Chapter Text

THE LEGENDS OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD

--SECTION ONE--

THE GREAT PLATEAU

When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Champions, who dwell in the Kingdom of Hyrule.

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CHAPTER ONE

THE AWAKENING

At first, he wasn’t aware that he was sleeping. In fact, he wasn’t aware of anything at all. A deep blackness muffled his ears and numbed his limbs, dulling his senses to the point where he might as well not have been breathing. But he was breathing. Air flowed through his nostrils, down his trachea, filling his lungs with life.  From there, the air was pushed back out by a release in his chest, a soft sigh that blew away from him. It was this sensation- the feeling of the air moving through his body -that brought him back from whatever depths he’d been floating in.

Bit by bit, he became aware of himself. Of his torso, where his lungs were. Then his limbs, arms first, but his legs were not long forgotten.  He felt his hair clinging to his shoulders.  He was warm, and as his awareness returned to him, he thought he wasn’t very comfortable. He grimaced and a noise escaped him, a grunt of discomfort.

He was still coming into his body when he heard a voice, muffled, as though carried on the wind from far away. Or maybe it was beside him, but so quiet he couldn’t understand what was being said.  Without meaning to, he shifted his head, turning first right, then left. Rapidly now the comfort of sleep was deserting him. Awareness tumbled into him, life refilling his body like air filling his lungs.  The more awake he became, the more disconcerted he felt.

“Link…”

This time the voice was clear enough to discern what was said.  He understood without knowing how that this word, Link, was his name.  The voice, the person, whatever it was, was addressing him personally.

“Open your eyes…”

He did. They were stuck together by gunk- more and more, Link was getting the impression that he had been asleep for some time. He tried to lift his hand and wipe away the sleepies holding his eyelids together but found it rather difficult to move his limbs. As he peeled them apart, the light from wherever he was immediately blinded him. White static filled his vision, jolting him firmly back to life.  Blinking several times, the white began to fade away, leaving only a dull blue light overhead.

It was only when the water around him began to drain that Link became aware of its presence at all.  His hair clung to his bare shoulders as it went.  His body, no longer supported by the water, touched the hard stone underneath, the last of the water draining away.

By now he had reached full awareness. He let his eyes wander, but from his vantage point, all he could see was a strange, glowing device overhead. It was made of a smooth, black material. Golden, rocky designs overlaid it. The blue light emanating from it came from circular patterns in these designs.

When he felt he was able, Link sat upright.  His gaze traversed the room he was in in one swift movement. The walls were made of the same black material that the overhead lamp was made of.  He was resting on what appeared to be some sort of table, rocky beams pointing upwards at even spaces around the circumference of the elliptical border of his bed.  He was, indeed, lying on stone, which would explain why every muscle in his body ached deep in his bones.

Carefully, he slid off his perch and stood on his feet for the first time in…how long had he been sleeping here? It was a strange place to find oneself, and now that he thought about it, Link realized he hadn’t the faintest idea of where he was, or how he had gotten there.

The room itself held little clues about either of these mysteries. There were a couple of crates, a few wooden barrels, but nothing that indicated what kind of place this was supposed to be.  Dust fogged the room bad enough that Link could barely see the far walls.  Through the cloud, he could just make out a glowing blue light, similar to the one above the stone slab he’d been resting on.

He crossed the room, bare feet slapping against the coarse stone floor.  The water evaporated from his exposed skin, leaving him cool in the musty dungeon. The fabric of his under-shorts, the only thing he was wearing, remained soggy. What had happened to him that he should find himself here, naked in a pool of water?

Link drove the discontent he felt out of his mind. He wasn’t going to get answers by wallowing in questions. Right now, he needed to focus on what was in front of him: a blue pedestal, a smaller version of the table he’d been resting upon.

As he examined the table, a smaller portion in the middle rose to the sound of mechanical clicking noises. Link blinked in wonder as an even smaller section rotated a full 180 degrees on itself, before propping upright. It was some kind of mechanical device, a stone eye etched into its surface, the pupil glowing blue. Eyelashes of red-hued triangles topped the eye. Decorative carvings lined its surface surrounding the eye, each glowing red as the triangular eyelashes.

