Bazz relaxed in the soothing warm waters of his sleeping quarters. It wasn't quite as deep as he would have liked, but it was comfortable. It was better than wrapping himself in thick, stuffy, and suffocating blankets, and the once bothersome crackling of burning wood was nothing more than background noise these days.
Times had changed since he was knee high. Again they changed when the Calamity was released, and again when it was defeated. And again they changed when the prince became king and the Zora were faced once again with crisis anew that they could not fight against, eventually leading him to become lost in the Dark World long ago. Sidon and all the Zora he had known had perished in the long centuries which had passed in the World of Light while only a little over a hundred years had gone by for him. Yet life went on as it always did.
Life, he mused, was a current. Sometimes it was gentle and allowed freedom of what to do. Other times it was as perilous as a thunderstorm with no safety in sight, save for the company of others.
He simply had to adapt and face whatever the world handed him next.
And unfortunately, right when he had finally began to relax, the world intruded, knocking loudly on his front door. And at this hour of night...! Who else in their right mind would bother him this late?
A voice cried out from the dark and cold outdoors. Inwardly, Bazz sighed.
"Cap! Hey Cap, are ya awake!?" It was Nan, the new recruit. A kid who, despite her youth and shocking naivety, was generally the responsible type. "Please open up, we need your help!"
Startled to his feet, he splashed water all over the floor of his bed chamber making a mess on the tiles. A problem for later. Bazz grabbed his tunic off the hook and slung it over his head, an item he only wore in the worse of winter's chill, and stepped into the main room of his small cottage.
Nan was already inside. He huffed at this. It seemed the Gerudo had taught her how to pick locks. Typical. "Don't lockpick the doors of bachelor officers, Nan," he chided. "You can't know what state of undress they might be in, or worse, what they might be doing."
Nan blushed, turning aside briefly. Anytime was the perfect time for discipline, and Nan needed to develop respectful habits if she ever hoped to become a full-fledged knight someday. Though she was still quite far from that, really.
"What happened?" he asked, moving to the topic at hand.
Nan stood straighter, all embarrassment gone, replaced by a shockingly determined expression. Inwardly he smiled at her quick ability to regain her composure, but kept his face stern. It had taken her six months to get this far. "Ruuya and I got trapped in the blizzard – she wanted to give some sort of sacrifice to some goddess…"
"Din?" But her education in some areas was notably lacking. How had Lady Alysse let such a thing slip? Nan didn't even know the most base things about religion and mythology!
Nan nodded. "I went with her because the roads are perilous to travel alone."
Bazz crossed his arms, his lip quirking slightly upwards on one side. That was clearly an excuse. "Did she bring cookies?" he asked.
Nan gasped slightly, then covered her mouth with her hands. Internally, he sighed. Perhaps he had been too proud of her composure earlier.
"Led by your sweet tooth again, I see. Ha!" He cracked a crooked smile. "...I suppose you're not alone in that regard. When I was your age, the Bazz Brigade would always sneak some Chu Jelly Rolls whenever my mother baked them for the goddess Nayru. She must have known-"
"Do you always have to be so sentimental, Captain Bazz?" demanded a new and very annoyed voice from behind Nan. Its owner, Vaati, stepped into the house a moment later, leaving the door wide open and letting in the wind and winter chill. Snowflakes swirled around him and his cloak swished in his wake, all amounting to a properly melodramatic entrance befitting the Lord of Windfall. Bazz, however, just rolled his eyes. "My apprentice is stuck," Vaati continued, tersely. "She was a fool and got trapped in a blizzard before falling down a hole. We came here because we need more rope."
"Rope," the old Zora repeated mildly. He couldn't have heard right. "Rope? You're a Wind Mage! Certainly you could compose some spell and lift her out of-"
Vaati raised a hand. "That's not how magic works, you foolish child." Bazz flattened his lips. He was far from being a child, even when compared to the terribly ancient Wind Mage. "Even the most terrible wind spell is useless for such a delicate rescue. What? Do you think a tornado could lift her out without tearing her to shreds?"
Bazz fought to keep his expression neutral. He had lived through some utterly bizarre and surreal events. A wind sorcerer not using his magic didn't even rate in the top five.
"Flow often used threads of air to move things," he offered. Far be it from him to tell a wizard how to use his magic. If he did that, Vaati might turn him into a sharkman again. He was tired of being a shark, he had been one for over a century in the Dark World.
