Link winced as his eyes opened. The good news was that he saw sunlight as he slowly let his eyelids creak apart. He made it through the night, and nothing attacked him! The bad news was that, once more, his entire body ached. He hoped this was the last time he had to sleep in a shrine, even is entrance! The morning air was as chilly as when he went to bed, but he didn't feel sick. Apparently it wasn't cold enough to give him a fever or anything like that.
Slowly, letting out another wince, he stood up and stretched his arms and legs. Probably wasn't best to go into one of the trials while so sore…but he didn't have much of a choice, he really didn't want to wait. Link had a quick, simple breakfast of some bread and some water, allowing his aching limbs to quiet down a bit.
He even stepped outside and observed more of Hyrule, now that he was even higher up than with the Sheikah Tower. The young man's eyes were drawn to the castle first, the dark miasma covering it still easily visible from his position. Link even felt a dark chill run down his spine that he knew full well wasn't from the cold. At least that abomination wasn't flying around…not at the moment…
Once more, he looked to the volcanic mountain far off near the horizon, an orange glow coming from it that was easily visible in the early morning light. But…he swore he saw something like the last time he peered at it. Something near the top of the volcano, something that moved! But he was so far away, there was no telling if it was a trick of the eye or not. Of course, after seeing Calamity Ganon, the idea of something huge lurking near a volcano's summit wasn't too strange to him.
To the southeast, Link spotted a jungle-like area far off in the distance and also saw that the sea was nearby. Looking to the direct south, he saw only ocean with maybe a distant landmass on the horizon. It was so far away, he wasn't sure if it was real or not. Made him briefly wonder what existed beyond Hyrule. Did the destruction Calamity Ganon bring effect other areas, or just this one kingdom?
There hadn't been any mentions from the Old Man, the woman's voice, or the Monks about any place outside of Hyrule, so he had to assume the destruction was confined to the area. It seemed like the land itself was in on piece at least, but he only saw things from a distance. He figured there had to be more monsters beyond the plateau, and other dangers he hadn't considered most likely make lives for anyone else surviving out there very difficult.
Stretching his limbs again, Link gathered his things and entered the third shrine. Once more, he was lowered down via elevator and ended up in an underground chamber. Just like before, there was a Rune-granting machine, but the rest of the area was beyond what he had seen before! Rather than being in a smaller room leading into the rest of the shrine, this one was one massive room!
The area he stepped down on was a platform attached to the wall, but mostly surrounded by a deep pit that Link couldn't see the bottom of. He supposed it made sense, given where the shrine was located, that such a fall could exist! But that wasn't all, there was machinery leading further into this massive chamber that was very clearly put there to test him such as a rotating platform attached to a massive gear, and another area where boulders from a ramp were continuously falling from via a chute in the ceiling!
This was going to be pretty different, and Link wasn't sure what to make of it…
The young man hesitated for a moment, but stepped from the platform, knowing he had to keep going. As expected, the voice of one of the Monks rang out inside of his skull.
To you who sets foot in this shrine...I am Owa Daim. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.
Clearly, Owa Daim was taking this trial thing far more seriously than the last two Monks Link encountered. As he did before, he approached the Rune-dispensing machine and placed the Sheikah Slate onto it, and the same voice chirped out.
Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling rune...
And, as before, the same glowing lightshow began as a single large drop of liquid formed above the slate before dropping on top of it. The screen showing the Runes popped up, and this time he was only getting one. This new Rune's symbol was a yellow padlock with a keyhole on it. Above the boxes, the two sets of text appeared once more. The one Link could read called this new Rune the 'Stasis' Rune.
Rune extracted.
This time, Link was baffled what the new Rune could do. Stasis, huh? Freezing something in place? But how? He took the Sheikah Slate back as the machine handed it back to him, eyeing the moving machinery ahead. Clearly, whatever it did, it'd help him move forward. That was the entire point of these trials, after all. No use wondering, he'd just go for it!
Link activated the Rune, pointing the Sheikah Slate's screen at the platform being turned by the giant gear. There was a flash of yellow light and, to the young man's shock, the pieces of machinery stopped! They were frozen in place, a yellow glow coming off of them. Link knew what the word stasis meant, but he didn't think something like this was possible! Though…it was just stopping machinery, right? That's all it was…
Unfortunately, he couldn't take advantage of the frozen platform as it was in a vertical position. But he only had to wait a few seconds before the machinery started to flash back and forth between its glowing and normal state. After a few moments more, the glow vanished entirely and the gear started to spin the platform as though nothing happened.