Again, the voice called to him. It wasn’t clearer now that he was standing; if anything, it was more muffled than before. “That is a Sheikah Slate,” it explained.  “Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber.”

Link searched the room for whoever was speaking. Whoever she was- and it had to be a she, he rather thought -she wasn’t here.  Why, he couldn’t say, but Link found that he trusted this strange she that he couldn’t see. Perhaps it was her voice, being so feminine and so gentle. Or maybe it was the fact that it felt vaguely familiar. On the surface, he didn’t know who was speaking, yet deep down he felt he’d heard that voice before.

Obeying her command, Link took a step forward and, with care, lifted the strange device out of its display.  As he looked over its surface, it blinked to life.  A glowing eye appeared on a screen on the device- a Sheikah Slate, as she’d called it -on the Sheikah Slate’s face.

As he looked over the strange device, a sound began to build all around him. A deep rumbling shook the walls and movement caught his eye. A portion of the wall was moving. Right before his stunned face, metal slabs in the wall rose right up into the ceiling. What was left was an opening, big enough for Link to pass through easily.

A quick scan of the room was all Link needed to know it was time to move on. The crates were too large for him to pick up, and he had no tools to open them with. Wherever he was, however he got there, answers were not within this room. Carefully, he looped the handle of the slate onto a metal ring on his belt.

Beyond the door was a long hallway, filled with crates and barrels, and what appeared to be a couple of treasure chests. The rough, stone-hewn floor continued, grating his bare feet as he crossed to the first chest. In the light of the blue-flamed torches that lined the smooth-black walls, Link opened the first chest. Within he found an old shirt, carefully folded, and placed in the chest, alongside a leather pouch. It smelled musty, and was stained along the armpits, but Link was grateful for it anyway. The warm, humid air in the- wherever he was -felt wrong against his bare skin. A cloud of dust formed when he shook out the shirt. The fabric felt nice upon his skin, though the arms were a bit short.

The next chest held an old pair of trousers, along with socks and a set of boots. The boots, thankfully, fit him well, the brown socks had holes in the heels but weren’t entirely uncomfortable. The pants didn’t come all the way down to his ankles, unfortunately, but were otherwise surprisingly comfortable.

Again, the crates were too big for him to deal with, so Link ventured forward. At the end of the hall, he found yet another pedestal, this one glowing orange rather than blue. Ahead was another door, this one sealed shut. Link examined the pedestal. The last one had doubtless opened the door. There had to be a trigger somewhere-

“Hold the Sheikah Slate up the pedestal.” The voice of the mysterious she sounded again, clearer now than she had this entire time. “That will show you the way.”

Will show him the way? What was this place?

Listening to her, Link took the slate from his hip and held it up to the pedestal. The orange light instantly turned blue.

A voice sounded from the pedestal.

Authenticating…
Sheikah Slate confirmed.

This time, Link was prepared for the deep rumbling that seemed to make the floor tremble. He watched as a lock on the metal door twisted, allowing the slabs to move upwards. As they lifted, bright light poured in from what could only be the exit of this strange place. Link lifted his hand, crunching his face against the onslaught of light. Fresh air filled his lungs.

“Link…” the voice said. “You are the light- our light -that must shine upon Hyrule once again.” Hyrule. His home. He felt a yearning for it in his heart, like a warm glow. A protective edge filled him. He had to go home.

The voice seemed to agree with him.

“Now go…”

Link obeyed without hesitation. Dust kicked up from his shoes as he ran up an old set of stairs. He splashed through a puddle without bothering to stop and look for another way across. There was a short wall which he climbed with ease, surprising himself with his own agility. Beyond, he raced forward into the light, at last exiting the dark cave where he’d been asleep for so long. Grass tickled his shins as he raced past a couple of balsam fir trees, out of the cove in which the entrance to his cave of slumber had been nestled, only stopped when he reached the edge of a massive cliff.

