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A/N: You've been asking, and I'm here to deliver! Here's Book 2 of A Hero's Spirit!! The first chapter is just some light setup, but we'll see the LU Boys show up next chapter. (I promise, there's not another book between this and that this time!)
I wanted to thank all of you for your patience and support! I hope you'll enjoy Book 2—Echoes in Time—just as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Please look forward to future updates!
Merry Christmas! This is your gift!
Also, I have some AMAZING cover art drawn by Kastaborous~! Thanks, Kast!
The sun’s first rays shone brightly down upon the world. Birds flitted to and fro, disturbed only by a passing Rito Page on their way to deliver the morning mail. On the ground below, the roads were already alive with merchants and travelers from across the continent making their way from the capital to the smaller towns that dotted the vast untamed land of Hyrule.
And soaring above it all, upon his trusty paraglider with a massive grin, was the man that ruled this land. The Champion.
“ Link! ” The irritated call came from a young man with a long ponytail of white hair trailing behind him as he angled his paraglider to chase after the Champion. His usual official knight’s garb had been swapped for a more comfortable and travel-friendly dark blue outfit with accents of blue so light that one could mistake it for white, and a few splashes of aged gold—the colors of the kingdom.
“Come on, Yatir! You call that a roll?! I taught you better than that!” Link laughed.
“Give the guy some credit,” Revali remarked calmly as he lazily glided beside Link, “he’s improved drastically since he started.”
“That’s fair.” Link conceded. “But I should hope he’s gotten better over the last two years.” He effortlessly folded his paraglider and landed with as much grace as the Rito that gave him his feather. Behind him, Yatir landed without a sound or a stumble. “Your landings have improved at least.” He mused.
“Yeah, thanks to Revali’s Boot Camp.” Yatir rubbed his head, glaring in the general direction of the Rito ghost. “He threw durians at me! Mid-flight!”
“Yeah, he does that.” Link nodded sagely. “Should’ve seen him when I was first figuring out my ghost abilities. I swear I was more banged up after that training than when we fought the lynel.”
“To be fair, neither of you really expected to fight the lynel.” Mipha added as she appeared in a flash of green fire.
“Not that they should’ve been fighting in the first place.” Zelda shot them both a look.
“One time!” Revali held up his wings in surrender.
“One too many, in my opinion.” The princess huffed. “That aside, Link. You’re going to be late .”
The Champion sighed and rubbed his head. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”
“If that was Zelda reminding you to get moving, then she’s right.” Yatir gave him a flat look. “Even if Hyrule doesn’t run on formalities like other kingdoms, you should at least make an effort to be on time for meetings. How does it look to all the foreigners if our Champion runs late to everything ?”
Link groaned but nodded, conceding to his knight’s point. “Well, since we’re running a bit behind, what do you say to a lift?” He grinned, raising his fingers to his lips. It was the only warning Yatir and the others got before a shrill whistle escaped from the hylian ghost. A moment later, a midnight black steed galloped towards him, easing to a stop just moments before collision. “Hey Echo,” he greeted gently, “ready for a run?”
Echo pawed at the ground, throwing back his head in excitement. Yatir rolled his eyes as he also let out a shrill, almost trilling whistle, calling his own horse—an ornery white mare named Whisper.
With their horses beneath them, they made good time to the base of the Great Plateau, upon which the capital city was built. Link shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up the sloping path that led to the city gates. What once had been sheer cliff now was a carriage-safe grade that eased its way up.
Though the day was young, it was already bustling with activity as merchants, travelers, and commuters made their way into and out of the capital city, Link’s pride and joy—New Castletown.
“Champion Link! General Yatir!” Pisharra greeted them with the lizalfolk equivalent of a smile. Her scales shimmered from their usual green to something lighter in her excitement.
“Shar!” Link called back with a grin of his own. “Did they finally put you on active duty?”
“Yes! Just two days ago was my first shift, see?! I’m official now!” She gave a happy trill, tail flexing and curling in her joy. “I’m just a cadet, but one day I’ll be a great warrior! Just wait and see!”
