly coordinated with each individual of the group that now surrounded Zelda and Celessa.
Bouncing around Violynne, he came to a halt on his tiny feet and looked up at Zelda.
"You are that Zelda, yes?" the man asked quickly.
"I am, yes," Zelda replied down to him, trying not to be thrown off by the man's different features.
"You're just going to have to accept it's true for now," Celessa said. "You can ask those in Tarrey Town in the morning for confirmation."
"Oh, I don't need that," the small man bounced excitedly. "I can tell by the way she carries herself. That's a princess right there—"
"Uh, Mastro, sorry to interrupt, but where do you want these supplies?" one of the men who had been carrying boxes behind the small round man asked. He was a taller, slightly thicker man with a shortcut and rectangular glasses.
"Yeah, man, we've been carrying these since we left the stable down the path. They're heavy," said a thin, darker-skinned man with thick, sandy–colored locks.
It was only now Zelda realized all of them were wearing similar clothing, striped red-and-black pants with a white blazer, decorated with a green vest and red scarves. However, Violynne wore black pants instead of striped ones, more like Zelda's own dark, form-fitting pants.
"Just put them in Breezer!" the man known as Mastro squeaked.
"But be careful not to wake Pyper, Beetz!" Violynne added.
"Can do! Come on, Eustus," the dark-skinned man named Beetz said. Nodding at the man with glasses, whose name was apparently Eustus, he began to softly chant a particular beat as they moved toward the rundown carriage, "badum badum beedum…"
"Are all of your names really instruments—?" Celessa began to ask, to which Mastro quickly answered.
"It's a coincidence," the maestro said, but he seemed far more enthusiastic about it than Violynne had. "But it's a coincidence I say the goddess herself had planned. We'll be the best troupe this old land has ever seen! That way, we can play for not just Hylians, or Rito, or Gorons, but even the Great Fairies themselves!"
"If all of you are as good as Violynne, I'd say you'll have no trouble at all with that," Zelda said kindly as Celessa quietly mumbled something about whether or not what Mastro explained really made it a coincidence.
"She is a master at her violin, isn't she?" Mastro said excitedly, gesturing toward the bashful woman. "I have confidence in all of our musical talents… but…"
"But?" Zelda repeated.
"We've never performed in front of such an… esteemed audience before," Mastro said, looking downcast at the ground. "It's hard to prepare to play for such splendid beauty. The band… They get nervous every time we try to go see one of the fairies themselves. As much as I believe every person is special to play for, it's certainly hard to get past that flustered feeling when standing before the exquisite fountain of the Great Fairy."
"I could certainly see that as nerve-wracking," Celessa said thoughtfully. "But, if you give it your all, I'm sure you can overcome your fear—"
"Why not practice for me?" Zelda suddenly spoke up.
"For you?" the maestro exclaimed, bouncing again on his little feet. "For the ancient princess of Hyrule? Why, of course, we'd—"
"I–I dunno about that," Violynne said nervously. "I didn't realize you were a princess, and one from such a past when the kingdom was still around… You've probably heard way finer music than ours."
"Violynne isn't wrong," the bespectacled Eustus said, peering out from behind the carriage known as Breezer. "I'm glad you liked her violin playing, but… as a group, I don't think we'd be able to match such pristine notes you possibly heard back in the day."
"Nonsense!" Zelda said earnestly, something that took the group by surprise. "I loved your music, Violynne. That's why we came all the way out here from Tarrey Town in the first place! If that's how she plays alone, then I'm sure together you all sound magnificent!"
"You hear that?" Mastro said, bouncing even higher. "The princess of Hyrule believes in us! Are we really going to shy away from a chance like this, when the princess herself says we can impress her?"
Despite the maestro's encouraging words, the group, with Beetz having returned, looked hesitantly amongst themselves.
"Come on, you lot!" the maestro attempted again in his high-pitched voice. "We're the Stable Trotters! We have a dream to play for the Great Fairies! How can we do that if we can't take any steps forward? Beetz!"
Surprised at being singled out, the dark-skinned man stepped completely out from behind Breezer.
"You create the best beats this land has ever heard on your drum," the maestro said. "You have a beat going even when you aren't playing! Eustus!"
The bespeckled man looked around before pointing at himself.
"Your horn, the way you can control your breathing, is unmatched!" Mastro exclaimed. "Violynne!"