Link waited until the platform was horizontal and tried again…to no avail. Nothing happened! Brow raised, he looked at the slate's screen and saw a square ticking around the box with the Stasis symbol. A…cooldown? Yes, that's what it seemed to be! Maybe this Rune was just so strong, the slate needed time to recover. He'd expect something like that with the Remote Bombs since they made explosives, but oh well.
In just a couple of seconds, the cooldown was finished, and Link used the Rune again. Once more, he timed it this time so the platform was horizontal. As before, the gear and the platform froze in place, positioned so Link could cross over it. He didn't even stop to think if his weight would make the platform moved and simply ran across it! Thankfully, his running didn't make the impromptu walkway so much as budge. Only when the couple of seconds were up did the machinery start to churn again.
He was still fascinated by the Sheikah Slate and the plethora of uses it had! It could move massive metal objects, make bombs, and now freeze machinery! There was still room on that screen for one more Rune, and he couldn't help but wonder what it could do. But he didn't have time to daydream and ponder over hypothetical Runes like that, he had to keep going! Link found himself on a large platform attached to the wall, and ahead of him was a narrow, fenced ramp that the giant ball was rolling down over and over. Each time one ball fell into the abyss below, another came from the chute up to the ceiling…not enough time for him to go up the ramp. It was only a mere few seconds between the way being cleared and another rolling deathtrap being dropped in.
Link assumed that the new Rune was only for mechanical items…but thinking of it, how was he supposed to get passed this rolling ball area without using Stasis? He watched the latest ball roll passed him and into the void, only for the next to show up a split second later. Could it be that a new ball wouldn't appear until one rolled off the edge? The young man wasn't sure how that'd work, but there was a lot about these Sheikah and the technology they used that seemed impossible!
Figuring he had nothing to lose, Link waited for the ball to roll by him and, before it could roll off the edge, he used Stasis on it. To his surprise, it froze in place! So, could Stasis just freeze anything in place?! He stopped to make sure his theory was right, no other balls appearing despite one usually having done so by now. There wasn't enough time to go up the ramp, so he waited for the ball to unfreeze, it rolling off the edge, carrying its usual momentum.
When the next ball dropped and rolled by, Link froze it in place and then sprinted up the ramp, getting out of the way of the chute by the time the ball unfroze and went into the abyss below. He was still taken aback by just how unusual this Rune was! How did it freeze a moving object like that? Wondering how far this could go, he waited for another ball to drop.
Before the obstacle hit the floor, Link used Stasis on it and, to his shock, it actually froze in midair! It just floated, as if a giant, invisible string was keeping it in place. And then once the Rune's power passed, it dropped and rolled off like nothing happened. He couldn't help but wonder if it worked on living things or not…
Knowing he had to test it on the next Bokoblin he saw, Link turned to see what was ahead. The good news was that there was only a bridge separating him from the Monk, his chamber visible and glowing that eerie blue. The bad news was that there was a massive, spiked ball swinging from a chain attached to the ceiling! But it wasn't a big deal, Link realizing exactly what to do.
He waited for the ball to swing past the bridge, arching past it and out of his way. Moving quick, he used the Stasis Rune, and even the massive obstacle froze in midair, allowing Link to run past the spiked ball before it was able to unfreeze. Then, it simply swung back, harmlessly passing right by Link.
Once more, he couldn't help but ponder the limits of such a thing. Machinery, moving balls, even objects in the air! What else could be done with it? Did it even have a limit? Again, he'd have to think about this later on, and there'd be plenty of time for testing what else Stasis could do.
With no further obstacles, Link approached the area where the Monk sat in waiting, his withered hands in the shape of an upside down triangle. He assumed that, like the last one, he'd get to ask a single question. Link had actually neglected on mulling over what it'd be. It felt like there was a hundred he could ask, and choosing just one felt impossible! He considered the possibilities as he climbed the small steps to the blue energy around the Monk and touched it, the barrier vanishing as the familiar voice echoed in his mind.
You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.
"Thank you." Link replied, wanting to be polite despite his frustrations. The last Monk claimed to have no explicit knowledge of who he was, only general things. There was no reason for him to assume this one was any different. "The last Monk I spoke with let me ask one question. I implore you let me do the same."
That is not my purpose…but I suppose one question is acceptable. Speak your query.