Link laughed. “I’ll look forward to it! Don’t let Gin work you too hard!”
He turned his eyes towards his town— city , it could properly be called now—as they entered. Children ran about and played freely in the streets. Skythos and Mythos mingled and played among both the older generations and the younger ones. He could spot Irina—a young hylian girl—playing tag with a group of other children.
There was Horus, the young Rito son of Yagira—Correspondence Captain of the Tabantha Bridge area. His parents had moved to New Castletown because of the opportunity for growth. Though Yagira still worked far from home, his wife was able to take on an apprenticeship making baked goods. Kirga was happy for the help in the shop.
And Archer—the black-pelted lizalfolk pup and younger brother to Pisharra. They’d lost their parents in a Blood Moon just half a year before Link had sealed Calamity Ganon away. She now raised her brother alone, but the other lizalfolk who lived in the city made sure the siblings never struggled.
Young ‘blin children ran around as well, joining in the game as other hylian children laughed gleefully. His heart sang . His people were strong. His people were free . Despite the bad history between the Mythos and Skythos, they were starting to meld together as one people.
“Champion Link!” A familiar voice called his attention and he turned to wave to Kirga, the black-pelted lynel who ran the best bakery in New Castletown. She was also Gin’s wife.
“Kirga!” He dismounted Echo to greet her properly, but was nearly bowled over when something plowed right into his shins.
“U’cle ‘ink!” The tiny voice spoke in broken Common, but it was no less understandable. Link beamed as he knelt down to properly hug the foal—the first child born of New Castletown. The tiny lynel had a tawny spotted coat with large bright blue doe-like eyes. His hooves were still so very tiny and he hadn’t even grown out of his milk teeth properly. After all, he wasn’t even two yet. Apparently lynels carried their kids as long as horses—nearly a full year.
“U’cle ‘ink?” A second tiny foal poked his head out of the house, eyes brightening when he saw the Champion. He stumbled towards him with a speed that Link knew got him into trouble. “Did come to play?” His bright green eyes shimmered.
“Rikarth.” Link greeted the blue-eyed twin. “Laos.” He grinned at the green-eyed one. “I hope you two have been staying out of trouble lately?” He eyed their mother, who huffed fondly.
“As much as they can be, I suppose.” She swished her tail. Twins were rare for lynels, but not entirely unheard of. It was about as common as they were for hylians. “They missed you terribly.”
“I’ve had a lot of work lately.” Link gave her an apologetic smile as he tickled the underside of the twins’ chins, earning a squeal of delight from them both. “Who’d have known that running a kingdom meant so much paperwork ?” He shrugged helplessly.
“You say that like you don’t run off every chance you get.” Zelda huffed, unheard by the living. Though the Mythos could sense the spirits—and some of the stronger ones could see them—the general populace could only see Link’s ghostly companions on the night of a Blood Moon and the day that preluded it.
“Well, do come visit from time to time.” Kirga passed him a basket of sweets. “Goodness knows the twins listen to you better than they do their own parents .” She shot them both a light glare, and the boys grinned back at her.
“U’cle ‘ink is fun!” Rikarth announced cheerfully.
“And he gives s’eets.” Laos admitted softly, rolling a loose pebble beneath his hoof. “He a’so has good stories!” He perked up.
“Yeah, but he has good games.” Rikarth looked at his brother seriously, as if he was trying to convey that games were far more important than stories.
Link snorted lightly in amusement as he straightened back up. “Mind your mother you two or we’ll be playing the cleaning game next time I come.” His threat made the two of them stiffen—neither of them liked spending the day cleaning the house. He couldn’t blame them—Link didn’t like it either. It was a punishment for all three of them.
“‘Kay!” They shouted in unison.
He’d just turned to walk back to Echo, who was rolling his eyes at him, when a red flutter of feathers landed upon his shoulder. He smiled softly, holding out his arm for the messenger hawk. Link instantly recognized Ember, Arkon’s personal hawk.
