As Link approached the stable, the sun was just about set. Looking towards the small settlement, he saw it seemed a bit more efficient than the one by Kakariko Village. There were more guards, for one, and the equipment they had was better. Around the stable were numerous tents, assuredly where families and temporary visitors were staying that can't afford to sleep inside. The young man figured that with Kakariko Village nearby, monsters at the other stable weren't quite so common, aside from the field with the Bokoblins. Here, though, there were no clear settlements nearby, so the stable was on its own and needed to be more efficient just to survive.
When Link got within shouting distance, some people paused to glance him over, but there wasn't as much interest as with the other stable. This road may just be more traveled, so a stranger wasn't something anyone really cared about that much. It wasn't until the young Hylian got near one of the guards that he was spoken to.
"Don't think I've seen you here before. You stopping for the night?" The guard asked, a man in his forties, a helmet covering his head and hair, but his greying beard giving away his age. "Don't know if there'll be any room for you."
Link nodded. "I was hoping to work for a bed and a meal. I did that with the stable by Kakariko Village, will that be okay here?"
The guard shrugged. "Not up to me. Talk to Kish about it, he should be at the stable's desk. You know, there's no sort of rules that go between these stables. They're modeled mostly the same, but how they're run is entirely up to each owner separately."
That made sense. With how far apart these places were and no governing body of Hyrule, it'd be pretty tough to keep them all in line. Link figured there were other stables across the land he simply hadn't seen yet. "Okay, thanks. I'll go talk to him, then." He paused, then pointed off past the stable and towards the direction of the Korok Forest. "The woods near here, do you know anything about them?"
In an instant, the older man's demeanor changed from nonchalantly friendly to fearful and even a bit stern. "Don't even think about it, kid." He warned, a sort of righteous anger hanging off of his words. "Everyone that's gone there hasn't come back, so just forget about trying it, alright?"
"Do you know why they vanish, though? You can tell me not to go, but it's not going to stop me." Link replied with some defiance. He knew that the guard was just trying to look out for him, but he didn't like the way he was being talked to.
The guard scoffed, shaking his head. "You think I'm dumb enough to have tried going in there? Heck if I know. Some rumors say it's monsters, others say spirits will take you to another world, and some say you just get lost and can never leave."
So, nothing concrete. Link hoped he could learn more about some actual specifics, but he was starting to realize that'd probably never happen. If no one truly ever managed to escape, that'd sort of make it impossible to learn anything specific. "Well, alright. Thanks anyway."
"Look, I can't stop you from going, but just know you're throwing your life away if you try." The guard said, his tone still stern, but a bit softer. "Don't waste the time you have on some fool's errand. If you think there's treasure there, just know any talk of that is just rumors and nothing else."
Link gave a short nod. "I know. I'll be able to manage, you don't need to worry about me." He hoped his confidence wasn't misplaced as he walked by the guard, who tsk'd at the young Hylian, and went to the desk. Behind it was Kish, just as the guard stated. The man wore clothes similar to the owner of the other stable, having a wispy mustache and a short beard. "You're Kish, right? I was hoping to do some work for food and a bed, can I do that?"
The man nodded. "Yeah, I'm Kish, and…" Kish looked Link over, apparently trying to see if he was worth putting to work. "…well, you look healthy enough…I can spare one meal and a night in bed. But that's it, though. After that, you'll have to pay."
Link felt relief, knowing he should try to save as many Rupees as possible. "Thank you. Just tell me what I need to do first, and I'll get started." As late as it was, he was still put to work for the next few hours. The workload was about the same as it was the last time he did this. He tended to the horses, got some firewood, took a guard shift, and other such things. It was near midnight when Kish told him he could stop for the night and expected him to work for another hour or two in the morning, to which Link agreed to.
The young Hylian had a modest meal of some chicken and vegetables. Not a huge meal, but enough to get him feeling full by the time he was done. During his time working, he decided not to even bother asking about the Korok Forest. He figured all he'd get was warnings telling him not to go or rumors that had no substance behind them. It was best to just go in mostly blind and hope for the best.
After his meal, Link got one of the smaller beds, the rest taken up by paying customers, and went to sleep. He fell into slumber almost the second his head hit the pillow, and was waken up not long after sunrise by Kish. True to his word, Link did a few hours more work to pay off his small debt, it mostly involving tending to the horses and some passing customers. After about two hours, Kish told him he could leave when he liked, which Link took him on.