Link felt his tongue catch in his mouth as he tried to decide the one and only question he could ask. After a few moments of thought, he realized he had to ask something that was nagging at him for a long time, something that maybe the Monk could answer. "Is it even possible to defeat Calamity Ganon? How do I fight something like that?" Ever since he laid eyes on the abomination, he had doubts it was something that was even possible!
It has been done in the past. So must you succeed now. Find out who you are, and the way forward will be clear. Now that you have finished this trial, my duty is fulfilled. Go, take the Rune I gave to you, and bring peace to Hyrule. May the Goddess smile upon you…
Without waiting for Link to respond, the Monk's corpse disappeared in a gorgeous display, just like the other two. This time, Link didn't try to stop him, thinking about the answer. The advice wasn't too specific, but it still settled the tangled knot in his guts. Finding out his identity was something he was going to do anyway, but knowing he could do that and slay Calamity Ganon made him feel better. Link just felt a tug in himself, an obligation to press on and save Hyrule. He had no idea why, but he was sure once he regained his memories, it'd become clear.
Turning from the empty chamber, Link began going back through the massive room, using Stasis when necessary to get back to the elevator. Thankfully, going through that shrine didn't take too long, and he still had a majority of the day ahead of him. The sun was still near the horizon as he stepped outside the ancient structure, the cold air almost a slap to the face compared to how it was down below.
He still felt his initial plan to reach the final shrine was best, climbing back to the lower ground and climbing back up the mountain range near the fourth trial. With these Runes at his disposal, he felt like crossing the Great Plateau wouldn't be so bad!
Of course, he had to climb down the cliff now…
Sighing, Link approached the edge and got to work. Thankfully, going down a cliff wasn't as bad as going up. Still, he took advantage of any leftover Rushrooms he came across, the purple fungus giving him small boosts of energy that made the descent even easier. This return trip was a lot faster, about half the time it took to go up, Link taking a few breathers as not to exhaust himself.
Then once he got back to the ground, he went back towards the Old Man's home. He figured he could take a small break there too, the elderly stranger might even be willing to give some more advice. Link wasn't going to expect it, but it'd be nice! The small journey back was about as uneventful as the first, no Bokoblins or other monsters impeding the walk and the only hard part being going back over that log. Thankfully, he got over the chasm a second time without incident.
Link found that there was a weight off his chest, if only a bit of it. Just hearing someone else say that defeating Calamity Ganon was possible felt cathartic. He had to wonder, though, what the Monk meant by it being done in the past. If that dark creature had been slayed before…then why was it back? Was killing it fully impossible? Even though he knew it was useless, he tried to recall any sort of memory, anything from his past that'd tell him more about Calamity Ganon…but there was no luck.
He had to wonder…was there a way to get rid of Calamity Ganon permanently? There had to be something he could to make sure it'd never come back again! But it was pointless to ponder that, he still didn't know how to drive it back temporarily! If he pursued his lost memories, though, that path would become clear. If the Monk was correct, of course…but it wasn't like he had anyone else's word to rely on about this…
Time passed, and Link soon found himself back at the Old Man's home. Unfortunately, he looked around and found the large man was nowhere to be found. Did he go off foraging? Or maybe he was inside taking a nap? For the latter, Link peeked into one of the windows, and saw no one inside. The interior of the shack was messier than he expected of the elderly man, supplies and dishes strewn about, an unmade bed in the corner. He didn't take too close of a look, going over to where the fire from earlier was.
He sat down to rest a bit, knowing there was no way the Old Man would have a problem with that. He pondered if he should stop by a Bokoblin camp on purpose to test out the Stasis Rune. Link was still very curious if it worked on monsters or not. Even if it only cave him an advantage for a few seconds, it was better than nothing! But that was assuming it'd even freeze a Bokoblin in place…
Link took a few sips of his water, taking in the lovely view of nature around him, actually starting to feel more at ease the longer he stayed outside. Though he was sure he'd be singing a different tune once he had to camp out for the first time. No tent of any kind, and he wouldn't be near a shrine or a Sheikah Tower every time the sun started to go down. Maybe he could find a sturdy tree limb to rest on. Not very comfortable, but it'd keep him out of reach from the Bokoblins and any other potential predators…
Sighing, he decided to keep moving on, the sun no longer touching the horizon. It was a long trip just to reach the base of the mountain, so he had to go! One thing he knew he had to do was look out for was pepper plants to make more of that Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry. He also needed to look for animals to hunt for their meat, and he needed to hope there was a pond with bass near the mountain's base. Meat could stay good for at least a little bit, but he wasn't about to lug around an entire fish for very long. If everything happened to be near the start of the mountain, it'd be perfect!