Vaati let out a scoffing huff. "Air threads move light things over short distances. It would take too many threads and too much magic sustained over a long period of time to lift her out." A single fang poked out of his mouth in a grimace. "It would not be possible to extract her in time. Aside from that, it would be foolish to use that spell here."
Why, of course, he didn't explain. Powerful mages, it seemed, were loath to give explanations on exactly how their magic worked to outsiders. They were even loath to do so to other mages who were not their apprentices. It was as though they feared an explanation would somehow stifle their power, or tarnish their image.
Much to Bazz's surprise, however, Vaati continued to ramble and explain.
"Worse, if I did so, I would be so terribly drained from it…" Vaati paused then shook his head. "Each spell takes a lump of your magical reserves and each time you perform the air thread spell it sucks at them as long as you sustain the spell. And each thread is dependent on one casting of the spell. It's one of those spells which requires you to continue to fuel it with power to keep it going, of course, much like Nayru's Love. But even a pitiful mage such as yourself should know that." The Savior of Windfall grinned, both fangs peeking out.
Bazz nodded, keeping himself stilled despite the anger he felt rising within. Vaati's pompousness had always irked him. For such a heroic figure, the ancient mage had less modesty than a Goron asleep in a hot spring.
"Ah, I see," he said instead. "Then I'll fetch my cloak."
"And more rope!" Vaati repeated.
Bazz rolled his eyes, retrieving rope, cloak, and spear. He grabbed the bow and quiver beside the door as well, then rejoined them in the main room. "Let's hurry then."
"Here Cap," said Nan, pulling out a bottle of light orange potion. "Haveta drink this to keep warm."
He took the proffered drink, and the three stepped out into the wintry night. The trek, led by the ever resourceful Nan, was surprisingly uneventful. No keese came, no wizzrobes. There was not even the howl of wolfos in the night. Instead, the clouds had retreated, full moon and the pinpricks of stars lighting their way, though the air was still chill with a light snowfall. His mother had always said the Goddess of Wisdom watched out for her followers and fools on nights like these, for both fools and the wise were simply different sides of the same medallion, and most people, he had found, were both.
They came at last to a low peak topped with the telltale signs of some old ruins: cobblestone walkways barely peeking out under the snow, elegant colonnades speckling the ground, and a few larger columns topped with swirls and foreign beasts. He couldn't guess how old these were, of course. They could have been older than him or younger. He had been inside the Dark World for decades, after all, and centuries had passed in the World of Light. But instead of stopping in the ruins proper, they passed beyond, going northeast until they came to a small branch sticking out of the ground. A sash of forest green had been tied around the top, a makeshift flag to mark the spot.
Bazz arrived at it first, his longer legs and taller frame having carried him ahead of the others once he had spotted the marker. Vaati huffed, leaning heavily on his staff, the lantern filled with light still in his hands. Nan brought up the rear, keeping watch for any creatures that might attack them in the long, dark night. Still, the first hint of day could now barely be seen on the horizon, only a slender red line in the east.
"This is it?" Bazz asked.
"Yup," Nan said, catching up to him. She panted slightly. "I know you've got old eyes, Captain Bazz. Not that-"
"Nan."
"-great for seeing in the dark," she said, letting her tongue run free. No restraint, this girl. He covered his eyes with his free hand. "The hole's over here." She pointed a little further from the marker at dark, flattened snow.
This time he did sigh. His eyes were not that bad. Still, he squinted in the frail winter twilight, his eyes having followed where the child had pointed. Admittedly, it took them a moment to adjust, and it wasn't until Vaati arrived with his strange light that he actually saw more than a hint of the pit.
"How deep is it?" he asked, bending down beside the hole, his head dangling over the top. "I can't see the bottom even with your light, Lord Vaati."
"Deeper than twelve feet at least," Vaati said. Nan flinched at this, no doubt scared for her friend's safety. "That foolish girl's lucky to have survived the fall."
Bazz looked up at this, surprised to hear even the slightest hint of concern in the voice of the ancient mage. Though perhaps he was mistaken. It was probably just an act for Nan's sake.