“Well, here’s a friendly face I haven’t seen for a bit.” He crooned lightly in Rito—a habit he’d picked up from Revali. Ember chirped back, not intelligent enough to understand or communicate, but smart enough to know Link was being affectionate. With a practiced hand, he opened the tube upon the bird’s back and took the message. “You must’ve had a long journey, friend. Why don’t you go to the aviary loft and find Altair?”
Altair was Link’s own personal messenger hawk—a gift from the King of Caravanth after he saved them from a sudden lynel attack. Though Jackie and Arkon swore up and down that the messenger hawks were no more intelligent than a wild one, Altair was just as smart as Echo. Link idly wondered if his magic affected them somehow and made them smarter. Considering the fact that he housed two thirds of the Triforce —the very power that supposedly created everything in the world —he really wouldn’t be surprised.
Whatever the case, he now had something to read on the way to the mansion. Echo followed the path as he unraveled the scroll, eyes skimming over the hylian letters with a soft smile. The Thybriggian Prince’s handwriting was improving every time they corresponded.
‘Champion Link, I hope this letter finds you well. How’s life been going for you? Last I heard from you, Kirga’s twins were giving you more than a little chaos. Has Yatir gotten better with that paraglider? Things have been going well on my end. My little brother adores the chocolate from your kingdom. I think it’s safe to say that once my father relinquishes his throne, Thybrig will be able to write a peace treaty with Hyrule. I will look forward to that day.
Have you heard from Jackie lately? I swear she’s been the one behind half the exports of your food goods. Every time I see her, she’s got a new sweet from Hyrule. I hear you traveled to Lychtenberg earlier this year, just after last month’s Gala! How was it? I’ve only been a handful of times, but it was far too cold for me. Then again, you have snowy regions too, so perhaps you’re used to it.
Things are getting a tad hectic here. I know I said everything’s fine—and it is!—but our people are discontent. Father fears a rebellion simmering under the surface, and I’m afraid he’s right. The way he rules… well, let’s just say that if things reach their boiling point, I’ll have no choice but to side with the people of this land. If such a time should come, I do hope those goddesses you told me about will watch over me. And I implore you not to interfere. Keep your people safe, Link. They need you. And I could never ask such a close friend to run into danger on my behalf.
But that’s enough of the serious talk. I’ll look forward to hearing how things are going with you.
Your friend, Prince Arkon Yasuldi Thybrig.
Link folded the paper up and put it in one of his many inner pockets. As much as he disliked his official clothing—something he was unfortunately growing accustomed to—it did have its perks. Like pockets .
“It’s about time.” Nakira grinned when he and Yatir entered the manor. “They’re waiting for you in the meeting room.”
Link grinned at the Sheikah—one of four Royal Guards under Yatir. “I had a few things to take care of.”
“Yeah, like hunting down Koroks again.” Yatir muttered with a small glare.
“Hestu needs those seeds.” Link argued a tad childishly.
“Come on Little Guy. Everyone’s waiting on us.” Daruk nudged Link forward, causing him to stumble.
He tried to pull an irritated face, but it came out as an excited grin. Though politics were boring, this was Hyrule . And a Council meeting was hardly what Link would call a political affair. He strolled up the stairs, Yatir and the spirits following him as he entered the meeting room.
“Sorry I’m late.” He apologized as he took stock of who was there. Sidon, Riju, Teba, Yunobo, and Paya were all seated around the large circular table. It seemed Gin couldn’t make it—likely caught up with something in the field. Link made a mental note to fill him in on anything important he missed.
“Don’t worry about it.” Sidon beamed. “You’re actually right on time!”
“We figured you’d give Yatir the run around so we told you the wrong time on purpose.” Riju snickered. “Turns out it worked perfectly.”
Link huffed playfully as he took his seat, Yatir standing just behind his chair with a knowing grin. “So you were in on this too.” He accused his knight.
“Of course. Don’t you know? The Sheikah are the head of intelligence in Hyrule.” Yatir gave him a smirk. “We know everything .”