He couldn't help but glance back at the stable as he left, one of the workers waving him off, which he politely returned. Link had to wonder how many of these stables were dotted around Hyrule. The more, the better…he really wanted to see more signs that the old, destroyed kingdom was repairing itself. Emotionally, he had no real reason to care, but he knew it was the right thing. The lack of emotion made him disappointed, though, even seeing Princess Zelda and the Champions in his memory…he still felt almost apathetic towards the situation at large…
Shaking these thoughts away, he kept going. He noticed that fog from yesterday was still there…was it a permanent phenomenon? There was also that Sheikah Tower from before, that was in between the stable and the fog. Looking at the map on the Sheikah Slate, it really did seem that the fog was in the same place as the forest. It certainly explained a few things…
Glancing over at the Sheikah Tower, Link figured, like the others that happened to be on his path, he'd scale this one and activate it. More map activation and a nice paragliding spot will make the effort worth it. The path to the shrine was fairly peaceful, Link going uphill through some forested areas, seeing deer milling about, some running from his presence while others watched him from afar. Notably, he saw no travelers this time around, he wondered if it was a coincidence or if the entire path to the Korok Forest was just taboo.
About an hour later, as Link neared the Sheikah Tower, another reason no one would go this way quickly became apparent. There were numerous things he saw that made his stomach drop. One was the remnants of some old, wooden structure that seemed like it collapsed in on itself, a crater of sorts taking up most of its ruins. The crater was filled with some sort of odd, brown, bubbling muck that Link was not about to step foot in.
Near this destroyed structure was the Sheikah Tower, standing tall. It too had wooden structures near it, destroyed towers and ones rebuilt in a haphazard manner. Along these other structures were Blue Bokoblins and at least one Red Moblin were milling about, not having noticed Link yet. As he got even closer, keeping behind the trees to keep his cover, he saw that the Sheikah Tower was surrounded by the unusual muck as well. There was nowhere, aside from the monster-occupied towers, that he could paraglide from to reach the tower itself. He'd have to wipe them out anyway, as he saw a few of the Bokoblins had bows and arrows.
For a few minutes, Link merely observed the area, trying to see if other monsters made themselves visible, and to work out a strategy of how to approach the area. He could snipe a few of the Bokoblins from afar, but he figured they'd soon realize where the arrows were coming from, so he couldn't rely entirely on that. As he looked closer, what he thought was a jutting rock turned out to be an immobile Guardian. He had to wonder if it was deactivated…or if it was like the one on the Great Plateau that attacked him. If it still worked, he had no idea if he could handle the monsters and avoid those lasers at the same time…
Taking a deep breath, Link took out his bow and readied an arrow, eyeing the Bokoblin closest to him. It was entirely unaware of his presence as it picked off some weed off the ground and sniffed at it. Link let the arrow fly, the projectile piercing the creature right through the skull! Thankfully, the Bokoblin was far enough away from the others that its death wasn't noticed.
Moving along the tree line some more, Link went until he was close enough to a second of the Bokoblins. This one was picking at its bellybutton, Link having to stop himself from grimacing as he readied another arrow. As the creature was about to lick something it pulled from the nasty orifice, Link let the arrow go. Once more, it was a direct it, the projectile going through the monster's eye and dropping it instantly.
Just as Link was about to try to repeat the process again, the sound of a horn echoed through the area. Looking over, he hadn't noticed another Bokoblin stumbling upon the corpse of the first! It was blowing into a horn to alert the rest of the monsters! With this being his last chance to utilize stealth, the Hylian readied a third arrow and let it fly. Unfortunately, it didn't hit its mark as he had wanted. Instead, it hit the shoulder of the Blue Bokoblin, causing it to howl out in pain as its beady eyes locked in on where the projectile came from.
Link sprinted from the trees, sword and shield ready as he ran into the monster camp, right at the Blue Bokoblin that he failed to kill. It had a club and a wooden shield, but the arm it held the club in was useless thanks to the shoulder wound. All it could do was try to block Link's attack, which the flimsy shield was unable to do. With a yell of effort, he broke right through the shield with a horizontal swing, lopping the Bokoblin's head off with a single stroke. Yet as he looked around, he saw more monsters approaching. There was a network of shoddily-made bridges to the towers and other walkways that the Bokoblins and lone Moblin used to move around. This meant it took them long periods of time to reach him depending on where they were.
This also meant that Link only had to deal with one or two Blue Bokoblins at once. Though their strength and agility is greater than their red cousins, they're no match for Link and are still just Bokoblins. As he did his best to mow them down, they still got some hits in with their clubs and spears. This was due to his worry about the Guardian, unable to stop himself from glancing towards it as he fought, frightened that it'd suddenly activate, which it never did. Thankfully, the Bokoblins mostly aimed for his torso, the boon of the Great Fairy keeping the damage to some nasty bruises, save for a club to the head that made Link see starts and weaken his footing for a moment.
When the lone Moblin appeared, Link had already dispatched all the Bokoblins, so the fight wasn't too bad. Like the others he faced, this Moblin also had a club the size of Link himself in its hand. Having somewhat gotten used to fighting these hulking beasts, this Moblin wasn't too much of an issue for Link, though he was winded from fighting the onslaught of Bokoblins beforehand. After a bit of a back-and-forth, though, Link pushed the Moblin back far enough so it fell into the muck, which was just what he wanted.
