While no picnic, the trip down the mountain was easier to get through than the trip up. This time, the air got thicker, and the temperature got warmer the further he went, making things gradually easier. Working with gravity to go down instead of fighting it to go up helped with his energy as well. One of the first things Link did was duck into the nearest suitable cave and whipped up one of his warming meals. Before his descent, the young man also made sure to place a beacon the Temple using the Sheikah Slate, just in case. He was running low on supplies, but he knew he'd make it to the mountain bottom before things got too dire.
All the thinking he had to do sure passed the time as well…
Even hours after starting his journey back down, Link was still reeling over the revelation that the Old Man was a ghost of some sort. Why the façade of being a normal man? Though Link supposed if the stranger had claimed to be a spirit, he wouldn't have believed him or would have been terrified if he woke up and came across a ghost first thing. He knew, or at least he felt he knew, he could trust the Old Man even after everything.
Link had to wonder if the ghost couldn't have just spirited him off of the mountain, or at least given him the paraglider.
For some reason, they were to meet atop that destroyed Temple, though having a chat on top of the frigid mountain hardly seemed appropriate or pleasant. Something Link had to wonder was just who the Old Man was…perhaps someone that he once knew? Was the spirit Link's grandfather or a friend of some kind? There was no way he was a total stranger, right? Was he connected to the woman whose voice he kept hearing? He wouldn't know how, but his mind was going all over the place with this revelation!
He also considered that the Old Man, whether they were family or not, knew far more about his past than he was letting on, including how he lost his memory in the first place. It also hit him that the Old Man was surely aware there were no true treasures, in the common term, in the Shrines, but upgrades for the Sheikah Slate. Was it really necessary to make up the treasure lie? It's not like Link knew anything about the world around him, the Old Man could've made up any story and the amnesiac would've bought it, most likely.
Another thing that occurred to him was how long the spirit must have been waiting. Apparently, Link had been asleep for a century, was the ghost really waiting for him that entire time? Just wandering the Great Plateau for a hundred years in wait? Clearly the Old Man, whoever he truly was, had a great deal of dedication. The entire situation was still hard for Link to wrap his mind around, the only person that he could truly talk to since his awakening was a spirit! The monks hardly counted for numerous reasons…
Going down the mountain, little of note happened. There was a moment not too long after Link started his descent that he thought he saw a pack of wolves in the distance. The snowflakes in the air and the cloudy skies made it hard to tell for sure, though. He never heard any howling, and never actually encountered any wolves during the rest of the trip. Luckily, he managed to find caves as needed, ones suited for whatever he needed at the time.
The trip's length was about the same as before, but certainly felt a lot faster given how much easier it got as time went on. It felt better going through the rougher section of the mountain first when he had the most energy, making the descent in the lower parts go far easier. There was something cathartic about the air becoming more breathable and the air becoming warmer the longer the trip went, like Link was escaping the icy grip of the mountain peak. He could only hope this was the last time he'd have to do something like this, but who knew what he'd encounter as he went on?
When he got to the base of the mountain, it was roughly noon. He knew he wouldn't get to the Temple before nightfall, but he'd be able to make a lot of progress. As he went back through the forest, he occasionally stopped to get food and firewood when it was available, and he had filled his bottles with snow before leaving the mountain, so it'd melt and make clean water for him over time. With the Keese not so active during the day, he didn't have many obstacles as he went through. He didn't run into any more of those strange wooden beings, and he made a point to avoid the area with that massive rock creature.
When night fell, he wasn't cleared of the forest yet, and once more took refuge on a tree's branch. It was a sturdy, thick branch, which he hoped would hold his weight, and if he fell, it's not like it'd kill or seriously injure him. While not the most comfortable of resting spots, it was miles better than sitting in a cave and refusing to sleep to avoid dying from the cold. The moment he closed his eyes, he passed out and slept through the entire night. As he woke up, he figured if he rushed he could easily reach the Temple before night fell, especially if he didn't run into any trouble. But he seemed to have a good grasp on where Bokoblins kept their camps, so he felt he could avoid them.
Once he exited the forest and was able to see the Sheikah Tower, he once more pondered what was going to happen when he actually reached the Temple. Just what was the Old Man going to tell him? His entire past? While Link was deathly curious, a small part of him was wondering if he was ready to hear it all. What if he didn't like what he was told? Though he wasn't sure what something like that could entail…
He tried to avoid thinking about the conversation that was coming, knowing he was going to just stress himself out with a myriad of 'What if?' questions and worries about what he may learn. The journey to the Temple remained graciously simple, which Link was thankful for after having to scale a mountain and then descend it again in such a short timeframe. As he went by the Sheikah Tower, avoided any Bokoblins he spotted, and went up the hill towards the Temple, he felt a nervous churning in his gut. It was a miracle the building was still standing, what with all the destruction in other structures around the plateau. Aside from the Old Man's shack, it was only the Sheikah-made buildings that remained even remotely intact. A part of him had to wonder if some sort of divine protection was at work…
Link recalled that he nearly entered the Temple before until that mysterious woman's voice beckoned to him and led him away. As he stood before the ancient structure, he felt smaller than normal, like the building was a living, breathing thing that he was going to intrude upon. It stood so tall, almost prideful in a strange way, due to it being one of the few manmade things still standing upon the entire plateau.
The young man peered into the Temple before he entered it, seeing mostly empty space, some of the few bits of furniture being pews that were barely standing. One thing he didn't see, and only at that moment thought about, was a lack of Bokoblins. A place like this seemed like the perfect spot for the little monsters to set up a camp...yet there was no sign of them, or any other beasts, having lived in the Temple. Could it be the place was protected by a divine will, this Goddess Hylia that the monks mentioned? Given all he had seen and heard, Link felt it wasn't odd that he was starting to believe in this deity.