“Well, the Sheikah and the Rito.” Teba corrected. The Pages who carried mail throughout the kingdom were usually the first ones to know when something was up. If someone saw something suspicious, the Sheikah were informed and dug a little deeper. If the Rito were the eyes and ears of the kingdom, then the Sheikah were the ones who unraveled all secrets. Between them and the fondly nicknamed ‘ghost army’ that was comprised of the spirits of the old soldiers from a century past, there was really nothing in this kingdom that was a secret from Link—should he wish it.
“Let’s get this started then.” Link grinned. “Let’s kick it off with how everyone’s doing.” He looked to his left, where Sidon sat. The prince shot him a grin before clearing his throat.
“The Zora have been well. Our research team has been gathering samples of water over the last two years to determine the Malice pollution levels of Hyrule’s waterways, and while it’s not toxic to those of us from Hyrule, we are pleased to announce that it’s also low enough that it does not pose a threat to foreigners either. Our freshwater holds a far lower toxicity than the soil. And it looks like it’ll remain as such. In fact, over the last two years it’s been slowly decreasing.” He took a swallow of water from his custom goblet that sat before him.
“Beyond that, we’ve started trading with Lychtenberg. This kingdom, for those here who may not know, has a history of Zora Hunting—a horrid practice that many have regarded as a sport. While it was outlawed centuries ago, the remote snowy regions have made enforcing those laws quite difficult. But since Link visited them earlier this year, we’ve tentatively started trading with them, under a written agreement of safety. So far, things have been going well.”
“Wonderful.” Riju grinned. “We’ve started trading through Rajwal recently. There are some kingdoms who are just too far to trade with, so Rajwal has agreed to trade some things on our behalf and split the profits. Because of this, people have become more curious about the Gerudo and our culture.” She gave a small laugh. “We’ve started expanding Gerudo Town and even began looking for locations to build a second settlement!”
Urbosa grinned proudly at Riju. “Well done, Riju. Our people will prosper under your leadership… and not just Riju , either.” She sent Link a significant look, and he felt his cheeks redden.
“The Rito have been doing fantastically!” Teba announced. “Harth runs the Pages efficiently, and I often meet with the flock leaders of Skypeak City and Dragontooth Ridge. Everyone’s doing well.”
“Our city is expanding too.” Yunobo nodded. “And mining has been booming! Other kingdoms are really interested in the ores we find, and some Gorons have decided it would be better to make a business to handle all the exports. Since we’re not the best with that stuff, we’ve decided to ask some of the Gerudo, since you guys seem pretty comfortable on our mountain.”
“With some Fireproof elixirs, it’s not too different from the desert heat.” Riju nodded. “I’ll ask my girls for volunteers.”
“Everything’s going well with us too.” Paya smiled brightly. The girl had grown a lot over the last two years. Gone was her stuttering shy self. Zelda often remarked how similar Paya was to Impa when she was younger. And though Impa was still the leader of the Sheikah, Paya had been slowly stepping into those responsibilities. “We’ve got a couple of small villages dotted around Hyrule, but they’re more temporary camps right now than anything.” She paused for a moment, looking at Link. “Did you get my report?”
“The one about that group of explorers from Ashtern who decided that it’d be a wonderful idea to brave the old Castle in the hopes of finding lost treasure?” Link asked dryly. It was becoming more common, unfortunately. Ashtern and Rajwal had a lot of thievery in their cultures, but Ashtern in particular had a lot of old ruins. This had created a culture in some places of the kingdom that thrived on raiding these ruins for treasure and other rare goods.
Of course, many of them saw Hyrule as a veritable goldmine, what with all the ruins dotted around the kingdom. And most of the time Link didn’t mind them exploring a bit—Link himself had spent much of his journey exploring everything from ruins to wilderness. He understood that itch to look under every rock, understand a culture lost to time, and open as many chests as he could find. But the Castle was strictly off-limits for more reasons than one.