He had no idea if he could hunt, but it seemed like he had learned a number of survival techniques sometime in his past given how he had fared so far. The fighting, the cooking, the fish catching…it made him wonder if he was some sort of hermit that lived in the wilderness, at least for a portion of his old life. But if he was just some nobody, it'd be odd for that woman's voice and the Monks to being relying on him so much. Why did they all know him so well and why did they decide he was best for the job? Especially this 'Hylia' goddess, if she was even real…
As he passed by the ruins where he encountered that large, stationary Guardian, he gave the area a wide berth, thankful he cleared out the nearby Bokoblin camp on the way over. Despite his curiosity to see what Stasis could do against of the red creatures, Link didn't want to get into any unnecessary encounters. He hoped there weren't any other Bokoblin camps across the Great Plateau, but he also figured he wouldn't be quite so lucky.
Due to how far away he traveled from, and with a bit of rushing, Link managed to get back to the Sheikah Tower as the sun was kissing the horizon once more. It was his goal to get this far in this one day, so he felt rather satisfied. Of course it wasn't just for the milestone, but to serve as a place to rest. As tired as he felt, he still climbed to the top of the tower, ready to use it as a safe sleeping spot once more.
When he got to the top, though, he paused as he looked across the land yet again, everything blanketed in a dim twilight. He really wished he had an idea on where he'd be going once he got that paraglider. Surely the Old Man could give him some sort of hint, because there was just so much out there! Looking to the east, he saw a mountain that appeared split in half down the middle, and he wondered just what happened there. What sort of unusual things would he come across as he ventured out? All he could hope for was some way to unlock his memories again, both for himself and based on what the latest Monk said about stopping Calamity Ganon…
In the waning light, Link yet again gazed upon the castle, the dark miasma seeming more abundant than the last time he saw it, but it could've just been a trick of the eye. He could only hope that the force keeping that demented beast at bay could hold out until he found a way to be of use. It was almost comical, the idea that he could help. No memories, no known relations, and wielding shoddily created weapons with a shield made of tree bark. At the moment, he was sure an especially large group of Bokoblins would be enough to kill him, let alone that draconic boar he witnessed soaring around the castle like a specter.
He kept peering past the castle, seeing no end to the land of Hyrule, no matter how hard he squinted. Link already saw the shores of the south end, but how far did it stretch northward? How much of what he could see was even Hyrule? He imagined it was everything he could lay eyes on. So much for him to venture through, how much ground would he need to cover before he found some way to get his memories back? If he had really been asleep for a century, there was no way there was anyone still around that knew who he was.
Once more, he pondered about whether he had a family or friends before he went into his slumber. Did they know he wouldn't emerge for a hundred years, if that's truly what happened? Or did they have zero clue where he went or what became of him? Or, arguably worse, did he have no one in his life back then, and his absence wasn't missed. Yet…the woman who spoke in his head, she knew his name. Was she a spirit? Did she truly speak to him at all, or was he remembering someone from his past, but only a voice? It wasn't like he had been able to actually converse with the woman, so he had no way of knowing…
He let out a sigh, knowing if he let his mind continue to wander, he'd probably end up staying awake the entire night thinking about his past. As nervous as he felt doing so, he turned his back on the castle, getting the feeling that Calamity Ganon would just reach out and grab him with his guard down. But he resisted the urge to peek over his shoulder and took off his weapons and shield, using his bag as a pillow as he laid down on the hard, uncomfortable tower floor. At the very least, he was warmer than he was the last time thanks to the doublet. Not that the first sleep on the tower had been that bad.
Exhaustion took him, and he slept.
As if working on an internal clock, Link found his eyes cracking open just as the sun started to peek over the horizon. He wasn't even facing it, but it was like his body was telling him to get up and greet the day. To no surprise, his body was stiff and sore, and he wondered how many more harsh nights like that he could handle! The pain always wore off before too long, but how many times until he was just sore for the entire day and had to stay put?
Sitting up, he slowly ate a bit of bread for breakfast, draining the last of his water. With water near the first shrine he entered, he figured he'd just refill there. These ponds and lakes seemed like the only place to get water, and the supply the Old Man gave was fine so far, so it left Link with little choice. There had been no signs of a flowing river, after all…
Either way, he had to get moving. From his position, he peered off towards his next destination and remembered his estimation of a two or three day trip. No shrines or towers to rest in, so he'd have to figure out something else! Slowly and carefully, Link descended the tower again, starting to walk west as he kept an eye and ear out for danger. There was the nearby Bokoblin camp, but he once more slipped by them, not wanting to take any risks with a fight.