Ahead of him, at the base of this cliff, was a forest mixed with differing trees, some evergreen, some deciduous. A massive tree stump stuck out of the center of this forest. Beyond were rolling hills, more forests, so far away that the trees were no bigger than his pinky. Mountains shadowed the horizon on the left and to his right, a volcano was spewing smoke and ash high into the sky. In the center of it all, he could make out the silhouette of a castle, spires lifting beyond the horizon where the sun was either just setting or just rising.

This was Hyrule, with all of its hills and plains, mountains and valleys. A wilderness tamed only by those who dared live within its boundaries. The sight of took Link’s breath away. I’m home.

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CHAPTER TWO

THE OLD MAN

For a long moment, Link just stood there on that cliff, letting the wind ruffle his blonde hair. Slowly, the sun climbed the horizon, lightening the world before him as it peaked the mountains to the east. He could have stood like that for hours, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Yet something piqued his mind, like a thought without words, a nagging suspicion that Link was not alone.

It wasn’t beyond reasonable. After all, he’d been hearing the voice of that mysterious she since his awakening. Somehow, though, he didn’t feel as if the presence he was in belonged to her. This person was rougher, wiser, and much, much sadder.  Sure enough, he turned his head and spotted the man straightaway. His aged hands clasped the hilt of a walking stick. Almost as soon as Link spotted him, he turned and walked away, back down the hill which he had presumably climbed.

Uneasiness rippled up Link’s spine. Had the man been watching him? Link didn’t know where he was, or how he’d gotten there. He barely knew anything about himself or his past. Only his name and the almost familiar voice that floated on the wind in any way resonated with him. Wariness made his entire body tense.

Watching carefully at the point where the old man had disappeared, Link began to back track towards the cave where he’d been sleeping. Suddenly something caught his eye, a dark spot that didn’t belong to any shadow. Hidden amongst the tall grass, a large branch was settled into the dirt. Stepping towards it, Link crouched and reached out to touch it. It was sturdy enough, wet from the morning dew, but thick. He hefted it in his right hand and found its weight appropriate for a makeshift weapon, should he need it. He slid it into the leather scabbard attached to the strap of his pouch. Some of the bark stripped away, leaving splinters in his palm.

Up ahead, an old trodden dirt path began a path down the side of the hill, towards where Link had seen the old man. Lining the path were conifer trees, possibly spruce or fir, almost half as tall as the cliff rising above. Nestled amongst their roots were red stumps. Link bent down to examine one. It was a mushroom, with yellowish spots along the top. Carefully, he dug his fingers into the soft flesh and tore its gray stem. A dank smell came from the spongey matter, not entirely unpleasant. Still, Link was not entirely sure if the mushroom was edible. He’d have to find a way to find out.

More mushrooms dotted the side of the hill. Link began collecting as many as he could, stuffing them into his bag, which was bigger than it appeared, he discovered. Further among the trees he found more fallen branches. He collected a second one and managed to cram it into his scabbard with the first, though he wasn’t sure how.

The smell of smoke filled the air. Link stopped. The mountainside veered sharply back towards the path, an old beat-up fence blocking anyone from falling down the stairs. Stone steps, pressed into the hillside long ago, continued the path down to where the fire burned. An outcrop of rock formed a small alcove, where Link could see the shape of the old man sitting by the fire.

Now Link was faced with a decision: should he go and speak to the old man, or try to get by him? The old man didn’t appear dangerous, but strength emanated from his presence. Link was hungry, feeling tired and weak, and wasn’t entirely sure where or who he was. If the old man turned out to be a bandit in disguise, the only thing Link had to defend himself with were two old sticks. Who knew how long they’d hold out in a fight? Chances they’d last were especially slim if the old man had a weapon.

And yet…Link had nowhere else to go. He had no food and no destination. What if the old man was simply that? An old man? Might he be willing to give Link any kind of advice on where he ought to go? With a shiver, Link remembered the strange feeling he’d had when he’d first spotted the old man. Something was off about him; Link was sure of it. But with no other obvious options, decided that approaching was probably his best next move.