To Link's mild horror, the Moblin struggled and roared out, but the bubbling substance just kept dragging it down until it was entirely out of sight. If a Moblin couldn't struggle against the bog, Link felt he had no chance of doing so either. Yet, as he glanced around, he didn't see any of the structures directly linking to the Sheikah Tower. There was a monster-made tower that was tall enough for him to paraglide from, but…despite seeing the creatures using these structures, he wasn't sure how much he trusted them. One board snapping meant falling into the muck and sinking below it within moments.
An idea struck him, and he pulled out the Sheikah Slate and turned on the Cryonis, pointing the device at the muck. To his surprise, a pillar of ice rose from the brown substance! Staring at it for a few moments, he saw it didn't seem like it was going to sink. How that worked…he had no idea, and he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Carefully, he hopped onto the ice block, and hesitated before going on. He wanted to see if it'd start to sink with his increased weight, but nothing happened. As he raised a second block and hopped onto it, a light at the outer rim of the area came on and he felt his heart stop. The Guardian that seemed out of commission activated! It whirred about, its single blue eye quickly facing Link and staring him down. A red targeting laser appeared, aiming right for Link's chest!
In a split second, Link had to make a decision. Did he keep going to the tower, or did he hop back and circle around? He had no idea what possessed him…but Link hopped to the next block just as the Guardian fired its laser. The blue beam whizzed by the Hylian's head, hitting a tree behind him and reducing it to a stump in a fiery explosion.
He kept moving forward, summoning more ice blocks as the Guardian kept trying to target him. Thankfully it was entirely immobile, only able to swivel its head about to try and get a good read on him. He'd wait until it was about to fire, then leap to the next ice block. As stressful as it was, he was able to actually build a good rhythm for it, and before long, he reached the Sheikah Tower. As soon as he did this, he used more ice blocks so the tower was between him and the Guardian. No longer in its line of sight, the Guardian soon shut down, letting Link have a second to breathe.
After all that work…and he still had to climb the dang thing. Link sighed after he rested for a minute and began the climb. Like the other Sheikah Towers, this one had small platforms he could stop and rest on before continuing upward. As he went up, he recalled how tough things were as he started out. The first time he climbed a Sheikah Tower, it was an exhausting experience that left him sore and miserable. It was still no easy task, but the difference was like night and day! The rust he had on himself was really shaken off…
Before long, Link made it to the top of the tower without too much issue. What he hadn't noticed before was a large rock was stuck on the top of the tower, looking like one of those skull caves he had seen Bokoblins use for their hideouts. The tower being raised assuredly destroyed one such cave and lifted a large part of it up to the sky. It was no wonder monsters had surrounded the tower!
To the west, of course, was Hyrule Castle and the horrid miasma that surrounded. Link kept his gaze away from that direction. He just came from the south, so he had no reason to really look back that way again. To the east was mountainous walls, red and rich, rising far higher than the Sheikah Tower. The volcano wasn't in sight, the rocky spires blocking his vision of it. As it happened, the rock blocked his view of the north where the Korok Woods were. Of course. Link was hoping to get a better look at the area! Sighing again, Link went over to the pedestal in the center of the tower and used the Sheikah Slate on it as per usual, placing it into the slot.
Distilling local information...
Like the past times, the stalactite glowed blue and produced the mysterious liquid. Link had to wonder what that substance even was. Maybe if he went back to see Purah at any point, he'd ask her. As the droplet hit the slate, more of Hyrule's map was revealed. A lot of the part of the kingdom he just was got revealed, and finally he saw the Korok Forest as it was on the map, and it looked massive! There wasn't much else to see that he felt was super important, though.
Regional map extracted.
The slate popped out again, and Link took it, satisfied with filling out the map just a bit more. Not that it was going to exactly help him with the Korok Forest, but it was a start. As he pocketed the Sheikah Slate, he glared at the hunk of rock that was blocking a more direct view of the forest. According to the map, he still had another hour or two to walk to get there, so the Sheikah Tower would've made a great vantage point. Though if that foggy area really was the Korok Forest, it might not have even helped…but knowing for certain would've been nice.
Link sat on the tower for a minute, taking a few gulps of his water as he rested from his battles. With the adrenaline wearing off, he felt sore just about all over his body. Even with the boon of the Great Fairy, those attacks on his torso were no joke, and he knew he'd be sore there for days or weeks to come. If he wasn't careful, the damage would pile up and he'd end up with a broken bone at the very least. As he rested, he realized something about the Guardian he hadn't considered. It only targeted him, not the monsters. So, clearly the Bokoblins and Moblins held at least some sort of allegiance to Calamity Ganon, or surely the Guardian would've destroyed them. Link somewhat perceived the monsters as just dumb creatures before, but could there be much more to them…?