It was past the shrine, about an hour's walk, that he came across an expansive forest. The trees went from the edge of plateau off out of sight in the other direction, so he had no choice but to go through it. This forest wasn't like one near the Old Man's shack, the trees thicker and grouped closer together. He'd constantly be exposed to things that may lurk behind the trees, ready to strike at him. Link had no idea where this explicit paranoia came from, assuming it stemmed from some sort of experience in his past. He even looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing skulking behind him, of course.
Looking forward, the young man got his club and poor excuse of a shield ready and walked in.
Right away, he felt the creeping paranoia grow stronger, Link finding his eyes darting back and forth, trying to spot the slightest hint of something dangerous or suspicious. But he saw nothing like that, only some chirping birds and skittering chipmunks on the tree branches. Speaking of the branches, they looked like they could support his weight pretty well. He'd have to hope he'd be near a tree with such a convenient sleeping spot once the sun started to go down. But that wasn't for nearly twelve hours, so no use getting wrapped up in those thoughts right away.
Once more, he pondered about his past, wondering what might have happened to him in a forest to make this sense of urgent paranoia crop up. He had to assume it was a sort of lingering, familiar sensation carried over from his earlier life. There was nothing specific that he figured might be behind a tree, just something unwelcome and after his blood. Link didn't expect Bokoblins to be smart enough to think of an ambush, something just told him they were too stupid for something so subtle. That was just an assumption, though, and he couldn't rely on those.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw something fly at him through the trees! Something with a main body the size of his torso, and that wasn't even considering the wingspan! A large, yellow eye flew at him, and by instinct he slammed his club into it, knocking it out of the air and making it a dead mass on the ground. Panting a bit, more out of his startle than anything, he looked the thing over.
Leathery wings. Large eye for seeing in the dark. Pointed fangs.
Keese.
The word echoed in his mind, like when he figured out what a Bokoblin was. A Keese, huh? What an ugly thing it was! It just flew at him from nowhere! At the very least, it was small and went down in a single blow, but if those fans suck into his neck, it could've been pretty bad. That large eye…to Link, it made it seem like this monster was adept to the darkness, needing its eye to be so large to get as much light in as possible. It was still the middle of the day, so why did it attack him? Maybe he just got too close to its territory or something.
He just hoped, when night fell, he didn't run into more of these things. If an entire group came at him, he was sure he couldn't get out of it unscathed. Maybe just sleeping on a tree limb wasn't going to be enough at night…but where else was he going to rest? The forest floor just left him open to Keese, potential Bokoblins, and any other potential threat the forest held! Maybe if he found a hollowed out tree, that could work, but he wasn't going to hold his breath…
Leaving the Keese corpse behind, Link went on. Every so often, he'd come across apple trees, and took some time to pick some of the fruit for later. There was little chance of him finding anything edible on the snowy parts of the mountain, so he had to stock up on supplies while he had the chance. When he got close to the base, he had to stock up on logs, too. Even if he found trees on the mountain, they'd be all damp from the snow, especially when they fell into the powdery white moisture after being chopped down. He didn't even want to think about trying to survive the night without a fire!
After several more hours, Link took some time to rest, sitting against a tree, club in hand just in case. He hadn't run into any more Keese or any Bokoblins, but he wanted to be prepared for trouble. Maybe Bokoblins didn't like forests since they seemed to like making camps for themselves, so maybe they liked to be in wide open spaces instead. Link considered himself lucky that they were the worst thing he ran into on this plateau. Those large Guardian could shoot lasers that'd kill him in one shot, but he hadn't come across one that could actually move. He really hoped he didn't run into any more of them…
As Link rested, he heard a strangle jingling sound. Like a bell or something rattling into a small wooden container. Standing up, he looked around to try and find the source of the noise but saw nothing. He started to think it might've been his imagination again, but then the sound rattled out once more.
Whatever it was, it didn't sound dangerous, but Link kept his club brandished, just in case. No matter where he looked, though, there wasn't a sign of any source of the noise. It started to grow closer, though, from the direction he was heading in earlier! He got into a fighting stance, not sure what to expect to come out from beyond the trees! After a few more moments, something emerged…and it wasn't what he expected.