"Y–yes?" the woman responded.
"Your notes are so smooth, it's as if you've waxed your bowstring with butter," Mastro said before looking at the entire group. "And if Pyper was awake, I'd tell him his enthusiasm to play his flute sets him apart from anyone else! We have something here! Don't you all see?"
While it seemed as though the maestro's words had touched their hearts, the troupe still seemed uneasy at the thought of playing for the princess of Hyrule.
"You said you were afraid the notes you all played wouldn't be as elegant as those played for me in the castle a century ago, yes?" Zelda asked. The group nodded timidly. "Then let me tell you this; all those notes they played were stale. Beautiful, yes, and I appreciated them for playing, but… Just from Violynne's playing, I can already see you have something those in the castle didn't. You all have heart."
This took the group aback. Again, they all looked at each other as Zelda's words sank in.
"That's what puts you above those at the castle. If I were made to choose to listen between the minstrels and the—Stable Trotters, was it?— I'd choose you all without question."
"You… You really believe that, Princess?" Eustus asked, stepping forward slightly after a moment of silence. "Just by hearing Violynne's playing alone?"
"If you all have the same love of music as she does, then without a doubt in my mind," Zelda said with a warm smile.
"Come on, everyone," Celessa chimed in. "Can you really deny the princess of Hyrule when she's practically begging you to play for her?"
"Celessa—"
"No, no, no, she's right!" the maestro jumped as he looked at his group. "Will you really deny this pleading princess of her wish?"
After another moment of silence, Beetz spoke up.
"What would we be playing for?" he asked. "If it were just to listen to us, you'd ask to have us play for you now, wouldn't you? Is there something else going on?"
"You're right, there is something else going on," Zelda answered honestly. "I'm throwing a festival for my knight, the Hero of Hyrule who saved us from the Calamity Ganon. He's been doing his utmost for us and I wish to show him just how much we all care. It's in only a few week's time on the beaches of Lurelin. I'd love for you all to be there and play for it."
"A festival, huh?" Beetz muttered. As the group thought silently, Celessa spoke up with a cheeky grin.
"She left out that she's in love with her knight, and she really wants to bond with him during this event," she said, causing a blush to appear on Zelda round cheeks. "You guys will give them the opportunity to really get close and show it!"
"True love between a princess and her knight!" Mastro practically chanted.
"Aw!" Violynne cried out before turning to the rest of her group. "Can we really say no to that?"
"I… don't think we can," Beetz chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Eustus?"
"Yeah. I'm in," Eustus replied. "We have to start somewhere, right?"
"Ya-hoo-hooo!" the round maestro chanted, jumping high in the air with a spin, almost bumping into Zelda and Celessa's noses with how high he managed to get. "We're playing! A true performance— I mean— a performance!"
"Mastro—!" Violynne tried to shush, but after a few moments, the tired child peeked out of Breezer again.
"We're performing?" he asked tiredly.
"We sure are!" the maestro cheered as Violynne lowered her head in defeat. Excitedly, he turned back to Zelda. "You said in Lurelin, yes?"
"That's correct, yes," Zelda nodded. With another jump and a spin, Mastro faced his troupe again.
"Pyper will have plenty of time to sleep, because we're headed for Lurelin Village right this moment!" he said. "We have only a few weeks to practice, so everyone hop into Breezer!"
"N—now?" Eustus asked.
"Now!"
"Now it is," Beetz said before turning his attention to Zelda. "It was nice meeting you, Princess. I hope we impress you in a few weeks time!"
"I'm glad you came over to speak with me," Violynne said, stepping forward as Beetz and Eustus climbed into the carriage behind her. She held her violin close to her chest as she bowed. "It wasn't really a performance, but I'm glad you enjoyed my playing. I'll make sure to do my best during your festival."
"I'm looking forward to it," Zelda said, returning her bow. "Please, travel safely."
"We'll all make you proud, now let's get a move on, Violynne," Mastro hurried, practically tugging Violynne by the arm.
With everyone in the carriage, the round maestro jumped into the air and landed in the front seat. Grabbing the reins, he spurred the brown mare forward. Clip-clopping away, the mare pulled the rickety carriage, turning around before heading up the valley toward the Lanaryu and Necluda regions. Watching as the troupe vanished into the evening darkness, Zelda and Celessa stood by each other, waving goodbye.