"Yes. We'll want a sturdy branch to bear her weight…" Bazz said, climbing to his feet while leaning on his spear. His legs and back protested slightly at this action; they didn't like being in such a cramped position anymore. Nan opened her mouth to make a comment, but Bazz gave her a stern look. "I'll go and retrieve it, I want you...and, if he's willing, Lord Vaati, to test how far this pit goes…"
With that, he headed down to the small grove of trees at the base of the ruins, ignoring the damn mage's protests. Vaati no doubt hated being told what to do, but Bazz needed a breath of fresh air after dealing with the ancient mage for the better part of two hours. Quickly, he found a suitable branch that had been knocked off a strong oak tree in last night's snowstorm. He dusted it off, and carried it back up to where he had left the others. Age had not weakened him that much yet, he was as fit as he had been when he had fallen into the Dark World protecting King Sidon...he shook his head. Enough of that. He would be back with the other two shortly, he could reminiscence later.
As he grew closer to where he left the grumpy mage and new recruit, he caught wind of a strange conversation.
"Be glad this rope is not an actual rope, child," shouted Vaati, crouching down in front of the pit. Much to Bazz's surprise, he was alone. Where was Nan?
Oh Great Vah Ruta, no.
Bazz sprinted the rest of the way, joining Vaati beside the hole. The old mage looked up, grinning slightly, his fangs peeking out from under his lips. "You were taking so long, Bazz," he said. "The rope's more than long enough. Nan decided to hop down and tie the rope around Ruuya's waist. She thought my staff sturdy enough to carry her own weight as she descended. Children these days. They're so...very impulsive."
Said staff was wilting slightly in the middle, straining under the girl's weight. "At your suggestion, no doubt," Bazz said.
To this, Vaati shrugged. "You have no proof of that, captain. Probably needs some discipline, that foolish girl. Make sure you carry it out."
What is this truly about? he wondered. Still, Bazz found himself nodding his head. He didn't like the idea, but Vaati was still his liege and would make sure that the villagers questioned his abilities and authority if Bazz didn't do as Vaati pleased. The mage could certainly be a conniving snake.
"Of course," Bazz said.
"I've found her, Vaati!" Nan called.
Bazz gasped. Nan had dropped the old mage's honorific in public? What was that girl thinking? No wonder she had provoked Vaati to anger. His ego was a buttress for his anger, a strong fort to defend the angry mage hidden within. Tear those walls down, and all he had left was his wrath, his fury. The fire that lurked inside.
Once again, subtle Nan was not. Bazz needed to have a talk with her later, at the very least. He hated to admit it, but Vaati had a point. Respecting those in authority was important, no matter how much you disliked them...most of the time.
"Is Cap back?" Nan called up.
"Indeed," Bazz answered, his voice ricocheting down the earthen walls of the pit. He could just see Nan's lamp in the darkness below, a pinpoint of light. "Tie the rope securely around Ruuya's waist, Nan. Then we'll pull her up and throw it back down. You'll have to be patient, this time."
For a moment, no answer came. Then the murmuring of voices drifted up, and tension Bazz hadn't been aware of was released from his shoulders. He paid them little mind, and instead went to work on untying the rope from the staff. He then spun it around the thick branch and tied one end to his own waist. The makeshift pulley system would have to work. He just hoped he had enough strength to bring up both young women.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yep!" Nan waved, the pinprick of light moving from side to side. "Cya in a bit, Cap!"
Bazz planted his feet into the snow and spread them apart, grimacing. He mentally asked Nayru for extra strength to pull off this feat. Returning to the village without either of the girls was unacceptable.
"Alright," he said. "Here we go!" He leaned back, putting his weight into lugging up Ruuya. It was rather smooth all things considered. Certainly easier than it would be to haul up Nan. The thought did not comfort him in the slightest.
In almost no time at all, Ruuya's head and shoulders peaked over the edge of the hole. Bazz edged forward, carefully keeping the length of rope from slipping back down. Once close enough, he placed one foot on the rope to keep it still, bent down, and slipped his hands under her arms and hoisted her the rest of the way up.
Eyes wide and stifling a gasp, Ruuya shivered in the cold, her skin having turned a pale shade of grey-brown, her lips chapped and discolored. The sleeves of her coat hung uselessly, stiff with ice and snow, her arms hugging her body for warmth. Almost as soon as she was standing beside them, Ruuya nearly collapsed, but Bazz caught her, holding her as still as he could.
"You," Bazz said, glaring at Vaati. "Lord Vaati. Untie this rope."