They’d fenced off the area and had the Pages patrol there to ensure as few people got in as possible, but some of the explorers were determined. Between the Guardians and the golden monsters that lived in the area surrounding the Castle, even Link couldn’t get to everyone in time. Only about 30% of those who wandered in managed to see the light of day again.
Most of the survivors had Link and his people to thank. It was at the point where they had specialized squadrons on standby at all times that were experts in stealth and speed. They were the ones who would infiltrate the castle the moment the alert went out that some suicidal idiots had snuck in. And if Link was nearby, he’d go in after those idiots too.
“Well, that too.” Paya scowled lightly. “Damn goldblind hyraiders.” Hyraiders—a term coined over the last year in particular. It was an insult specifically for the idiots who tried raiding Hyrule Castle. “But no, I meant the other report.”
Link frowned. He did recall something coming to his desk late last night, but he’d been so exhausted that he’d passed out over his mountain of paperwork before he’d had the chance to look it over. Perhaps that had been the report Paya had written? “No, I don’t believe I had the chance to look it over.”
“Right.” Paya pulled out a map from her pocket and spread it across the table. It had several ‘x’s dotted around it in various sizes. “Then I’ll give everyone the rundown here. Over the last few months, Purah and Robbie have picked up on strange energy spikes—ones that appear to be magic. At first it looked random, and a few people said that Fallen Ones have been sighted in greater frequency in those areas.”
Link’s frown deepened as he leaned over the map. The marks were all over the place, but thankfully none of them seemed to be too close to any major settlements. However, they seemed to be appearing in areas he’d visited lately, or non populated areas he frequented.
“Isn’t this where…” He ran his finger beneath the one closest to Rito Village.
“The Flight Range.” Revali nodded with a low hum. “There’s no doubt.”
“Doesn’t it seem like these are all places that Link spends his time?” Zelda tilted her head as she also let her eyes wander across the page.
“Indeed…” Urbosa’s brows knit together. “I have a feeling this isn’t a coincidence.”
“Are you saying that these magical spikes and increase in monster activity… has something to do with Link?” Mipha shared a glance with Daruk.
“Aren’t these places you often travel to?” Paya’s voice snapped his attention back towards the living.
“Yeah. That’s what we were just discussing.” Link fiddled with the handle of his Slate.
“That’s what we thought. Nobody’s been in the area of these magic spikes, but the magic residue supposedly holds a similar wavelength to the teleportation powers of the Shrines.” Paya continued.
“You think someone’s teleporting Fallen Ones into Hyrule?” Sidon jerked back in shock.
“They’re gonna get a poundin’ if that’s the case!” Daruk gave a sharp grin as Yunobo echoed his words.
“Maybe, maybe not.” Paya soothed. “We have no idea what this is, and for all we know the monster sightings have nothing to do with these spikes. Besides, teleportation isn’t a thing in other kingdoms, remember? Who would have the power to do something like that? Whatever this is, we do need to sort it out, but we also need to understand what’s happening.”
“Right. If it’s appearing in Link’s favorite haunts then it should be easy enough to camp out somewhere and catch a glimpse of it.” Yatir nodded, speaking up for the first time. “And I think I know just the place.”
Link looked over the map and nodded. “Korok Forest.” The Lost Woods was one of his go-to getaway spots when everything became overwhelming. Beyond the lull of nature and the sweet lullaby of the wilds, the Lost Woods soothed his spirit. Seeing how it wasn’t yet crossed off the map, it was probably going to be one of the next targets of the energy spikes.
“Any idea when this thing will appear?” Teba hummed.
“It seems to be getting more frequent.” Paya rolled up the map. “Our guess is sometime within the next three days or so.”
“Alright then.” Link stretched, popping his shoulders. “So Yatir and I will head out this afternoon and camp out until the next spike. Then we’ll go report our findings to Purah and Robbie.”
“I’d say it’s too dangerous for you to go personally, but we all know it’s impossible to stop you.” Riju sighed helplessly. “Just be careful? For all we know someone is after you. Remember to check in with the communication crystal, okay?”