As he stepped into the Temple proper, he actually started to feel soothed, a wash of positive energy going over his body. He was sure it wasn't just in his head…maybe it was what any monsters felt if they entered, and it was something horrid to them. Or, maybe, he was putting too much thought into it. Slowly, quietly, he walked further into the Temple, spotting something large in the back.
It was a massive statue, half a dozen times taller than he was, yet it wasn't imposing in any way. This statue was of a woman adorned in a cloak, only her folded hands and smiling face were visible. On her back was a pair of feathery wings. The expression she wore was one of content and was almost motherly in nature, with Link feeling at ease simply by looking at it. Around the large statue were numerous copies of it, but smaller and less detailed, standing in a circle and facing outward. These statues were of the Goddess Hylia, something in the back of his mind told him so, and he felt no reason to believe otherwise.
Not really knowing why, Link approached the larger statue, raising a hand and gently placing it on the ancient stone structure. Like the Temple, it was in remarkably good condition, even more so than the ancient building around it. Just placing a hand on the statue made him feel even more at ease, like there were no worries in the world he had to think about. He wasn't sure if it was just in his mind, but he felt the aches in his limbs and his exhaustion fading away…
Link only snapped out of his miniature trance when he realized something was missing. Where was the Old Man? Or rather, his spirit? The young man looked around, but it truly seemed he was alone in the stone husk of a building.
Without warning, a familiar laugh rang from above. Looking up, Link saw that the ceiling was missing large chunks of it, the Old Man staring down at him from one of the intact pieces. There was a ghostly glow around him, making his ghostly nature much more apparent. "The Goddess Hylia. Just her statue brings you warmth, doesn't it?" The spirit asked. "I will wait for you up at the top of the Temple. Come quickly, don't delay!" He urged, walking out of sight without waiting for a response.
For a second, Link was surprised to see the Old Man up there…before he quickly remembered that the stranger was a spirit. Even days later it was hard to wrap his head around that! He had to wonder why he was being called to the roof. A paranoid part of Link's mind wondered if the ghost was avoiding entering the Temple for some reason. It seemed like monsters like Bokoblins were unable to enter…so what did that say about the Old Man? Was he malicious and unable to enter the sacred grounds…?
No, that was just silly.
If the Old Man was dangerous, he wouldn't have been so helpful. And surely any evil-dispelling properties the Temple had would include the roof. Link was just being overly cautious, but he supposed it was better than not being cautious at all. Looking around, he saw no way to reach the roof from the inside, no staircase upwards or ladders. Climbing the walls might be feasible…but not something he wanted to try unless totally necessary.
Link stepped outside and began walking around the perimeter of the Temple, quickly spotting a ladder leaned against the wall of one of its sides. It must have been there for a terribly long time, but it seemed just durable enough to support his weight. As a bit of a test, he pressed his foot against the bottom rung and pushed at it, just a bit. It creaked noticeably, but didn't break or anything of the sort…
Mentally crossing his fingers, the young man carefully started up the ladder. It worryingly creaked and groaned under his weight as he slowly made his way to the top, but it thankfully held together until he reached the roof. Despite its poor condition, the roof of the Temple was sturdy enough for Link to walk on without feeling like it'd collapse under him, remembering that the Old Man being able to walk around meant very little.
Speaking of which, Link spotted the spirit on a higher part of the Temple, in a small belltower. The ladder leading to it was in mildly better condition and held together as the young man scaled it. When he reached the Old Man, all he could do was stare at him for a few moments. A small part of Link was just refusing to believe that he was truly a specter despite all the evidence to the contrary. He felt if at any moment, he'd blink and the ghostly aura around him would vanish and he'd be a normal person again…but it just didn't happen.
"I came right where you wanted me to. You said you'd tell me everything…you're keeping that promise, right?" Link asked, feeling a bit exasperated at being summoned to such a faraway location to speak to the ghost. At the very least, they could've met at the Sheikah Tower, right?
The Old Man didn't seem to notice Link's exhaustion, or at least he didn't show it if he did. "I plan to fulfill my promise. I thought it was best to wait until your memory was less fragile to tell you everything, and I believe you are now ready to hear it all. You've gone through a great deal already, but this is merely the beginning of a far longer and deadlier journey. However, I must first tell you who I truly I am. My true identity is King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule! A century ago…I was the final leader of Hyrule, a kingdom which no longer exists…"
In a flash of light, the Old Man, or rather the King, transformed. No longer did he wear rags or have a dirt-caked beard. As the flash faded, there stood a spirit far more deserving the title of king. A golden circlet rested upon his head, his beard and hair white as the finest snow, and his clothes were clearly tailor made just for him, and even Link could tell they were made of the finest material. On his belt was a symbol that Link couldn't help but notice, a triangle split into three smaller triangles. Why did it seem so familiar…?
"A king? All this time you were royalty? But what, you saw what happened back then. How did Hyrule get this way?" Link asked after a few moments of soaking in the sight of King Rhoam. A part of him said that he should kneel, but he was too shocked to make the movement.
"This was the Great Calamity that destroyed my kingdom. It was a horrid, merciless wave of destruction!" The King replied, a mixture of sorrow and righteous fury in his voice, which notably sounded more authoritative. "It was also what took my life, a foolish king unable to save his own people."
Great Calamity. That sounded familiar. Yes, the King had called that boar-like smog monster Calamity Ganon. Glancing over to the distant castle, he saw the monster floating around it, trying to escape but being held back by something the young man was unable to see. "I remember, you mentioned that creature did it. Just what is it anyway?"