"You imbecile," Vaati growled, fangs showing. "What do you think-"
"Do it," he said sternly. As a tart afterthought, he added: "my lord. Unless you want to explain to Alysse why you left her daughter down in a hole."
That last bit seemed to be the right thing to say. Vaati glared, the look in his eyes promising unpleasant things under different circumstances. "Fine!" he spat. "If only to get out of this miserable weather sooner!" He made quick work of the knot, then Bazz took it and threw it back down into the pit.
"Let her lean on you for a moment," he said, finally letting Ruuya go. He needed to concentrate on getting Nan out for now. He couldn't help both her and that poor Gerudo alone. Hopefully Vaati would do as he asked.
"Ugh," Vaati said from behind. "Not only did you cost me a good night's rest, you also cost me my cloak."
"Thank you," Ruuya half-muttered. Bazz was surprised she had any strength left to speak.
"You humans are truly tenuous things," said Vaati. "You are the most annoying woman I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Honestly, what were you thinking? This storm has been a nuisance even to me, and you decide to go traipsing off the obvious path across the lake!"
Bazz grunted under the strain as he continued to hoist Nan up to safety. A part of him found it amazing that Vaati could say such things to someone in Ruuya's state. Then again, Vaati had the tact of a moblin.
"Why would you do that?" Vaati continued. "You're a thief who refuses to listen to reason, and now, here you are, frozen from your head to your toes."
"Sorry," Ruuya muttered. Bazz continue to work, grimacing in effort and at Vaati's tactless insults. Nan was certainly heavier than he had expected. Dear Nayru. Perhaps the only discipline she needed was a strict, cookie-less diet.
"Do you realize how disastrous this evening has been? I had Alysse pounding at my door! Alysse! That woman is about as stubborn as you are about everything, except she's worse." The exasperation at that last word was palpable. "Then her child runs in, blathering on about keese and wizzrobes, and suddenly I'm out here, in the cold, instead of resting my feet by the fire. All to find out our rope isn't long enough! The nerve of it. Perhaps I should turn it into a snake!"
At long last Bazz pulled Nan up, the girl pulling herself out of the pit as soon as she reached the edge, saving him the trouble. He was grateful for that. The whole experience had served to remind him that he wasn't exactly a young Zora anymore. He would certainly be feeling this in the morning.
"Thanks!" Nan said, giving him a hug, forgetting all about things like ranks and protocol. It was terribly improper for a recruit to embrace their superior officer. But Bazz found he was too tired to care. Nan was still just a child after all, and this had been a harrowing night, even if he had only been involved in part of it.
"And then I had to retrieve Captain Bazz, that sentimental shark-"
"I can see that, Vaati. Bazz is the only Zora in hundreds of miles. It's hard to miss," Ruuya replied, glancing over at Bazz and Nan who were starting to make their way over to join them. "I won't do this again, I promise."
"You promise?" Vaati laughed, then grumbled something unintelligible. "You obviously can't keep yourself in check! Once we get back to Windfall, you are going to stay at Alysse's home until you no longer resemble a damned tropical bluegill. If you sneak out just once, I will ban you from those sweet rolls you love so much. You will never make a potion again. You'll never search for herbs. You will never even see another book. You will wish you stayed in that damned pit! Am I making myself clear, girl? How dare you inconvenience me like this!"
"Lord Vaati," Bazz said, stepping forward. "I think she gets the point."
Ruuya nodded at him gratefully, falling silent once again. The sudden burst of energy she had displayed earlier was gon. She wilted, then slumped to her knees, almost dragging Vaati down into the snow with her. Bazz strung one of her arms over his shoulders and grabbed his spear from his back, leaning on it for support.
"This is bad ," he said, gesturing at Ruuya with his spear. He then looked over at Vaati. "We need to get back. Now. You can yell at her all you want later, my lord. It wouldn't do for her to die of hypothermia out here."
"Die?" Nan asked, her eyes round with shock. "But we saved her!"
"Come on," he said, refusing to explain further. There wasn't much time left, though the fact that Ruuya was both conscious and alert was a good sign. Those spicy elixirs were truly amazing drinks, but even warming potions couldn't fight off the cold forever... "I'll need your help, Nan. Take her other arm."
And with that, four weary figures left the ruins west of Windfall, tired, worn out, but very much alive. Or so Bazz hoped, he could only pray to Nayru that they hadn't been too late to save this young Gerudo. His parents, he thought, would have found it bemusing that their wayward son had finally found an ounce of faith.