Out from the trees came a small creature, not even up to his waist in height. It was strange, humanoid in shape, but it appeared to be made out of wood! There were few features aside from that, just a pair of stubby arms and legs attached to a cylindrical body. The thing didn't have a face, but instead a leaf with eyes and a mouth drawn on it. It held a stick in hand, marching along and humming, a rattling sound going off with ever step.
When the thing saw Link, it froze in place with a startled noise and stared at him. For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Then, to Link's shock, the wooden thing talked! "Wonder what he's looking at. Didn't think there'd be anyone new here…" It murmured, talking as if Link couldn't hear it.
"I'm looking at you." Link bluntly said, relaxing a bit since the wooden creature didn't seem dangerous at all.
"What?!" The thing exclaimed, taking a surprised step back. For a second, it seemed like it was about to run away…but it stood its ground. "You can see me?! And hear me?!" It asked, taking a hesitant step towards Link. "Only those with a pure heart can see us!"
A pure heart? Didn't seem right to him. Link didn't know whether to think he was a good person or not, but he liked to think he was. But a pure heart? If the wooden child, or whatever it was, said so, though, maybe it really was true. It just didn't seem right to him, but he didn't feel the need to ask about that. "I can see you fine. What are you? I thought the Old Man was the only one here that wasn't a monster." The Monks too, but Link felt like he shouldn't just talk about them to anyone he met.
The thing leaned in close, like it was studying Link, almost as if the young man was the odd one in this situation. It even walked around the human, as if it had to take in every angle of him. "I'm Linder, and I'm a Korok!" The wooden entity explained. "What about you? What's your name?"
Link wondered if he had met a Korok before. He was apparently one of very few who could see one, after all. There wasn't that sensation like with the Bokoblin or the Keese where he knew what it was. Despite that, there was a strange sense of familiarity that he just wasn't able to shake. "My name is Link. What is a Korok, exactly? The Old Man never mentioned you'd be here."
"Link?" The Korok echoed, tilting his body like a human would do with their head in curiosity, given he had no neck. "Why does that name sound familiar?" He let out a hum of thought, tapping the side of his head.
"Wait, you know me?!" Link urged, getting down on one knee to be at eyelevel with the Korok. "How old are you? At least a hundred years old?!" Could he really have run into someone that actually knows who he is by complete chance?
The Korok kept humming…but then shook his head, really his whole body. "I don't know! I guess I saw someone named Link once, but we never met!" He insisted, not seeming to notice the look of disappointment on the human's face. "But my name is Linder! And I'm a lot older than a hundred! I'm over 10,000 years old!" Despite such an age, he spoke in such a childlike voice!
What a letdown. Link really thought he was getting somewhere. He supposed there were other men out there with the same name. Especially if this thing had been around for 10,000 years and encountered some other guy named Link. Was it really possible to be alive that long? "Are you a spirit or something?"
"Oh, yes! A spirit of the forest!" Linder explained, seeming joyful just to talk to someone. "I'm far away from home, though. I just wanted to explore around this plateau a bit. It's pretty quiet. Not a lot of monsters. No humans but that Old Man. He can see me too!"
The Old Man was pure of heart too? Link supposed he had treated the young man rather well, so that wasn't too shocking. "I see. I'm going up the mountain on the other side of this forest, and I should be going." As strange as this Korok spirit was, he didn't have time to chat with him all day. He had to keep moving!
"Aw, really? But we just met!" The Korok said with a whine. "Since you're pure of heart, you should visit my home later! I'm sure you'll be able to reach it just fine!" He insisted, starting to walk off in the same direction as before, jingling as he went. "Bye, Link!" Linder called, quickly going out of sight.
The young man was about to call after the Korok, but he went out of sight too quickly. The little guy sure seemed pretty carefree. Waltzed in, met a stranger, thought there was familiarity, then left. Link wondered if all spirits were like this, assuming there were others out there. And…apparently he had a pure heart. Not something he had even remotely pondered before, but he supposed it was interesting to know, but he didn't particularly care either. As long as he got his memory back and stopped Calamity Ganon, that was enough for him.
He decided to just move on, gathering his things and moving deeper into the forest.
Hours ticked by, Link encountering little of note along the way. No other Koroks or other spirits, that was for sure. No Bokoblins either. At one point, he came across a clearing and saw a pair of boars sniffing around, looking for food. If he just killed one of them, he'd have enough meat to last days! But he wanted to wait until he was closer to the mountain before he tried to get some meat since he had no way to preserve it. At least the cold would help with that. If only he had some salt…
Link kept picking apples when he came across them, eating a couple to keep his strength up while refilling his bottle at a clean looking lake he stumbled across. It was interesting how pristine the plateau was when there were no Bokoblins and Guardians around. One could almost forget that the rest of Hyrule was apparently in disarray. Thinking of it…from the Sheikah Tower, he didn't see much destruction or anything like that. It was from pretty high up, of course, but he had to wonder just how bad the rest of Hyrule was.