King Rhoam floated over to the destroyed window looking towards the distant castle. "Calamity Ganon…it was once a demon king from long, long ago. Legends say he used to even be a man, but due to the Malice in his heart, he became the twisted being trapped within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Legends of Ganon were passed down countless generations as mere legend…but there was also a prophecy. 'The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.' was what it said."
"What could be beneath the ground that could stop something like that?" Link asked, staying where he was and watching as Calamity Ganon dissolved into formless miasma. Was something like that truly once a person? King Rhoam did say those were merely legends…
The King shook his head. "We had no idea what it may be, but we had to try. We heeded the prophecy, excavating large swaths of land. It didn't take long before we unearthed relics from the distant past. There were four massive automatons we called the Divine Beasts that were piloted by warriors, and countless smaller machines we called Guardians. This matched with ancient legends, ones that to be mere myth. It was at this time we also learned the true meaning of other tales. This included a Princess born with a sacred power, and a warrior that held a sword that could seal the darkness. It was these two, the Divine Beasts, their pilots, and the guardians that sealed Calamity Ganon away so many years ago."
That…was a lot to take in. Giant robotic entities, even an army of smaller ones. Those Guardians Link found…something happened to make them hostile to humans. He had no knowledge of how such things worked, of course. "If Calamity Ganon was sealed away once, why didn't things work out a hundred years ago, then?"
"Things were aligning as we hoped. A Princess with the sacred power was born, and a skilled knight was at her side. From across Hyrule, four pilots for the Divine Beasts were chosen, these warriors dubbed 'Champions' for their prowess. But nay…as Calamity Ganon was to be sealed, it acted first. It corrupted the Guardians and turned them against us, even turned the Divine Beasts onto its side. Without those at our disposal, all hope seemed lost. The Champions lost their lives, as did most of those that lived in or near the castle. The knight was gravely injured while protecting the Princess. It was our darkest hour! But the Princess, my daughter Zelda, managed to seal Calamity Ganon away just as the whole kingdom was to be destroyed entirely…"
Link had no idea what to say. It was such a horrible, needless waste of life! This also worried him. If the Divine Beasts, the Guardians, the Princess, and her knight were unable to stop Calamity Ganon…what hope did he have? The name Zelda, though…it seemed so familiar to the young man, but he couldn't put his finger on why! "You said the knight was injured. What happened to him? Couldn't he finish off Calamity Ganon?"
"I see the story hasn't triggered any memories." The King said, turning back to face the young man. "That knight was you, Link! You fought valiantly, but the forces of Calamity were simply too much for you alone. After you were injured, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection, where you healed for the last century."
All Link felt was…numb. At least at first. He was this supposed chosen, skilled knight? The entirety of Hyrule was partially on his shoulders, especially after everything went wrong. And he failed his mission! None of this was spurring any memories inside his mind, but the young man's numbness subsided and was replaced with a self-disgust and like he was about to vomit. He still had no idea of the full scope of this Great Calamity, but it was horrifying to know it was all his fault! "Then the Calamity…if I had been better at my role, I could've stopped it." Link murmured, almost too quiet for King Rhoam to hear.
The spirit shook his head. "Blaming yourself isn't fair. I was the leader of this kingdom, every decision made to thwart Calamity Ganon was my own. You cannot blame yourself." His tone was stern, yet comforting and warm. "One man couldn't face all of that alone whether it be you or any other. If it weren't for you, Princess Zelda may not have survived, and Calamity Ganon would have won entirely."
That did little to wane Link's worries. Even though he couldn't remember everything that happened, he had a nagging feeling he should've done more! But he couldn't just keep beating himself up. At least not right then. "And what happened to Zelda? You said she sealed Calamity Ganon away, so what's keeping it at the castle?"
"You mentioned a voice you heard since awakening. That voice is none other than Zelda." King Rhoam informed, pointing towards Hyrule Castle. "Despite how it may sound, she's been alive all this time, keeping Calamity Ganon at bay."
All by herself?! For a century?! Link's jaw fell open, despite himself, but he quickly closed it. So, that's who was speaking to him all this time! It explained why the voice seemed so sure in his capabilities. This made his guilt worse, though, knowing that Zelda had been fighting alone for a century. He didn't remember her, but…! "Then I have to go and help her right now!" Link couldn't help but feel impatient…
"I understand your frustration, but as you are now, you'd die if you stormed the castle." The King responded, a tinge of justified anger in his tone as well, aimed towards Calamity Ganon. "As strong as she's been this last century, her power is slowly fading, there's only so much more she can do. Once her strength fails her, Calamity Ganon will finish consuming our land! Link, I fully blame myself for what happened, and I have no right to ask this of you…but please, save my kingdom and my daughter! I am powerless as I am, or else I'd directly help you…"
Link was surprised the King felt the need to ask this. "I had every intention of helping. With everything you told me, I only want to help more." The young man's guilt was pushing him all the harder to aid Hyrule and all that survived the Great Calamity! "But where do I start?"
King Rhoam gave a small, wary smile. "Just as full of Courage as you always were. A determined, strong young man. As for your course of action…Calamity Ganon continues to possess the Divine Beasts as well as numerous Guardians that protect Hyrule Castle. I recommend you go to Kakariko Village, the home of the Sheikah, and speak to its elder, Impa. She can give you more accurate information than I." He pointed to the mountains that Link had spotted earlier, the one that looked like a single mountain that had split in half. "It will take some time to reach your destination, maybe an entire week. Going through the road past the Dueling Peaks is the fastest way from here."