It had only taken a dip in the Dark World to change him.
/-/
All Vaati wanted was warmth. Warm food for his belly, warm drink for his hands, and a bucket of lava to burn his toes on until he forgot, exactly, what cold felt like. Perhaps that last one was a bit extreme, but he was getting damned tired of this stupid wintry waste land, and even coming home did not absolve his troubles.
No, it only served to inflame them. Yes, his house was warm, someone had wisely kept the fire going all through the night and into the morn, so that his house was warm when he returned from his heroic rescue mission, but that someone was, indeed, the last person he wanted to see. Especially considering the state of the person he had rescued through his own guile and cunning, Nan and that Zora had only lended a hand.
"What have you done?" asked Alysse, emerging from the kitchen with arm fulls of canteens in her hands. She glanced from the white-faced Nan, to Vaati, then to the shivering Bazz, then her gaze settled on Ruuya. "What have you done, Vaati?"
"It's so hot," Ruuya muttered, only a slit of amber eyes peering out below her thick eyelashes. Vaati nearly jumped. He had thought his apprentice had lost conscious a half-hour ago, even with extra bottles of spicy elixir inside of her. That potion could only do so much. "It's so hot… I've gotta take off these clothes...they're so warm…too warm...oh gods..."
"Hot?" Nan asked, raising her eyebrows. "How can you be hot? Your skin's freezing… Maa?"
"It's bad, Lady Alysse," Bazz managed to say despite that he was still shivering himself. How the Zora managed to speak so clearly, Vaati could not fathom. Then again, Zora were the only race he had ever heard of who could survive being frozen alive for years. Fish were strange like that. "We managed to get her out of that pit, but...I don't think there is much that can be done. If only they had thought to get me…"
The Zora sighed, leaning heavily on his spear, exhaustion and chill having sapped most of his strength. Perhaps picking a centuries old man to lead the townguard had been the wrong decision, after all. Experience, at the moment, didn't seem to amount to much.
"Pardon me," he continued, "I...I think I need to sit down…"
That was when he nearly fell over himself. Vaati rolled his eyes, propping up both Gerudo and Zora with a grunt, and a sudden burst of strength. Neither even bothered to mutter a "thank you, my lord", however. Ungrateful bastards.
"You won't see the miracle I pull if you die here too, you fool," Vaati said. "Girl-Nan-help this idiot over to the fire then bring us some spicy elixir, she'll need it. And you-" he nodded at Alysse, the woman had the indecency to grumble something under her breath, though Vaati didn't hear it - "help me with her. You'll need my aid if you want her to live..."
Alysse nodded, disappearing momentarily into the hallway which led to the two spare bedrooms, then returned, having discarded the canteens within one of the guest rooms. Quickly, they maneuvered the Gerudo into the closest room, laying her on top of the feathered bed, covered in wool sheets. Surprisingly, a fire roared in the small fireplace, candles had been lit, and a few bottles of elixir sat on the nightstand beside the bed. A pile of fallen books laid on the floor in front of it. At a second glance, he recognized one, it was a book he'd been missing for weeks.
"Help me with these canteens," she said, taking up one of the canteens that she had discarded in the near the door. His eyes, however, lingered on something far more important beside them: his blankets. "Vaati."
"You do not get to boss me around woman," he said curtly.
She rolled her eyes. "Please, Lord Vaati."
He glared, but mockery of piety was the only thing he could expect from this woman. They placed the canteens at the foot of the bed. "Those are my blankets."
She glanced over at the blankets, then nodded, shrugging a shoulder. "They are the warmest blankets in this house," she replied. "All you had in here were a few thin sheets-"
"Good enough for an apprentice." He doubted his own master had given him better, though he couldn't recall, really.
"-so I took these from your bedroom. You have plenty to spare," she said, her hand resting on the Gerudo. "Her clothes are damp."
"Of course, the snow and ice melted and…" he stopped, then nodded, catching the hint. "You'll need to remove them, I'll be outside."
As if on cue, Alysse sighed, then Vaati stepped out of the room for a few moments before Alysse told him he could return. Removing Ruuya's clothes was an amazingly quick affair despite that she had been buried beneath layers of garments. Alysse had discarded these in a pile at the foot of the bed and had redressed the Gerudo in a fresh tunic and trousers, placing warm canteens under the Gerudo's armpits and between her legs. Another pair laid on her chest. What Vaati could still see of the Gerudo's skin had lost its warm hue, the rich brown color having faded to a dull, greyish shade. He noted that neither feet or hands were covered, but some of the Gerudo's toes had turned black and her fingers…
"You've done this before?"