"We tend to run into a lot of strange things, don't we?" Celessa asked when 'Breezer' completely disappeared.
"You aren't wrong, but I'm glad we do," Zelda said. "We meet a lot of very interesting people. Shall we head back?"
"Before a monster shows up with just us out here alone? I'd say we should," Celessa replied.
With a nod, the two traveled back across the bridge and under the town's gateway, stopping only when they reached the goddess statue that Paya was still praying at. Approaching quietly so as not to startle her, they found her in her usual praying position, on her knees with her head bowed down toward her clasped hands.
"Come on, Paya," Celessa said, placing a gentle hand on the quiet Sheikah's shoulder. "I know you're praying, but it's late. We really need to get some sleep."
The tired Sheikah looked at the hand before looking up at the two women. Though she seemed reluctant, she nodded before standing. Allowing the two to guide her to the inn, they entered and disappeared behind the bookshelves, where Zelda took one bed and the other two shared the second one.
...
The sound of rustling sheets forced Zelda's eyes to reopen. Grumbling, she turned in her sheets, expecting to see Celessa sleeping sloppily, for it was the only thing she could imagine so early in the morning. From the small windows, it was clear the moon was still high above them, shining its dim white light through the glass planes. She was surprised to see that it wasn't Celessa moving around in her sleep, but Paya.
Sleeping on the side of the bed where Zelda could see her, she watched as Paya shifted. Her face was scrunched up in fear, even though it was clear her eyes were still closed, lost in her slumber. She mumbled a few things Zelda couldn't make out, but it was clear whatever she was experiencing wasn't enjoyable. Propping herself up onto her elbow, Zelda called her name.
"Paya?" she whispered. "Paya? Are you alright?"
The Sheikah didn't respond. She continued to twist and turn, still lost in her deep slumber. Worried, Zelda pushed the sheets off her own body. Lightly placing her bare feet onto the wooden floorboards, she quietly went over to Paya's bedside and crouched to her knees. Locating her arm, Zelda placed her hand on top of hers, something that seemed to bring the struggling sleeper relief.
"It's alright," Zelda cooed. "That guardian can't hurt you here. I promise you."
She didn't believe Paya could hear her, but her words actually seemed to soothe the Sheikah's mind, so much so that her deep thoughts were able to collect enough to utter a name:
"Master… Link…"
At the call of his name, Paya gripped Zelda's hand a bit tighter, but this, along with the name she spoke, took Zelda aback. Was Paya dreaming about… Link?
...
Tired and hungry, Link walked out of the camp he had just finished clearing. This time, it was a fully-fledged camp, built in a forest similar to the other floors. Instead of a campfire or a wooden tree fortress, it was built inside a large skull-shaped cave, filled with explosives and inhabited by blue and black bokoblins. While he was able to clear the bokoblins out with ease–shooting an arrow through a lantern string so that it fell onto the explosives–the hard part was the tall, lanky moblins that guarded the exterior of the cave with large clubs. It took days to plan out how to deal with them.
Once destroyed, he searched the camp as best he could, but thanks to the explosion, most of the weapons and food had burned away, something he hadn't really thought about in his exhausted and starved desperation to finish the camp. Thankfully, a few bits of food and materials had survived; a couple of burned apples, a few pieces of seared meat, and the large clubs the moblins had used to attack him with.
"It's been five floors, but it has to have been over a week since I arrived in these trials," Link said, having resorted to speaking out loud the day before. "At this rate… I might not make it. I've gotta be more careful if I'm gonna blow stuff up…"
Mentally kicking himself, he snacked on what little food he had before looking at the circular light that sat in the grass waiting for him. He was thirsty, extremely thirsty. There hadn't been much water in any of the floors he had come across, and if this one had water, he surely just blew it up. After a moment of contemplation, he put the clubs on his back (ignoring how they felt heavier than usual to him now) and headed for the teleport pad.
"Even if I stay here to rest, I'll die of dehydration if I wait too long," he said through dry lips."I have to hope there will be some water on this next floor…"
Stepping into the light, he felt his body become weightless before the exhaustion returned, a sign he had been moved to the next floor. Before he could even take in his surroundings, the room violently shook. This floor was far more open than any of the others, with only a few large trees lining the walls. Immediately, Link looked at the center of the room to find the source of the quake. To his horror, he watched as a large beast, a living boulder with smaller boulders for arms and legs stood before him.