Link nodded, taking out the Sheikah Slate and placing a beacon on the Dueling Peaks, shocked that it worked with such a faraway target. There was one thing that bothered him, though. "Your Majesty…what about my memories? What happened to me?"
The spirit hummed in light distraught. "That I cannot say. The way Sheikah technology works is a bit beyond me. Impa will be able to help you with that. I would like to tell you everything about your own past, but every moment counts. Oh, and I did make a promise…" Out of thin air, using some sort of ghostly power to be sure, King Rhoam produced his paraglider. "This will be necessary to get off the Great Plateau."
Though he understood the reasoning, Link couldn't help but be a bit disappointed regarding his memory. At the very least, he had a few pieces of his past filled in. And if anyone were to help, the Sheikah surely could. It was also good to hear that at least one village, and surely others, still existed. As he took the paraglider, he looked the spirit dead in the eyes. "I'll get there as fast as I can. I won't let the kingdom down a second time."
King Rhoam gave Link a warm, sad smile. "I know you won't. You will save Hyrule…I know it…" His voice grew distant, and as he spoke his last words, he faded from sight, gone entirely within a matter of moments, leaving Link all alone.
That had been a lot to take in, more than Link had dared to expect as he went down the mountain. He had been one of the Champions responsible for protecting Hyrule…yet the kingdom was entirely in shambles. It was further frustrating to him that even after hearing facts about his past life, none of it seemed familiar to Link. He couldn't picture what Princess Zelda looked like, nor the other four Champions. The young man stood there, desperately clawing for any semblance of a memory, yet just like before, it was like trying to grab a handful of fog. No matter how much he tried, the memories dissolved in an instant and simply slipped through his fingers.
However, he realized he had no time to stand around and ponder. He had no reason to doubt King Rhoam's claim of Zelda's waning strength. Once more, he looked do the Dueling Peaks and the path that lead there. He couldn't see everything, of course, but there didn't seem to be anything too horrible on the way there. No mountains to scale, no forests as large as the one on the Great Plateau, no signs of monsters…but that was probably due to the severe distance. If all he had to face on the plateau was Bokoblins, for the most part, he had to wonder what sort of creatures were out there. How far did the mobile Guardians wander from Hyrule Castle, for instance? Immobile Guardians were clearly plenty of trouble, but ones that could hunt him down sounded impossible to beat!
Shaking the thoughts away, Link knew if he pondered every situation, he'd never leave! Holding the Paraglider above his head, the young man decided to go to the top of the Sheikah Tower. It was closer to the Dueling Peaks and the edge of the Great Plateau. In addition, even with it being on a hill, the Temple wasn't much taller than the Sheikah Tower, so it was a much better place to depart from.
Taking a deep breath, Link leapt from the Temple balcony, bracing his body in case something went wrong. Thankfully, nothing did! The winds carried Link along, almost like they knew where he wanted to go and helped him along his flight. For all he knew, the Paraglider was magic in some manner…wouldn't be the most unusual thing he had seen since his awakening! Leaning forward, he got a bit more speed as he glided towards the Sheikah Tower. It felt good to go along in the open air, it made Link feel free and even a bit euphoric in a way he hadn't felt since he woke up in that unusual chamber…
Link glanced down, seeing the world pass under him and steadily grow closer as he went through the air. He realized he wouldn't quite reach the Sheikah Tower from this one leap, but it'd save him quite a bit of time! Indeed, he was only a mere ten minute walk from the structure as he began to slowly descend to the ground. He had to try and find high places, when convenient, to paraglide off of during his journey, it was so much easier!
The young man jogged to the tower's base and climbed up its sides, recalling how much effort it took to do so before. While not easy, per se, it was far less exhausting than it was now. The rustiness that built up over a century of sleeping was really starting to shake off! When he reached the top of the tower, he gazed off at the world below, a lot of it too hard to make out from the sheer distance. One thing he did notice, though, was the glow of a Sheikah Tower between him and the Dueling Peaks. While dismissive of the idea at first, he figured he should get the map in his Sheikah Slate filled out as much as possible, there was no telling how long his journey would be, after all, and every bit helped.
He then turned around and gazed at the Great Plateau behind him. In a strange way, he actually felt he'd miss the area. The old Temple, the skinny trees by the King's shack, the snowy mountains, the dense forest…it was all he truly knew, even though he had only been there for a short time. Link was sure as he saw more of Hyrule, he'd miss it less, realizing that because the plateau was his entire world at the moment, he managed to feel a connection to it. Turning back around, he approached the edge of the Sheikah Tower, Paraglider at the ready.
Taking a deep breath, he leapt forward.
Once more, it seemed as though the winds were summoned specifically to make his glide forward easier. There was no struggle or difficulty as he went forward and slowly towards the ground. Looking to the ground, he saw the Great Plateau rush under him, and before too long, the wall at the edge of the expanse passed by, Link officially past the borders of the little world he awoke in. There was a massive plummet past this border to the ground below, the King having been quite right when he said any attempt to get down in another way would've led to certain death. Though the winds seemed to carry him, Link kept hoping that the Paraglider wouldn't fail him and let him fall to his doom.
Below Link were sparse trees and grasslands, though he also saw some creatures below. The red tinge of Bokoblins stood out against the green and brown, but the monsters were way too far away to serve as a threat to him. As he glided, he looked towards Hyrule Castle and the miasma continuing to swirl around it. He started to once more think about Zelda and how he's been keeping her waiting for a hundred years! Guilt broiled in his gut, and he wished he could just storm the castle now…but he'd heed King Rhoam's warning about that.