“No worries.” Link grinned. “I’ll always come home. You know this.” The words meant more than anyone beyond the room would realize. It was more than a promise to return safely, it was a promise that he would stay . That he would only pass on when his time finally came.
“I think that about sums up the meeting.” Teba spoke up after a moment. “Unless anyone has anything further to add?”
“Nope, I think we’ve said it all!” Sidon beamed.
“In that case, we should get ready.” Yatir shot Link a smirk.
“Since this’ll take a few days, I’ll leave my workload to you guys for now.” Link yawned a bit as he stood.
“Have you been getting enough sleep?” Sidon frowned. “I know hylians are pale naturally, but you seem a bit more so than usual.”
“No, he’s been running himself into the ground.” Revali huffed.
“I’m fine. Just a little overworked.” He admitted with a shrug. “Don’t worry, I’m sure the others will start mothering me the moment we reach the forest. Not to mention the koroks.” Link snickered.
“Just take some time to rest after this, okay?” Riju gave him a stern look. “And if you need us to, you know we can help out with that work.”
“I know.” He smiled. “Thanks guys. I’ll get in touch with you in a few days.” He tapped the small bracelet on his wrist that had a Sheikah blue crystal embedded upon it—the Communication Crystal.
Yatir shadowed his footsteps nearly the whole way to the aviary. “I’m just sending Arkon a reply.” Link called out over his shoulder. “You can get ready, I’ll call for you before we head out.”
The Sheikah chuckled, ice blue eyes glittering with mirth. “Yes, well… We all know how much you love to find trouble.”
“I’m offended.” Link placed a hand over his chest. “ I don’t find trouble, it’s trouble that loves to find me.”
“Hate to say it, but it’s true.” Revali shook his head.
“He says pack, but everything’s in your Slate already.” Zelda gave a bemused smile as Yatir gave a mock bow and walked away. “He knows this too.”
“He’s just looking for an excuse to mother me.” Link grinned as he climbed the stairs. “We’ve also finished the design for the Palace.”
“ Finally .” Zelda crossed her arms. “But do you have a location yet?”
“Nope.” Revali snickered. “We’re still working on that one. Central Hyrule would be great… if not for the Guardians running amok.”
“Yes, that does make it a little difficult to welcome foreign leaders.” Urbosa gave a soft laugh. “Though I’m fairly sure we could make an exception for Osmodius.” If the Gerudo Chieftess’ grin became a tad sharp, Link didn’t mention it.
“I’m only building it for the yearly Gala.” Link insisted. “That’s it .”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better to put it by the capital? New Castletown would not only show off Hyrule’s power but our growing relationship with the Mythos.” Mipha spoke up.
“Actually, I've spoken with the Generals about that. We’re thinking of putting it by the old colosseum. Gin, Klar and Urdon all agree that that would be a better place because it’s more open. Rinut and the others are scouting possible locations along with Bolson and Rekai. I’ve given them the go ahead to start construction when they think they’ve found the right spot.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Zelda beamed as they entered the aviary. It was a magnificent room, in Link’s opinion. A high roofed ceiling with plenty of cubbies for nests. There was a masterful painting of the night sky splattered across the walls and ceiling, with depictions of Dinraal, Naydra and Farosh dancing across them. There were also plenty of open door platforms that lead outside—perfect for birds, Rito and even Link himself to take flight from.
Almost instantly, a flutter of black feathers landed upon his shoulder. Intelligent golden eyes caught his own as the hawk chirped in greeting—nearly mimicking the Rito word for ‘hello’.
“Altair.” Link raised his hand to smooth down the hawk’s feathers. The messenger crooned happily, rubbing against his calloused palm eagerly. “I’ve missed you too. How’ve you been?”
Altair gave an almost reprimanding chirp and a glare. He got the distinct feeling he was being called out on not sending any messages lately. “Got it. You want to stretch your wings, then?”
The hawk bobbed his head up and down as Link made his way over to the desk in the corner of the room. He idly waved his hand, calling up a small bit of magic to light the candle there on sheer habit alone. Sure, it was daylight now, but he was so used to coming up here during the wee hours of the night that lighting the candle was something he did without thinking these days.