"Oh, come on!" Link shouted as he began dashing away, avoiding the projectile rocks the giant had lobbed toward him. "A talus? A talus?"
Forcing his exhausted legs to move, he darted behind one of the limited trees in the room, just in time for a boulder to slam into its trunk. The tree creaked and cracked, but stood tall as it defended the Hylian that sheltered behind it.
"I don't have the strength to simply climb and strike it… I've gotta find another way," Link said tiredly, peeking from behind the tree as he watched the stone giant stomp its way toward him. Looking around, he quickly spotted more of the red-painted barrels he had used before. "Well, this goes against what I just said earlier, but I don't have much of a choice!"
He glanced between the oncoming talus and the explosives, waiting for the giant to get closer in order to time the attack right, before dashing from behind the tree. Running, he headed for the next tree over, where the barrels sat waiting at the roots, but he ensured he wouldn't go so far the talus would try throwing another boulder at him. Finally, he stood in front of the barrels, watching as the talus stomped closer to him. He could feel each stomp—each vibration— course through his exhausted body as the beast drew closer, yet he held his position. Finally, the stone talus stood tall in front of him as it raised its stone fist. Dashing forward again, Link dove and slid between the talus's legs as it struck the ground again, squarely hitting the barrels as it did.
With a deafening boom, the barrels exploded, chipping stones off the talus. Stumbling back, the stone giant came crashing down, revealing a large, protruding, shiny stone on top. Taking his chance, Link darted forward and climbed the side of the giant as it rumbled, starting to push itself back up. Breathing heavily and trying to maintain his balance, Link pulled a club from off his back.
"Don't fall!" he shouted to himself as he began to spin around. With one, two, three strikes, the black stone shattered.
With another rumble, the boulders that made up the talus's body came crashing down as another blue teleport pad appeared. Falling down to the ground with the boulders, Link looked up from the grass to see the pad before looking around.
"Still… no water?" he asked out loud. "Or even food? What am I supposed to do here? If the next floor is harder than this, I'm done for…"
Dragging himself up from the grass, he grabbed his club and limped over to the pad. As he became weightless, he prayed to the Master Sword that it would be something a bit easier, that there wouldn't be a large monster standing before him ready to attack. The moment he felt the pain and exhaustion return to his body, he opened his eyes, expecting to see another floor of forests, but that's not what he found.
Instead, he found a much smaller floor. It still had the same walls, and bright light, but it was all more condensed. Trees lined the walls, along with what appeared to be a few chests. Behind the trees were small ponds of water, which upon seeing caused Link to drop his club and immediately dash for. He ran past the chests, the trees, and the wooden boxes before falling to his knees at the water's edge. Desperately, he splashed his face into the water, where he drank deeply for several minutes straight before finally raising his head with a gasp. That was exactly what he needed: hydration.
For a few more minutes, he continued drinking from the pond until he picked himself back up. Brushing his wet bangs away from his eyes, he took in the sight of the room, noticing the cooking pot and another pond nearby, where he saw fish jumping from the waters. With a sigh, he placed his hands on his hips and looked up at the illuminated ceiling.
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you…" he mumbled quietly. After taking a moment to breathe, he continued to verbally plan out his time on the floor. "I'll catch the fish, cook them, and save them. I think I see a fairy over there; I don't have the slate so I'll use her to heal now, as much as I'd like to take her with me as a second try. All that's left is to see what's in these…"
Walking over, he inspected the chests that were lined up before him. Reaching down, he tried to pull one open, but it didn't budge. Annoyed, he kicked the chest, instantly regretting it when pain seared through his barefoot toes. He jumped up, bringing his foot up to his hands as the chest opened, revealing a perfectly fine weapon.
"An Eightfold Blade… I haven't seen one of these in a while," Link said, twirling the knife around as he ignored the pain in his foot. "Weapons, huh? Good… Good…"
With a sigh, he looked around the room one more time.
"I'll take the weapons, cook, and then rest… then…"
He looked up at the staircase sitting near the back between the ponds, where another blue light pad sat waiting for him.
"I'll keep moving toward the end of this thing. The Deku Tree was right… This is tough."