As Link started to get closer to the ground, he estimated that the gliding saved him several hours of travel, not counting a hypothetical climb down the Great Plateau. Still, just reaching the Dueling Peaks would surely take him two days or so if nothing major got in his way. Who knew how far Kakariko Village was from there!
Once Link's gliding was nearing its end, he saw he was landing in the ruins of a settlement, and he touched down right outside of it. Old stone buildings were hollowed out, little more than crumbling walls remaining. Even things like furniture or other signs of human habitation were gone, as if no one had ever lived in the depressing area. In the middle of the small village were two incapacitated Guardians, old and unable to even activate. He couldn't help but notice that the buildings seemed most damaged in a ring facing the Guardians, the mechanical beings clearly having blasted the structures apart.
Another thing the young man noticed were several rusted weapons lying around the Guardians, signs that people had fought back to no avail. He approached one that was stuck in the ground, a sword that was still generally in one piece. A part of him wondered if using it over the damaged club he had might have been viable. As he pulled it from the earth, a sense of familiarity coursed through him, which made sense given his background as a knight. Thinking of it, all the combat know-how he had and survival instincts made more sense given who he was in the past.
In the end, he decided that even if it was rusted, a second weapon was better than just the club. He even saw a rusted metal shield lying near one of the Guardians and swapped his wooden shield for it since the piece of bark was already damaged. As sad as it was, it seemed going through old ruins was a way to maybe get more weapons or protection during his journey.
As he pondered this, his heart skipped a bit as a massive shape emerged from behind one of the more intact ruins, moving shockingly quietly. It was a towering creature, red in color, that was at least twice Link's height! It quickly reminded him of a Bokoblin, as it wore a loincloth and wrappings on its arms and legs, showing some minor intelligence. It had lengthy limbs and a long torso, with a grotesque face and a long snout. On its forehead was an orb with bumps on it which Link quickly realized was a horn! On top of all of that, it was wielding a wooden club with bones tied to it with old rope, the weapon about as long as Link was tall!
Moblin.
Once more, something in Link's brain told him exactly what the creature was. It quickly noticed him, its beady eyes narrowing as it snorted and growled at him. Quickly, he surmised that fighting it was a terrible idea. He doubted the club would last long enough to do any effective damage before breaking, and the sword wouldn't fare much better, but maybe it'd work out.
However, before Link could even attempt that, three Bokoblins came out from behind the same structure as the Moblin. Two of them were the usual red variety that he was used to, wielding wooden clubs. However, the third one was blue, with a more imposing horn that forked into two points, wielding a rusted sword with a degraded shield to match. Yet again, something in Link's subconscious told him that Blue Bokoblins were more dangerous than the red ones.
Quickly, Link thought the situation over. He knew instinctually from the recesses of his amnesiac mind that a Moblin wasn't going to go down easily at all and could take a lot of abuse. Assuming he could steal the weapons from all the Bokoblins as he took them down, he still wasn't sure he could kill the larger monster with what he had. He had the Runes, too…but…really, he didn't feel any of this was truly worth the effort! If it was just the Bokoblins or the Moblin alone then maybe, but all of them, not so much!
Moving fast, Link took out the Sheikah Slate and used the Stasis Rune on the Moblin, which had gotten quite close to him. It naturally froze in place, highlighted in yellow as the Bokoblins stopped and let out shocked snarls at their comrade being halted so suddenly. Link took this opportunity to simply sprint away, the Bokoblins letting out roars at him as he fled the would-be battle as they gave chase.
The Moblin unfroze after a few moments, seeming dazed at first, but quickly got its bearings and went after Link too. Noticeably, it moved slower than the Bokoblins, which were doing a good job at keeping up with the young man. Not wanting to waste arrows, Link produced a bomb from the Sheikah Slate and lobbed it at the Bokoblins as he ran. It landed in front of the trio of monsters, who once more halted in surprise at the unusual object. Without giving them time to do anything else, Link detonated it, the blast sending the creatures flying and landing roughly on the ground. It didn't seem to really hurt them much, but it allowed Link to increase the distance between him and his pursuers.
After a minute more of running, the young man looked back to see that the Bokoblins and Moblin were no longer chasing him. He assumed they decided he wasn't worth the effort, but he kept running for a few minutes longer, just in case. When he looked back again, he still saw there was nothing behind him and he finally slowed down to a walk. By this point, he had exited the ruins of the settlement and was on a dirt walkway towards the Dueling Peaks.
As he traveled onward for the next half hour, he'd look over his shoulder periodically to make extra sure the Bokoblins and Moblin had truly given up. He had no idea how far those things would go to pursue their prey, after all. After not seeing them at any point, he finally decided he was truly safe from them. He had to wonder just how many types of creatures were lurking across Hyrule and how dangerous they'd end up being. That Talus monstrosity seemed like it had to be the most dangerous one of all…how could anything be more imposing than a massive living pile of rocks? At least, he hoped there was nothing nastier, it was hard to imagine…!
Thankfully, for the rest of the day, he didn't run into anything else. Was he just lucky he didn't run into anything, or did monsters stay near where old human settlements were? There were assuredly monsters that roamed about and didn't stay in any one place for long. Had to watch out for those! He slowly whittled down his supplies as he went, mostly feasting on apples and drinking at his water, anything other food but the red fruits having been polished off a while ago. As the sun began to set, he decided to sleep up in a tree again, seeing a sturdy looking example not far from where he was.