Shrugging off that line of thought, Link stood and stretched, ready to keep going. Even if the direct path to the Korok Forest was behind that slab of rock, he could still use the Paraglider effectively! Taking it off of his back, Link jumped to the east. As always, the wind seemed to instantly shift to be in his favor. Using this to his advantage, Link quickly turned himself so he was going north, and finally got a better look at the Korok Forest.
He was moving and constantly going down, so the view wasn't as good as he hoped, but it was telling. As it turned out, the foggy area was explicitly the Korok Forest. To his surprise, it seemed the area was essentially an island with only a single small path of earth connecting it to the mainland, the rest of the forest surrounded by a lake. With all the fog, he couldn't see a good place to try and get to, though there was a tree that towered above the others with pink petals on its branches. Was that where the Koroks were? At the very least, it'd make a good target to aim for…
So, the view didn't help Link very much at all. It raised a question, though, of how anyone could get so lost in the Korok Forest. It was sizable, yes, massive even. Yet it was on an island, such a finite space. If one just walked in one direction, they'd hit the edge of it sooner or later, within a matter of hours in fact. That raised the question…was it just that dangerous, were there beasts lurking about, or was there more to the forest that it seemed? With all the things Link had seen so far, he was ready for just about any explanation as to why the forest was so deadly…
The gliding helped Link quite a bit, and by the time he hit the ground, he was about halfway from the Sheikah Tower to the Korok Forest. It seemed the path ahead was quite pleasant, so he just walked along, but kept an eye out for any potential dangers. He also looked to see if he could spot any Koroks…he had already seen two, so maybe he could spot others that lingered outside of their domain. Unfortunately, none appeared, and Hestu especially would've been a welcome sight. Surely he'd help guide Link through the forest given the favor he did for him.
Link found the path he started to travel on didn't see a lot of foot traffic. The grass was full and lush, not stomped down into natural paths like so much of Hyrule was. Made sense…not a lot of people would come to a place like this. As he went on, aside from a few deer and birds, he saw very little of interest for the hour or so that he went along.
When he got close to the Korok Forest itself, the path changed slightly. On either side of the way forward, rock walls rose up, funneling Link onto a specific path that he could go. Also, mist began to form near the ground once the rock walls became present. It wasn't so bad that he couldn't see the way forward, but something told him it'd get thicker and more of a hinderance the further in he went. As Link walked into this mist, he swore his body began to feel heavier, as if the fog around him had a solid weight to it and was pushing him down. He still wasn't in the forest proper yet, no trees in the immediate vicinity, replaced by the walls of rock.
Right away, he felt eyes on him. Not birds or small animals, no. In fact, there didn't seem to be any wildlife around him. Instead, the gaze he felt had deeper intelligence behind it. In fact…he felt like he had just woken up something immense…the sensation was hard to explain. Something seemed to stir, but he didn't know what it was or where it was…or even if it was dangerous or even real! Still, he made sure his sword and shield were at the ready, his eyes looking about for danger.
The mist seemed to swallow his footsteps as he went on, the only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat. He almost felt tempted to yell out, just to hear another sound, but he knew that was a stupid idea. Yet the almost deafening silence seemed to hum in his ears, and he almost felt even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, even he wouldn't be able to hear it…but he still had no intentions of testing the theory.
Before long, trees started to come back into view. Eerily, they all seemed dead, leafless, clawed branches practically reaching out to him as he went by. Why were the trees in such a sorry state? He remembered seeing that one massive tree with pink petals…why would the rest of the forest be so lifeless? Sometimes he swore he saw small, dark shapes ducking behind the trees. Yet every time he tried to get a better look, the fog swirled and got heavier, blocking his line of sight. Were they Koroks? Monsters? Figments of his imagination?
Time seemed to move at an improper pace. Somehow, it seemed like the seconds ticked by at breakneck speed, yet at the same time they seemed to move at an agonizing pace. Sometimes Link swore it took him several minutes just to walk a few feet. At other times, he felt like he taken only a few steps, yet found himself in an entirely new area, the trees and brush not seeming familiar at all no matter where he looked.
As he was starting to really worry he was already hopelessly lost, the scenery changed a bit. The rock walls vanished, and Link found himself in a wide open area, still just as foggy, and with many dead trees. However, there was also something new. The ruins of an old, stone structure stood a few feet ahead of him, too small and too broken to tell what it used to be. Within the shattered walls of the building stood a lone torch, its fire somehow alight despite no one seeming to be around tending to it.
Cautiously, he approached, but even as he reached the warmth of the flame, there seemed to be no one around. Once more, he didn't dare speak up. There was an ominous feeling in his gut that he should remain quiet. As he looked at the fire, something about it seemed…off. Yet he couldn't put his finger on it, and refused to tear his eyes away. He studied it for a few long, agonizing seconds…and then he realized something.
The air was still, eerily so…yet the flame was consistently flickering in one direction, the embers moving along with it. He looked in the direction the fire was practically pointing to, and he saw another flame a good distance away, just barely visible through the fog. Was this meant to show him where to go? A hint for outsiders? If going into this forest was so forbidden and dangerous…why would someone, the Koroks perhaps, leave a clue? It seemed like a bad idea to him, too easy. If getting through the forest was this simple, more people would have been able to leave it!