Altair moved to the perch that was set next to the desk as Link got out a quill and some parchment. He tickled the end of the feather against his chin as he thought for a moment before dipping it into the inkwell and starting his letter.
Prince Arkon. It’s been a while. It’s good to hear you’re doing well, despite the unrest among your people. Know that I am here should you need it, but Hyrule will not interfere in the matters of another kingdom. Should you request aid from us, we will expect something in return.
That aside, we’ve found yet another group of hyraiders. Nasty little goldblind mongrels. I really wish King Theodore would put forth a bit more effort to control his people. And if he continues to let them do as they please, he should stop harassing me when they don’t return from the Castle alive. It’s off limits for a reason! I am in no way responsible for the stupidity of foreigners who cannot listen to a bright red DO NOT ENTER fence that’s patrolled at all hours.
Sorry about the rant. It’s a tad frustrating. The twins are doing fine. It’s hard to believe that next month is the Hero’s Festival yet again. Our third one. Everyone’s excited. Will you be coming this year? As always, you and Jackie are invited to the celebrations. It seems that Hyrule has taken to using it as our ‘day of founding’ celebration as well—I can’t say I’m displeased with this. They aren’t technically wrong.
If you cannot make it, do not fret. I understand. But if you try sending me something ridiculous for my birthday this year like you did last year, then be prepared for payback in the summer when YOUR birthday rolls around. And believe me, I can find something far more unbelievable here in Hyrule than you can in Thybrig.
I hope that everything goes well for you, my friend. Please keep in touch. May the Goddesses guide you and your people to prosperity.
Your friend, Champion Link Arcadius Hyrule.
He took a moment to sit back and look over his letter once more. It was written in Hylian, which nobody but the natives of Hyrule really knew these days. He’d been teaching Arkon and Jacklyn how to read and write it. Arkon was teaching him Thybriggian and Jackie was teaching him Caravanthian in exchange. Rune was even teaching him Picori—the language of Minori.
“Finished already?” Zelda looked up from the book she’d been reading.
“Your handwriting’s improved.” Urbosa hummed as she gently patted his shoulder. “Good job, Little Fox.”
Link grinned. “I’m still working on my Gerudo. Your letters are so squiggly, and how am I supposed to tell the difference between ‘a’ and ‘e’?”
“The crown of the ‘a’ comes off the back, and the crown of the ‘e’ comes off the top.” Urbosa chided softly. “You’d know this if you practiced the Gerudo alphabet as diligently as you practiced your Rito letters.”
“Rito is just a bunch of sharp straight lines. There’s not really any curves to it.” Link argued childishly.
“Because it was originally designed to be written with talons.” Revali crossed his wings. “Most Rito can’t move their legs smoothly enough in a circular motion to write letters like the rest of you.”
“Regardless, you’ve improved a lot.” Zelda cut in before they could really get an argument going. Link stood from the chair and stretched, rolling his letter up and inserting it into the mailing tube. He held up the blue harness, smiling as Altair perked up.
“Yes, yes. You have a message.” He chuckled as the hawk strutted over to stand before him, wings held out expectantly so Link could put the harness on more easily. Once everything was secured he stepped away. “Take this to Arkon, would you? Ember’s going to rest up a few more days here, since it’s a long flight.”
Altair chirped in confirmation, playfully nipping at his fingers before soaring away into the sky. Link watched him soar away for a moment before walking to one of the landing platforms and staring out over his city.
The day was already in full swing. Afternoon was slowly creeping upon them, and the marketplace was a bustling metropolis of travelers and natives going about their day. He could spot a few musicians around the Champions’ Statue in the Town Square—a place that had become the very heart of New Castletown—and there was even a steady flow of people around Keaton’s inn.
Children ran about with Kilton’s masks, playing with their Mythos friends as parents haggled for the best prices. Rare goods found only in Hyrule were garnering attention from foreigners, and a few merchants from other kingdoms had taken up the cobblestone path to sell their own wares—things that couldn’t be found in Hyrule.