The plateau had ruins, and the big castle looked like it was in disarray, but that was it. Maybe, hopefully, Calamity Ganon didn't do as much damage as the Old Man implied before he bound to the castle. But he'd have no way of knowing until he left this place. Just one more of those shrines, and he could go out and see for himself!
More time passed, and the forest started to grow dark.
The trees were spaced apart enough and its leaves weren't so dense that it blocked out all the light. But it was still getting darker a lot quicker than when Link was out in more open places. He started to worry about the Keese. Aside from that one, he hadn't seen any, but that was surely going to change once it really became night. He started to look out for hollow trees or logs to rest in, the minimal amount of protection they'd serve being better than nothing at all!
He didn't see or hear any signs of predatory animals like wolves about, so the Keese were probably the only true threat he'd face at night. And of course he felt a bit annoyed that he even knew what a wolf was. It seemed like knowledge of his past life just kept cropping up…save for any personal memories. Why did he know what a wolf was? He had no clue. He could've read about wolves in a book or encountered them numerous times in person, the young man simply had no idea. Link could only hope that he'd eventually start to recall things about his actual personal life before long. It had only been a few days, after all, maybe this sort of thing just took time…
Link was jostled out of his thoughts when he heard the squealing of a boar from dead ahead! Hoofbeats on grass came towards him, and he hid behind the nearest tree, wondering just what was going on! Then he heard the sound of mass fluttering as a boar broke through the tree line, going right past Link. Behind it was a great many Keese, giving chase to the poor creature. In the darkness, it was hard to tell just how many of them there were. Dozens? A hundred? They looked like a single mass of eyes and wings as they flew by Link, none of them noticing his presence.
The monsters and their prey quickly went out of sight, and only moments after that, a series of loud squeals rang out, making Link feel a bit sick to his stomach. As distressing as the sounds were, he had to keep moving, walking at a brisker pace in the opposite direction of the dying creature…
With the darkness intensifying overtime, Link soon settled for the night. Luckily, he managed to find a tree with a hollowed out spot just large enough for him to fit in. He kept his club in hand, having to shed the axe in order to fit into the hole. The young man also kept the shield on his chest as he slept, as though the protection it provided was small, it was better than nothing. The forest was quiet at night, but Link was aware of any noise that did happen to ring out.
A twig snapping. The fluttering of wings. The call of some wild animal.
Each sound perked up Link's ears, and he kept creaking an eye open, looking out for something that might be dangerous. He knew he'd never get sleep this way, but he couldn't keep the paranoia down. It was his first time, that he could remember, sleeping in a forest. At least on top of the Sheikah Tower there was no way anything could get at him, but in a hole in a tree…it was entirely different.
He envied the Old Man a bit, imagining him in his nice soft bed in his private, walled-off home. It was petty, Link knew that, but he couldn't help it. The young man hoped there'd be a day soon where he got to sleep in a comfortable, warm bed somewhere safe. There had to be somewhere like that in Hyrule, right? The entire kingdom couldn't be that far gone…right?
But from all the traveling he did, Link quickly found his exhaustion catching up to him and he fell asleep…
The light of the morning woke Link up, the trees not being enough to keep all streaks of sunlight from hitting him in the face. Once more, he felt sore all over his body, but it wasn't as bad as when he slept in the shrines, at least. With a yawn, he got up and stretched a bit before having some food and water. There was no time to linger, so he pretty quickly gathered his things and went off towards the mountain once more, thinking he could maybe reach it sometime near the end of this day! Then he could find somewhere to sleep and truly start his climb early the next morning…hopefully.
Knowing that a Keese could appear at any moment, day or night, Link kept his club ready. He really hoped he could find a more suitable weapon sometime soon, he had no idea how long something so shoddily made would last. Same with his shield. If he could somehow find one made of metal, it'd make him feel a lot better. Of course, he could also use some armor…but where was he going to find any of these things? No way the Bokoblins could make anything actually useful and long lasting, right?
Around noon, Link came across an unusual sight. He entered a large clearing, and instantly realized something was off. It was like the ruins surrounding the second shrine. Silent. No animals around at all. There wasn't even the call of insects around. Nothing. The only thing of note Link could see wasn't a Guardian. Instead, it was a boulder partially sticking out of the ground with a black rock cluster sticking out of it…but that was all. It didn't move or light up or give off any sort of bad feeling. It was just a rock outcrop.