Rather than follow the flame, Link went in the opposite direction it was 'pointing' in. His footsteps were as muffled as ever, and he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. For a long while, what felt like nearly an hour, nothing happened. Then a structure came into view through the fog! Approaching it, Link felt his stomach drop. It was the same exact ruined building as before, a lit torch at its center and flickering in the nonexistent wind! Link knew this couldn't be possible. His surroundings were a bit disorienting, but not so much that he couldn't walk in a straight line!
The forest was toying with him, that much was clear. It was no wonder people got lost and never got out. He had to wonder what would happen if he just turned around and went back to the exit. Would the trees let him go, or would they keep reaching for him, silently begging to grab and keep hold of him? At the very least, there didn't seem to be any actual creatures impeding on his progress. So far, the forest seemed content in just turning him around as it desires.
Seeing little option, Link decided to follow the torch's flame and headed to the second one that was barely visible. He made sure not to look away from the orange light for a second, worried that if he did, he'd somehow find himself lost and somehow transported to an entirely different part of the forest. Thankfully, he found himself at the next flame without incident. Notably, with there still being no wind, the fire flickered continuously in one direction, the embers practically pointing in the next direction.
Looking where the flames gestured, Link saw yet another torch off in the distance, barely present in the swirling mist. He went to it, swearing he heard footfalls that weren't his own around him. Whenever he looked, he always stopped in his tracks, worried if he moved while looking from the flame, he'd wander off course somehow. Whenever he looked around, though, he saw nothing. Shapes in the fog seemed to vanish whenever he stared at them for too long, and he began to assume everything unusual he saw and heard was the forest trying to trick him.
When he arrived at the third torch, it too pointed to yet another flame. Link repeated this process over and over again, making his way to at least a dozen torches, following the embers as the forest around him grew denser. The trees had low branches, really looking like grabbing claws, the barks having twisted patterns that looked like demonic, sneering faces. He didn't let it get to him…but he did try to keep his distance from the trees.
Eventually, he reached a bit of a problem. He reached a torch that had pointing embers, but he saw no other flame to go for. However, he noticed that a mobile torch was leaning against the larger torch, and he quickly worked out what he had to do. Taking the smaller torch, he lit it with the flame. Holding up the torch, he noted that it also pointed with its embers, and in the same direction as the larger torch.
Link followed the torch in his hand, his shield ready with his other arm just in case, as he went into the fog. He stopped every few feet to stare at the embers, making sure he was going in the right direction. Eventually, the embers moved in a different direction. Link trusted the flames and followed them in the new direction. At this point, animals begun to show up again. Large deer were barely visible through the fog, and a bird or two flew overhead. Off in the distance, Link swore he heard the howl of a wolf. Was all of this a good sign? The fair felt less heavy, and he just realized how crisp the sounds were again! The Hylian took this as him approaching where he was meant to go.
Time still felt like it was going at odd intervals, first it went at a sluggish pace, then it felt like tens of minutes passed in mere seconds. Still, Link kept his head straight and moved onward, always stopping before he checked the embers to make sure not to wander off-course. Eventually, his proper behavior was rewarded. The fog began to slowly wane, and streams of sunlight began to light up the world around him. The trees became lush and green, and the sound of chirping birds was like music to his ears.
There was no telling how long he was truly wandering the forest, but apparently it was around noon given the position and brightness of the sun. Link couldn't help but think there was a possibility he had been walking all night and simply wasn't aware of it. It wouldn't surprise him to find that out, honestly. As he kept going, the fog eventually vanished entirely. Glancing back, he saw it still swirling about a distance away, but it seemed some invisible barrier kept it in check. Looking forward, he saw a large, hollow log on the only path forward, rock faces once more narrowing the path. Following it, he came across a large clearing that stopped him in his tracks.
Large, healthy trees surrounded him, their barks a healthy brown with green leaves dancing in the breeze. No longer feeling he needed his torch, he blew it out with a heavy breath. He heard rattling sounds, and as he glanced about, he saw small shapes duck behind rocks and into bushes. Link managed to get a glance at one of them and saw it was a Korok! "…I mean you no harm!" He announced out loud, almost surprised by his own voice, to try and put the forest spirits at ease.
Looking forward, he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. In the middle of a triangular, seemingly manmade slab of rock was a stone pedestal…and within it was a blade. Not just any blade, no. Just from a glance, he felt something special within it. In slight awe, he walked towards the pedestal, getting a better look at the sword. The blade of it seemed to gleam in the sunshine, like a precious jewel, the handguard blue and magnificent, with a sturdy handle that he felt would fit perfectly within his hand.
It had to be what Impa set him out to get…it had to be the Master Sword!