It was prosperous. It was alive in a way that it hadn’t been during his journey. When he’d first looked out over this land all those years ago, it’d been nothing but a magnificent sea of trees cupped by the gentle fingers of the mountains over yonder. Now the horizon had changed. Now there were buildings and people.
The Temple of Time had been restored to its former glory and now stood as a tribute to Hylia, Din, Farore and Nayru. The ruins of Hyrule Castle still sat in the distance, an ever constant reminder of the great tragedy that befell this land a century ago. Link planned to keep it that way. One day, when the next hero was born into this land, it would be there to greet him.
Link hummed. “Do you think I should leave him some clues? Messages? I don’t want to leave him stumbling in the dark like I was.”
“Leave who clues?” Daruk scratched his head in confusion.
“The next hero.” The words had a bit of a somber tone to them. With Link’s ability to interact with the living, it was easy to forget the grim truth—that he was already dead. He was nothing more than a ghost who was here on some strange borrowed time, and none of them knew when his time would run out.
At first, it’d been something of a goal—try to move on. But now, he’d come into a position of leadership. He did not wish to leave his people. He wanted to stay, to watch them grow and thrive. But he knew better than anyone that such things were not meant to be. He had to think realistically. He was dead. And he needed his kingdom to be prepared for the day he inevitably moved on.
“I think it’s a good idea.” Zelda nodded. “Perhaps set up some laws or positions… something future nobles cannot override. Just because the kingdom is as it is now, doesn’t mean they won’t turn against future generations. Corruption is bred by the prosperity of society.”
Link pulled a face at that but nodded. “Perhaps make a position… Maybe…” He eyed the statue. “The one who wields the sword can take a position similar to mine. The Champion—protector of this land.”
“Since the council will rule when you pass, the seat of Champion will be open.” Urbosa nodded. “But you must keep in mind that we’ve no idea what the next hero will be like. For all we know, he could be as corrupt as the society he’s come from. We have no solid information about the heroes of the past—we do not know what they were like.”
“And, no offense, but I doubt you would’ve made a good king a century ago.” Mipha winced. “You were just so… burdened by your title. You were silent and followed orders and…”
“I didn’t have the drive it takes to rule a kingdom.” Link nodded. “I know that now. And if I’d been without you five, I never would’ve been able to come this far.”
“You ready yet?” Yatir poked his head into the aviary.
Link glanced down at his ‘casual wear’ and grimaced. “Zel, do I have to stay in this?” He pulled at the skin-tight black shirt. His dark royal blue jacket and pants had golden chains and accents, and there were tiny embroidered Divine Beasts running along the hem of the sleeves. Across his cloak—a type that hung over his shoulder rather than his entire back—was the symbol of Hyrule.
“Oh fine . You can change.” The princess huffed, and Link didn’t waste a second in tapping his Slate and changing into his good ol’ Champion’s Tunic and Hylian Cloak combo. He let out a massive sigh of relief as he aggressively scratched at his scalp before pulling his hair back into a messy ponytail.
“Much better.” He grinned.
“Now that’s a nostalgic look.” Yatir chuckled. He was still in his own royal guard uniform—a white shirt with royal blue accents and aged golden chains that hung from his breast pocket. His small cloak bore the symbol of the Hyrulean Royal Guard—the Sword that Seals the Darkness overtop the Sheikah Eye. From his left ear hung a little golden Triforce with a Sheikah Blue gem in the middle—something that was uniquely Yatir’s and showed his position as the Captain of the Royal Guard.
“Echo’s going to riot but let’s go ahead and teleport over to the woods.” Link held out a hand towards his knight.
“Oh wow .” Yatir rolled his eyes as he took his hand. “Actually letting me come along properly instead of leaving me to desperately scramble for the hem of your cloak?”
Link snickered. “Be grateful I didn’t decide to leap off the platform and then teleport.” He waited until his spirit friends grabbed ahold of him before tapping his Slate and porting to the Korok Forest