"My elder daughter..." she began, then shook her head. "It didn't work that time. We tried, but…"
"This time," Vaati said, "you have magic."
For a moment, she regarded him with her cold, blue eyes. He expected some jib or snark, instead she did neither. "I haven't learned any healing spells, Lord Vaati," she said. Much to his surprise, her tone did not carry a hint of its normal venom. "Flow didn't leave me any."
That was quite typical. Many mages hated passing on their knowledge in written form. Magic wasn't a science, they often thought, it was more of an art, a journey of self-discovery. One could have a master, but learning from a text…? That flew in the face of tradition! Even the best books were often more intuitive than descriptive. One learned spells not from texts, but from the basics that his teacher had taught or he had fathomed, not because someone had described how magic worked. If they did that, magic wasn't magic anymore! Vaati had always thought these traditions foolish, but he hadn't bothered to fix it, either.
"You won't need to," he replied. "Regardless, they wouldn't help. Her core body temperature is too cold. Yout must warm her central organs first. Place your hands on her skin and speak the incarnation for Din's Fire, but hold back the magic. All spells can be released slowly. Do not let it rush forth in a ball of flame, but picture it as a slower trinkle of warmth, spreading from your hands into her organs, her blood..."
Alysse nodded, slipping her hands under the Gerudo's blouse. Vaati felt her gather the magic, bringing it to her fingertips, and slowly release it, magic and heat entering the young Gerudo woman's body at a slow rate.
Too slow, he thought.
"Send a bit more heat, but not too much," Vaati said, lifting a hand to his chin. Even though he could not use his own magic, he could sense the amount of power she summoned. Alysse gave him only a brief nod, concentrating on the spell. "Be careful to keep it concentrated to the upper part of her body, there...there…yes. That's a good flow for now. Wait on my command, woman."
Nearly an hour passed in this fashion, Vaati directing Alysse when to increase the flow or decrease it, nudging her spellwork along with only his magical senses to guide him. Warming a body suffering from a bad case of hypothermia was a careful and precise form of magic though it relied on a simple spell. He had done it a hundreds of times himself when a valuable minion fell due to the cold in the Hebra Mountains in the Dark World, but this was one of the only times he had guided another and the others had far more experience… He was proud of what he had accomplished here today.
Soon, the Gerudo stirred, her eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, but then they closed once more as she fell into a deep sleep. Her skin had also regained some of its former luster. These were both good signs.
"Ebb the spell back slowly. If you draw the heat away to quick, it will send her into shock," he said. "We'll need to replace the canteens and make her drink spicy elixirs every twenty minutes for the next day or so, but she ought to live. And she better find me more summerwings and warm darners once she gets better."
"And these toes?" the woman asked, motioning to the blackened appendages.
"Can be removed in a few weeks. We'll want to hire an experienced surgeon to amputate them," he said. "She won't be walking anytime soon regardless. Now, get out of here, woman, and get some sleep. Nan can take care of this type of thing."
It was a strange thing, but after replacing the lukewarm canteens with a pair of new warms one and covering the girl with a few warm blankets, the woman left without another word or even a complaint. Of course drawing forth magic like that would completely exhaust anyone, no matter their level of power or the size of their magical reservoir.
Still, at the very least, this exercise had proven his theory. Vaati took the seat beside the bed, reclined back in his chair, and placed his feet at the edge of the mattress. Then he cracked open one of the stolen books, turning to one of his favorite tales: the story of when the Hero of Time first met his mentor long ago, and hurled a deku nut at old Kaepora...
Kandragon: Bazz has been in the Dark World about 550-560 years. The Calamity happened around 600 years prior to the story, give or take a decade, Ruuya has certain facts missed up because her education is lacking in certain areas... Time, however, passes about five-times slower in the Dark World; thus, only 110-ish years have passed for Bazz (and like all denizens of the DW he had the other aforementioned side effects in chapter 4)... Many of the villagers have suffered something similar, but most of them fell in after Bazz did (except for Flow who had been there for a very, very long time), and eventually, they all congregated into the Village of Outcasts. I figured it might be somewhat confusing, so, there you go.