Moving a bit faster, he approached the blade. Yes…something about it resonated within him. He couldn't explain it, but he knew it was the Master Sword that he needed! Once more, he glanced about as he heard scuttling, and now whispers, of the Koroks around him. Notably, none seemed to want to stop what he was doing and simply watched. Did they know who he was, somehow? Would they attack or interfere if he tried to take the blade…? Well, there was only one way to find out! He went right up to the sword, and with his left hand, he grabbed the hilt, and he instantly heard a voice in his head, as images flashed before his eyes!
Link...You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you.
He was in a field, Princess Zelda kneeling by him and observing a plant. Link was kneeling in front of the Princess as she wore a ceremonial robe. A Guardian marched towards him, burning wreckage around it. Once more he was kneeling, rain pouring down around him, as he gazed at his muddy hands, his eyesight blurry. Calamity Ganon soaring through the air as a miasma of Malice, roaring out as it beelined towards him!
The Hylian let out a gasp as he let go of the sword and stumbled back. His senses were overloaded, and it took him a moment to remember where he was and what he was doing. Link was then startled as he heard the sound of groaning, like someone waking up from a long nap. The source of the sound was above him, where he saw a massive tree that towered above the rest, pink petals visible on its higher branches. What was more interesting, though, was its face. Yes…its face. Parts of the tree meshed together to form a face…eyebrows, a nose, a mustache, and a mouth…that was moving as if smacking its lips.
"Who is that…?" A deep, male voice came from the tree. It was groggy, yet somehow possessed a deep and ancient strength, as if the forest itself was talking through a single conduit. "Did I doze off again…?" It asked, seeming to speak more to itself than to Link. Though it had no visible eyes, it seemed to gaze upon Link, and he felt the intense gaze of something beyond his comprehension peering into his very being. "Well, well…you've returned…" The tree's voice was of deep familiarity and even a bit of joyous amusement. "Better late than never, hm? After one hundred years, I had nearly given up hope on seeing you again, Link. Even my patience has limits, you know…but the expression on your face tells me you do not recognize me…"
As the tree spoke, Koroks started to crop out from various hiding places, seeming to sense that things were safe. They were all generally the same size as the first one he encountered, way back on the Great Plateau, though the leaf masks they wore differed in shape and color. The spirits murmured amongst themselves, pointing at Link as they spoke in hushed tones. There were dozens of them, and likely more that either weren't visible or were elsewhere.
Link himself felt almost in awe at the sight before him. It was just because it was a talking tree…he felt it in his bones that the thing before him was much more than that. The sensation was akin to when he felt the evil Malice of Calamity Ganon, but rather than wanting to puke, he almost felt serene, yet also nervous in a paradoxical manner. He knew he was talking to something impossibly ancient, older than Hyrule, and maybe even the mountains he had seen thus far. Saying the thing before him was just a tree was like saying Calamity Ganon was merely a rampant pig.
After a moment, Link found his voice as he shook his head. "I don't know who you are. I've only woken up recently, and my memory was erased. Who exactly are you?" He almost asked what the thing was as well, but he feared angering it. Something told him it'd be the last mistake he'd ever make if he got on the entity's wrong side.
"Is that so…? Quite an unfortunate circumstance…" The tree replied, letting out a disappointed hum that seemed to sway the trees back and forth. "I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. You may refer to me as the Great Deku Tree, like many others have throughout the ages."
That didn't really tell Link much, but he nodded along anyway. "So, we met then? Was I the one that pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal myself, back a century ago?" Once more, he glanced at the divine blade, its power seeming to hum out audibly now that Link was so close to it. Somehow…he felt like it was staring right back at him. "Impa told me I wielded it…that I need the Master Sword to stop Calamity Ganon."
"Ah, so you know of the Master Sword?" The Great Deku Tree mused. "That saves me some explanation. It is true what you were told. This divine blade was created by the Goddess Hylia eons ago, and without it, you stand no chance of defeating Calamity Ganon."
Link nodded again. "So, I can take it back, right? I'm meant to have it, so you won't stop me from doing it, will you?" It seemed odd to him that the Great Deku Tree hadn't offered it to him yet or told him to take it.
"I won't. But the blade might." The deity replied, humming in thought, the trees seeming to sway once more with the ancient being's mood. "It has been resting here for a century, waiting for your return. It will still test you, however, it does not matter that you used to wield it. Whether or not you're still worthy…I do not know, and it doesn't matter what I think. Only the Master Sword itself can grant you permission to wield it. If you try to take it and it finds you unworthy…you may very well die."
That was certainly concerning…but Link felt it had to accept him. He wielded it in the past, so why would it no longer find him worthy? Then again…he had failed his mission in the past, would that be taken into consideration? What exactly was the criteria the Master Sword would be looking for? Was it just strength and battle prowess, or was it something deeper, such as looking into his soul or judging him based off of his past? If it was the latter, he felt he had little chance to reclaim it. However, he came all this way, and the Great Deku Tree only said he may die…so he had to try.