Though, as Link approached, he wondered if sleeping at the tree's base could be okay. It'd be better on his body, and if he held a weapon in his arms, it'd be okay, perhaps. If he didn't light a fire, it wasn't nearly cold enough for that anyway, what were the chances someone would find him? It was a gamble, but…he hadn't seen any danger in hours, so he decided to risk it. He found the side of the tree that went in the most, anything to give him even the smallest bit of camouflage, as he sat against its bark, the rusted sword in his arms.
In the darkness, it seemed like everything around him was louder. From the buzzing of insects, to the scurrying of something small and unseen that lived in the tree. If something were to approach, especially a large, clumsy monster, he was sure to hear it. After a few moments of just basking in the noisy darkness, Link closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep against the tree.
It seemed like only a second had passed before the young man opened his eyes with the rising sun shining directly at his face. Standing up, he stretched a bit, feeling a bit sore. At the very least it wasn't as bad as when he slept on a branch. Link knew he had to keep moving fast, so after another apple and some water, he quickly went back on his way towards the Dueling Peaks. One thing he realized is sooner or later he'd have to do some hunting. No telling how long this journey would take, and he couldn't live off of apples the entire time. He'd focus on getting to Kakariko Village first…maybe this Impa woman King Rhoam mentioned would be less stingy with food handouts.
Not much happened for the next several hours as Link walked along the path onward. The world around him seemed rather pleasant, but there was a sort of underlying sensation he couldn't quite shake. It was as if he was being watched, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't see any observers. He had this feel of general unease, and a part of him wondered if it was coming from Calamity Ganon. It wasn't like this on the Great Plateau, but maybe that's because it was too far away from the hideous creature. Unable to shake the feeling away, Link did his best to just live with it and not look towards Hyrule Castle.
The closest he got to danger for a good while was when he saw a group of about a dozen Bokoblins crossing the path ahead of him, the young man ducking behind a nearby bush as they passed. The group was a mix of Red and Blue Bokoblins with rusted swords, clubs, and even a few bows with arrows. Certainly not worth the risk of dying, he hadn't ever fought a group that large. That was probably why no one was living in these massive fields, chances were there were monsters crawling all over the place, Link was just lucky this was the first he personally encountered. He was hoping to get a better grasp on the world at large from Kakariko Village, knowing what he was up against.
At around noon, roughly halfway to the Dueling Peaks, Link came across a stone bridge that went over a river, the Sheikah Tower he spotted far on the other side of it. The stone structure had seen better days, crumbling in some places with patches of moss growing on others. Given it had surely seen an entire century without repair, it was certainly doing well enough. It was when he was about halfway across this bridge that the young man took a moment to rest.
Leaning at the bridge's edge, he couldn't help but look at Hyrule Castle and the dark miasma swirling around it. A horrible sight that sent shivers up his spine, but he couldn't help himself despite earlier attempts to avert his gaze. He just kept thinking about how Princess Zelda, whom he didn't even remember properly, was giving all of her energy to prevent Calamity Ganon's escape…
He stood there for longer than he anticipated, spacing out a bit as the minutes went by. Without warning, though, a loud noise came from the side, making Link's head whip around to face the source. It took him a split second to realize it was a man screaming, and his instincts had him draw his sword and ready his shield!
"No! Don't do it!" The man had yelled, Link seeing the stranger was an older man about his same height with dirty brown hair. This intrusive man had shoddy, probably self-made armor on, and he was wielding an equally shoddy spear. When he saw Link drawing his weapon and shield, he stopped in his tracks. He raised his weapon, albeit defensively, and took a half-step back. "Whatever you were thinking of doing, stop! It's not worth it!"
Hardly armored. Near-broken weapon. Nervous stature.
Link stared at the man for a moment more before determining that he truly meant no matter. Still, he was a bit startled. He knew he was going to run into people out in the world, but having it actually happen was another thing entirely. The King, even in his disguise, had an odd air about him, so that wasn't quite the same. That, and it was before Link spent numerous days all by himself. Getting startled by the man's yelling certainly didn't help either.
"Do what? What are you talking about?" Link asked as he lowered his sword. All he was doing was standing at the bridge and spacing out a bit. "Who are you?" He couldn't remember the last time he had a 'normal' conversation, so he felt a bit out of place.
The man stared at Link for a few moments and then let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the Goddess! I was worried you were going to throw yourself from the bridge!" He let out another happy sigh, his mood instantly lifting. "My name is Brigo. I camp by this bridge and keep watch for anyone trying to end it all."
That was not the answer Link was expecting! Had he really seemed suicidal? Still, he could hardly be upset at the man for having such a noble goal. "That's appreciated, it really is, but I was just resting. Didn't have any plans to throw myself from the bridge. But is it just you out here? All alone?" Brigo didn't seem exactly battle ready, and he appeared to be getting on in the years. Even one Moblin seemed enough to take the poor guy out.
"Yes, it's just me. I see it as my duty to help those wanting to throw their lives away. Things are bad right now, but that doesn't mean they will be forever! Things are going to change soon for the better, I just know it!" The man insisted, his voice strong and determined, showing he truly meant every word.
"That's a very selfless way to live. Do people really come here to end it all that often?" Link asked, seeing as how the bridge was somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Though for all he knew, this was a commonly traveled road and he just didn't run into anyone earlier by pure chance.
Brigo sighed and gave a slow nod. "More common than you'd think. Sometimes I can save them, but…" He trailed off, letting out another sigh before forcing his mood to be more chipper. "So, traveler, where are you going? It seems like you've come from a long way!"
A change of tone was rather welcome, and Link saw no reason not to tell Brigo where he was headed. "I'm going to Kakariko Village. Tell me, do you know if there's any explicit dangers on the way?" Might as well get some information while he was here.