So why was the area so quiet?
One part of Link told him to go around the rock and give it space…but another part of him argued that it was just a rock. There wasn't anything to be scared of! After a moment, he decided to just walk right past the outcrop, glancing around and wondering why things were so still around here. It was just a coincidence, right? That's what he thought as he got within a few feet of the outcrop.
Then the earth shook, and Link was knocked onto his back.
At least, it seemed like the earth shook! To Link's quick horror, he realized the boulder had moved! It stirred! Quickly, he got up and backed away, mouth agape in awe at what he witnessed. The boulder rose from the ground, not a boulder at all but some sort of unusual creature! It was nearly humanoid, having a pair of arms and legs made out of joined boulders, but its torso was just one large boulder, and it had no head, just the black outcrop at the top.
Stone Talus.
Too big to fight. Too durable. Weakness on its head, maybe?
Whether that black outcrop was a weakness or not, Link didn't care, he wasn't staying to fight! And of course, only when the creature emerged did he partially recognize it! The Talus 'looked' at him, raising an arm above its body in preparation for an attack. Moving fast, Link sprinted out of the way as the massive limb crashed into the ground, seeming to shake the entire plateau.
The young man didn't stop running, going around in a circle around the Talus, who kept turning to follow Link's movements, even as he went fully around the creature and started to run off towards the mountain. He wasn't stupid enough to even consider attempting a fight with that thing! Why didn't the Old Man warn him about such a monstrosity?!
His legs aching, Link moved into the forest proper, the trees blocking his path. The Talus was too big to follow, so he thought he was in the clear…until a massive crash boomed from behind him. Unable to help himself, he looked to see the Talus launched one of its hands at him, destroying half a dozen trees as the main creature 'stared' at him.
This made Link run even faster.
He didn't stop for a good ten minutes, even though the Talus apparently didn't pursue him after launching a part of itself at him. Link took the risk and hid behind a tree, catching his breath and straining his ears. If that think was after him, he'd hear its footsteps for sure…but there was no such sound. He stood in place, continuing to get his breath back. Once more, he had to wonder the Old Man never mentioned something like that was out here! Maybe he just wasn't aware of it, but…well, it didn't really matter. Link managed to get away, and that was the important part. After relaxing a bit, he gave one last glance from where he came from and then kept going.
The rest of the day was thankfully nowhere near as eventful. Only one thing of real note happened, which was Link encountering a Bokoblin camp in a large clearing. But he used the trees as cover and got by without being noticed. Though he moved swiftly, the sun started to set before he could reach the mountain, though he had long since been able to see it through the branches. Unlike the night before, he couldn't find a hollowed tree, and instead slept on a sturdy branch, which wasn't exactly comfortable…
In the morning, soon after his breakfast, he emerged on the other side of the forest, a mere five minute walk from the base of the mountain. He had to crane his neck to see the top of it, which was about where the shrine was, unfortunately. Just looking at all the snow and ice made him shiver, and he had to prepare himself. In a stroke of luck, there was a pond nearby with bass in it, and Link got to work on preparing.
He hadn't encountered anything big enough to be worth hunting that morning, so he gathered every apple he was able to. Had to have enough food to eat and keep his energy up! The young man finally got some use out of the axe he got and chopped down a few trees, converting them into logs for fire. Finally, he gathered bass for cooking some Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry. He didn't see any peppers about, so he had to hope he'd find some on the mountain proper. The cold should, hopefully, keep the fish fresh.
With his bag filled about to the brim, Link checked the Sheikah Slate once more for the shrine's exact location. Trying to brace himself for the cold, he took a deep breath and marched towards the mountain's base…
A/N: Just barely got this out in time for October's end. The tutorial is close to being done and the wide world before Link can open up. Just wanted to clarify two things here.
The Korok didn't recognize Link because I imagine Link never went to the Lost Woods much, and they never interacted. And he doesn't know Link by name since the Koroks exclusively call him "Mr. Hero", so he'd have a tough time recalling the name Link.
Second is that I know I'm avoiding a lot of combat, but the way I see it, we're five chapters in and the tutorial isn't even finished yet. There's plenty of time for fights, and if I have Link constantly fighting off Bokoblins, it'll get old pretty quickly. So he's not going to be taking out groups of monsters every other hour as he goes from place to place.