"I'll do it." Link responded, voice full of determination. He walked back to the sword and wrapped his hands around the hilt, but stopped to take a few deep breaths before going on, the Great Deku Tree not trying to get him to stop. Not knowing what to expect, Link pulled up on the Master Sword with all his strength! In an instant, he felt a surging pain coarse through his entire body! It took all his effort not to yell out, his teeth gritting as he continued to pull up. Despite his efforts, the Master Sword didn't move…but the way it stayed still was unusual. It wasn't so much that he couldn't lift it, but more that the blade was resisting him and pushing itself back down, literally fighting again him to stay within the pedestal…at least that's what it felt like.
His limbs began to shake, but he refused to give up! The hilt of the sword seemed to bite his hands, or it shot spikes from within it, stabbing at his flesh…but even then, he didn't stop! As Link kept trying, his energy waned, but he wanted to keep going, he had to get this divine weapon, or Hyrule stood no chance! Maybe if he just kept going, the sword would find him worthy…maybe this pain and fatigue was part of the test! His vision began to blur, and he found it increasingly difficult to get a full breath as he kept trying. Just a bit more, it surely just had to be a bit more…!
"STOP!" The Great Deku Tree's voice boomed, the single word was like an explosion, Link feeling the force of it rattle his bones. In an instant, he let go of the blade, the pain and exhaustion quickly reversing as he caught his breath, barely able to stand. "I did not want to have to shout, but if you had kept going, you surely would have died."
The Hylian barely heard the deity's softer words, his heartbeat starting to slam wildly in his ears. His limbs were still shaking a bit, but the pain was ebbing away quickly. Glancing down at his hands, he saw the stabbing pain was merely an illusion, and there was no actual damage done. Clenching them into fists, he looked back up at the Great Deku Tree. "What happened…? Why couldn't I pull the sword out?" He had to fight to keep his voice level, but a great disappointment and fury broiled in his gut.
"That is not for me to say. In truth, I truly do not know." Replied the god, the Koroks around him whispering more amongst each other, some seeming worried in their body language. "It may be physical or mental…only the blade itself knows. I will say one thing…you do seem weaker than I last saw you, nearly a shadow of your formal self. Whether that's the true cause is merely a guess and nothing more."
A shadow?! Link wanted to be insulted, but then realized what that really meant. He thought he had gotten stronger, and he clearly had since he first woke up, having returned to his old strength. If the Great Deku Tree was right, though, it meant his skills and strength a century ago were many levels beyond what he was now. Was it possible to reach such heights again…?
"…I see…" Was all Link said at first. Whether it was because of his physical strength or something in his mind, his anger and disappointment was immense. All that time he took to get here and he had nothing to show for it! Why did the Master Sword reject him? What had he done wrong?! He could use it in the past, so he saw no reason he shouldn't be able to use it in the present…
"It's okay, Mr. Hero! Don't be glum!" One of the Koroks yelled out, shaking Link out of his thoughts. "You can come back and try again, right Father?" The spirit prodded, looking over to the Great Deku Tree.
"That he can, Fado." The Father of the Forest responded, the smallest hint of a smile upon his wooden lips. "You may come back and try again if you wish…but do not do so until you are entirely certain you can accomplish your task. Next time, I won't stop you. If you are killed by the blade, then so it shall be."
That seemed…extremely harsh given the deity's benevolent nature. Link wondered if it was just the morality of a deity…something in the back of his mind told him The Great Deku Tree's train of thought was hardly unusual for what he was. "Thank you. I'll head out, now, there's a lot I need to do."
"Hold on!" A familiar voice shouted. Link turned to see Hestu coming from a large bush, apparently he had just arrived, as he clearly wasn't present before. "You're Mr. Hero?! I had no idea!" The large Korok yelled out in excitement, his maracas still in hand and shaking wildly. "I thought you seemed sorta familiar, it's just been so long!"
Link couldn't help but feel a bit less angry at seeing Hestu's antics. "It's nice to see you got back home safely." The Hylian replied. "I didn't know we had met before…" Though he supposed it wasn't so unusual. The Koroks were spirits, after all, they probably were all centuries old at the very least.
"Hestu…you had almost missed everything with your nap." The Great Deku Tree chimed in, seeming more amused than anything. "So, this is the 'Mr. Hero' you told us all about." His attention was directed back at Link. "Hestu told us that a Hylian had saved his maracas from some monsters, I thank you for aiding my child in such a way, Link."
"It was nothing. He needed my help, so I helped him." The Hylian replied humbly. "I still should be going, though. There's a lot I need to get done."
Some of the Koroks leapt from their hiding place, surrounding Link. They gazed up at him, their frozen expressions on their leaves somehow expressing slight awe. "No! Don't go, Mr. Hero! Stay and rest!" One of the Koroks yelled.