The brunette whistled, glancing over his shoulder at the mountains for a moment. "That far? All alone? That takes guts, uh…say, I didn't catch your name."
"Link. Now, what can I expect on the way?" The blonde pushed, realizing he was kind of wasting time. As pleasant as Brigo was, he couldn't stick around and chat with the man for too long.
"Oh, yes! Well, there's nothing too bad. Some Bokoblins and Lizalfos, but nothing much nastier than that if you stick near the trail. Once you pass through the Dueling Peaks, you're about home free in terms of danger." Brigo explained. "Not every part of Hyrule is so safe, though. Really, the farther west you go, the more dangerous things seem to get for some reason. Not as dangerous as around the castle of course…" As he said this, he glanced towards Hyrule Castle before grimacing.
That didn't sound too bad. Ironically, hearing the name 'Lizalfos' didn't stir a mental image in his mind. Apparently, he could name a monster if he saw it, but couldn't see a monster that was named. "That's good to know, thank you. I should get going, though. My business is pretty urgent." Even as he said this, he started to walk by Brigo.
"Say, hey, before you go, how about I top off your water for you? I've got some that's boiled and cleaned if you need it!" The helpful stranger insisted, walking alongside Link.
The blonde took the generous man on his offer, getting his bottles filled up to the top with fresh water. Granted, he was sure he could drink from the river and be relatively okay. The ponds and lakes on the Great Plateau had been clean enough to drink from, after all. Some purified water was best, though. After some farewells and well wishes, Link departed from the set of small tents that Brigo had set up near the river. It was nice to see there were kind souls in a destroyed kingdom to be sure. Though Link worried that he was going through the safer parts of Hyrule at the moment. If he had to go west, what was going to wait for him there? After all, the Great Plateau was to the west, and it had a massive monster made out of stone…
Hopefully he could simply avoid that part of the kingdom.
As hours went on, Link saw how close he was getting to the Sheikah Tower by the Dueling Peaks. At the pace he was going, he figured he'd reach it by nightfall, which worked great for him. It was a good place to sleep, and in the morning, he could use the Paraglider from the top of it to save him some walking! He moved a bit quicker as he went forward, wanting to make double sure he reached his destination before the sun went down entirely.
Thankfully, the trip was peaceful from the bridge to the Sheikah Tower…at least until Link got very close to it and saw there was a problem. A massive rock structure in the shape of a skull was in the distance, nearby the tower, and in front of it was a campfire with half a dozen Bokoblins sitting around it. There was another Bokoblin on top of the skull, acting as a lookout, so it seemed no matter how Link approached the situation, he'd be spotted, so sneaking by without a fight wasn't an option.
He still had some arrows left to attack from afar, and the Bokoblins were grouped together, so bombs were also an option. Though the lookout was bound to spot him before he got too close to use his Sheikah Slate. It was probably best to take these monsters down normally. Besides, he should get used to tough battles while he had the chance to be picky about it. No telling what he'd face in the future, so if a bunch of Bokoblins is too much for him, he won't get far on his quest. Going in swinging or outsmarting them would make for good experience!
There was a tree relatively close to the campsite which Link slinked to, doing so without being spotted. The bow he had was in rough shape, he doubted it'd be able to handle many more uses. Still, he got an arrow ready and remained half-hidden behind the tree as he aimed for the closest Bokoblin. Taking a breath, he let the arrow fly, the projectile firing at a blinding speed and quickly impaling the target through the neck which killed it instantly!
This startled the other Bokoblins, who leapt to their feet and got their weapons ready. For all but one of them, this simply meant a club while the last creature had a shoddy bow with crude arrows. They looked around, but were too stupid to figure out where the arrow came from. Taking advantage of this, Link aimed for the bow-wielding Bokoblin and let another arrow loose. While it fired fine, there was a snapping sound as the bow itself gave way to wear and practically broke in half! He had nothing to fix it with, so that was a lost cause. At the very least, the final arrow he fired hit its target, piercing the bow-wielding Bokoblin through the eye and killing it.
Still left five Bokoblins, including the lookout which was scaling down the skull, to contend with. At this point, they managed to work out where Link was and were charging at him, snarling and brandishing their weapons. Link got the metal shield ready and took out his club, figuring something a bit shorter and faster to swing would work best for this specific situation.
He charged forward, meeting the monsters head-on. As usual in these confrontations, he felt his mind sort of slip away as his instincts took over, his mostly unknown past as a knight aiding him once more. Link unleashed a swift blow to the head of the nearest Bokoblin once he reached them, knocking it to the ground, then blocking a club swing from one of its cohorts. Without warning, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head as a Bokoblin slammed its own weapon against Link's skull. His vision went blurry for a moment, but he regained his composure and swung the club in a wide circle, knocking the monsters away or making them stumble backwards.
The fight was frantic at that point, Link being set upon by five Bokoblins at once. He got hit a few more times, but it was thankfully never anything too severe. A hit to the side and to his left arm, one of the clubs grazing his forehead and causing a cut to form that dripped blood. During the battle, Link's club finally broke, making it so he had to finish it off with the rusted sword. Speaking of which, it and the shield had bits of it chip away with each use, letting Link know they wouldn't last long at all.
Still, after a few hectic minutes, the fight was over and the Bokoblins all lay dead on the ground, Link panting a bit as he stood over their corpses. His body felt sore, especially as the adrenaline wore off. With no bandages or other medical supplies, so all he could do was try and ignore the pain as he wiped the blood on his forehead away. As poor as the arrows of the Bokoblins were, they were still better than nothing, so the traveler filled his quiver back up and took the dead archer's ill-made bow and even one of their clubs just to have a second weapon.