"Yeah, you just got here! Tell us about your adventures!" Another insisted, tugging on his pant leg as if to lead him somewhere.
"We have lots of food, and a place for you to rest!" A third one badgered, pulling on his other pant leg.
Link looked at The Great Deku Tree for some guidance. A deep, rumbling bout of laughter echoed through the clearing. "Well, my children want to host you. I won't make you…but I think it will do you good to rest here and eat your fill. In the morning, one of my children can guide you out."
Some rest did sound very tempting…especially given he was going to go cleanse one of the Divine Beasts after this. Extra energy, and maybe some spare food, would help a great deal. "Okay, I'll stay the day." Link agreed, getting some cheers from the Koroks as more of them emerged and crowded around him.
The Hylian found himself at the mercy of the spirits. In that, it meant he was taken inside and peppered with questions. As it turned out, there was a part of The Great Deku Tree that was hollowed out, just a few small rooms that Link could sit in. The Koroks brought him a lot of food. Fruits, vegetables, safe mushrooms, as well as wooden bowls filled with water so fresh it seemed almost mystical in nature. The food and water seemed endless, and Link found himself eating more than he had in a single sitting since he awoke from his century-long slumber.
All the while, Link was getting bombarded with questions from the Koroks about his quest and what he's been up to. They were disappointed to find out about his amnesia, but it hardly slowed down their questioning. He found he didn't really like talking about what he had been up to since waking up, the finer details, but he just sucked it up. After all, he was getting food, water, and a place to sleep for free. It helped, a bit, that Hestu stayed nearby, playing his maracas. It was hard to be totally solemn with the music and dancing going on.
In a haze, the hours seemed to pass quickly. Before Link knew it, night had fallen. The Koroks were hesitant to leave his side, seeming to really fawn over 'Mr. Hero', but their father told them to let Link be as he went to sleep. Soon enough, Link was on his own within the deity, a rather odd thought, as he lied down on a pile of leaves. It didn't seem like it'd be comfortable, but it was actually very cozy. There was probably some sort of magic involved.
Normally, this would let Link pass out quickly, but he was troubled too much over the Master Sword to outright fall asleep. What was it that stopped it from accepting him? Was he really just too weak, or was it something else? He felt so assured he could pull it out…but that was only because he used to have it in the past. Was that his problem? Honestly, he didn't think he even deserved it, he had failed as a warrior, a knight, and especially as a Champion. Maybe once he proved himself, it'd accept him like it used to.
All he knew was he wasn't going to try again in the morning. He didn't want to risk his own sword killing him until he reflected more and had a better idea of what had gone wrong. It just frustrated him that this trip was essentially just a waste of time. If he had saved the Master Sword for last, maybe he could've pulled it on his first try! Sighing through his nose, Link closed his eyes and did his best to clear his head. Despite his recent worries, he soon fell asleep and had a deep, dreamless slumber.
It was early the next morning when a Korok woke Link up. He felt more rested than he had since first emerging from his century-long sleep! As he got ready, more Koroks came to him with water and breakfast, and he was given quite a nice going away present. On top of his breakfast, he was given so many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and berries that he had to leave some behind as he simply didn't have room for it all. All his bottles were filled with that delicious, sparkling water too.
"Thank you for the hospitality." Link said, standing before The Great Deku Tree and a great many Koroks, including Hestu. "I hope I can come back and claim the Master Sword properly."
"I wish the same." The deity responded with a hopeful tone. "One of my children will lead you out, as I said. You'll find the trip far easier this time, I assure you."
One of the Koroks stepped forward, bouncing in place. "I'll get you out of here real quick, Mr. Hero!" He promised, starting to waddle off towards the exit of the clearing. "Come on, it's easy!"
Link gave everyone a wave, and a slight bow to the great tree before him, unsure if that was proper or not. As he turned to go, though, he spotted something odd. Far off, nearly hidden by a tree, was a young girl. She seemed ten at the most and was actually human! Her clothing and hair were green, and her eyes a deep blue. Those eyes held a sadness, but also great wisdom.
The Hylian blinked, about to ask about her, but as soon as his eyes opened, she was gone. Was she an illusion? Maybe he mistook a bush for someone in all green or something. Surely if there was another Hylian around, someone would've mentioned it by that point. Why would another human be amongst the spirits anyway? It made no sense! Link decided it was nothing real and turned around, following the Korok as he was led back into the fog.
As he went, he swore he felt an intense stare on the back of his head, which he chose to ignore…
A/N: Alas, poor Link wasted his trip into the woods. You didn't think I'd give him the Master Sword so early on, did you? He's gonna have to do way more to earn it. As pointed out by a friend, I realize that the monster encounters can be a bit much, and I'll try to cut them down even more going onward...though the Zora's River segment will make that tough, but I'll try my best not to make it a pain to read through. I just don't want to pull a "He came across some monsters and then killed them all" level of being brief.
And I can only wonder who it was Link saw at the end there...quite a mystery...