With his business done and his fighting mind fading, he climbed the hill that went up against the skull rock to see the Sheikah Tower was in the middle of a small lake. It had a climbable surface like the one on the Great Plateau, with small platforms placed up the sides. From where he was, Link could paraglide to about the halfway point of the tower, and that's what he did, the wind yet again seeming to come forth just for his sake. Landing on a small platform halfway up the tower, Link quickly scaled the rest of it. No Bokoblins, or anything else unusual, was at the tower's top, just another pedestal. The young man decided it was worth updating his map as he placed the Sheikah Slate in the slot.
Distilling local information...
As usual, stalactite glowed as symbols appeared on it, a large drop of liquid appearing at the bottom as it dropped onto the slate. Like before, a portion of the map lit up and became detailed, the tower marked on the map. However, unlike before, there was a second icon in the region.
Regional map extracted.
Link took the Sheikah Slate and looked at the map closer, seeing it was past the Dueling Peaks. King Rhoam said that Kakariko Village was beyond the mountains, and that it was home to the Sheikah…so maybe that's what the Sheikah device was showing him. He'd go with the assumption for the moment, but he'd worry about it later. Shedding his gear, Link sat against the pedestal, feeling better than he did last night, knowing he was safer up on the tower.
Breathing out his nose, he fell asleep.
When morning broke and he slowly woke up, Link stretched as he usually did, his body stiff from the hard sleeping spot. It was well worth the safety, though! After a quick breakfast and some of that boiled, clean water, he immediately got up to move forward. Moving to the edge of the tower, he got the Paraglider ready and leapt up towards the Dueling Peaks. Tucking in his legs, he made quite a bit of distance as he soared onward. The river the bridge from earlier passed ran right between the two mountain ranges and beyond.
The view below showed little signs of danger, at first at least. As Link soared between the Dueling Peaks themselves, he started to notice movement in the water. Large, chameleon-like creatures were swimming along, strangely humanoid and even from far above Link could tell they were larger than he was.
Lizalfos.
So, that's what Lizalfos were! He saw four of them swimming along in a group, most likely hunting for something, and the young man decided he needed to avoid them if he could. From how high he started to paraglide from, he managed to get nearly halfway through the Dueling Peaks before he needed to land. Going through a mountain sure was better than climbing it, that was for sure! Link maneuvered himself so he landed on a rocky path that was elevated above the main ground. He saw no signs of creatures on it, so he felt he'd be safe.
Thankfully, it seemed the path ahead was rather easygoing at this point. At least, that's what he thought at first. As he was walking forward, he soon noticed something splashing out of the river. It was a grey, octopus-like creature with a rock on its head and angry red eyes. The thing was staring right at Link as it took in a deep breath…
Octorok.
Something in Link's mind told him to run, which is exactly what he did! He sprinted forward as the Octorok spat out a boulder about as big as its own body at Link! It flew past where the young man was moments before, slamming into the mountain wall! If that had hit him in the head, he would probably have died right there! Not taking any chances, he kept running as the creature kept launching attacks at him. Soon enough, though, it stopped, presumably because Link was out of its range…
For the next few hours, this happened a few times. Link walked mostly interrupted until an Octorok sprang out of the water and shot large rocks at him, which he always managed to dodge. Thankfully, he wasn't so injured from yesterday's fight with the Bokoblins that he couldn't move around easily. There were also Lizalfos that he saw, but none tried to attack him, perhaps unable to scale the mountain walls to get at him, or they just didn't notice him. They looked more formidable than Bokoblins, but less so than Moblins, but he still wanted to avoid them in the future if possible…
He tried not to think too much as he went, knowing if he let his mind wander, he'd start to think back about his old life and what transpired. The last thing he needed was to let the guilt of his past failure keep creeping into his mind! After three or four hours of walking, Link saw something strange on the horizon. Smoke! It didn't seem dry enough for wildfires, so that had to mean people! Link ran forward, feeling he couldn't be at Kakariko Village already! He kept going, refusing to tire out as the smoke grew closer and closer…and that's when he saw it.
At the opposite end of the Dueling Peaks was a settlement of some kind! Well, it was mostly one building with some tents nearby, but he didn't know what else to call it. The large building was strange, having a large horse's head built on it as a sort of decoration. It turned out the smoke he saw came from a campfire nearby the structure's entrance, about a dozen people either milling about or sitting around the fire.
Oddly…Link felt nervous as he saw it. Whether it was King Rhoam, a monk, that Korok creature, or Brigo, he had only spoken to one person at a time since he awoke. A place with numerous people at once…it just made him feel uneasy. Seemed social situations were a weakness of his, but he had no choice. The place wasn't Kakariko Village surely, but it couldn't be much farther than that, could it?
Taking a deep breath, Link went on, the mountain wall he was on sloping down to the normal ground as he approached the unusual looking settlement…
A/N: At long last, the "tutorial" segment is over. Wanted to get to a settlement fast, so I did gloss over some of Link's alone time and kept combat encounters to a minimum at the suggestion of my friend. If Link is ever fighting just some Bokoblins again, I'll probably just wrap up the encounter in a paragraph or so, I doubt many people want a page of fighting every time he encounters some of the weakest enemies in the story. And yes, I'm sort of making the Paraglider a bit magical, allowing Link to glide in whatever direction he needs to without having to wait for the wind to be in his favor. I'm not sure he'll unlock all the Sheikah Tower maps since a few of them are a bit out of the way, but I'll be playing that by ear. Next time will be a lot more dialogue and a lot less travel, so that'll be a nice change of pace, I think.