The stairway descended rapidly towards the alcove. Towards the bottom, nearing the alcove, a knobby tree reached towards the sky. Two apples dangled from the lowest branch. His hunger taking over, Link snagged one of the tree and devoured it. The second he ate more slowly, trying to savor it. Once done, he tossed the pits into the tall grass and turned towards the alcove. Near the base of the fire, another apple sat on the ground, its skin darker than the fresh apples off the tree. As Link approached, he realized that the old man’s eyes were closed, his head drooping. Was he asleep? It was a rather odd position to be sleeping in; the old man was not leaning against anything, and his right hand gripped the base of the walking stick. But he did not stir when Link walked right up the fire, not so much as opening an eye. His breathing was deep and even.

A smell was lifting from the apple. It was still fruity, but less tart than the fresh ones. It was intoxicating. Checking again that the old man still had his eyes close, Link bent to pick it up.

“I beg your pardon!” the old man snapped. “I was going to eat that!” His voice was surprisingly deep and strong. Link instantly dropped the apple and rose. His body instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, one arm out across his torso and the other flashing back towards his tree branches.

A soft chuckle escaped the old man, his body relaxing. “Forgive me. I couldn’t resist pulling your leg.” He gestured towards the apple. “Please, help yourself. An apple and a fire make for a succulent treat.”

For a moment Link wasn’t sure what exactly to make of this. Was the old man a threat or not? He had gone back to his relaxed position, eyes closed and head down. Now, though, Link was not fooled. The old man was awake and clearly watching him. It didn’t seem like he was a threat, at least. He’d invited Link to share his food.

Link sat, the grass pressing against the bare skin of his leg, making him itch. Watching the old man for any sign of trouble, he picked the apple up from the ground. It was warm to the touch, the skin soft and the flesh mushy. It didn’t smell bad, so Link took a bite. Immediately his mouth was flooded with the most sweet, tangy taste he could imagine. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling, savoring the flavor.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” The old man’s voice cut through his reverie. Link opened his eyes and noticed the old man looking at him again. “If you have apples and can light a fire, you can make them yourself very easily.” His dark eyes flickered in the firelight. “It is a bit strange to see another soul in these parts.”

His voice suggested a question, yet Link noticed he had not actually asked him one. Taking a chance, Link asked, “Who are you?” The sound of his own voice nearly distracted him from the conversation. It was harsh, every annunciation pronounced. A graty edge tinted his inflection, sounding almost as if he needed to cough, though he didn’t feel the urge to.

The old man’s eyelids twitched in a way that suggested he was observing Link’s reaction very carefully. “Me?” he answered almost too casually. “I won’t you bore you with my life story. I’m just an old fool who has lived alone here for quite some time now.”

He lifted an old tin to his lips, sipping loudly. “And what about you?” he asked as he set his mug down. “What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?”

For a moment, Link didn’t know how to answer. Should he tell the old man the truth? What was there to tell? He’d only just awoken and knew only his own name. It hadn’t escaped his notice that the old man did not answer his question. If he was unwilling to give Link answers, why should Link give him any?

Instead, he settled on, “Where are we?” A question like that wasn’t entirely out of place. After all, it only implied that Link was lost, which he was, without revealing how he’d come to find himself in such a position.

The old man lifted his head a little, a half nod to Link with a gleam in his eye that could have been respect. “Answering a question with a question, I see. Fair enough.” In a quiet whisper, he added, “I cannot see our meeting here today as a mere coincidence.”

Link had no idea what to say to that. They stared at one another wordlessly, as if daring the other to speak first. The old man’s eyes bore into him with harsh intensity. After a pause, the old man nodded. “I’ll answer your question, then.” His arms gestured around them, “This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of Hyrule.”

The old man once again raised his tin to his mouth, pausing long enough for Link to look around. This was the birthplace of Hyrule? It looked like an ordinary forest to Link. Chuckling again at Link’s reaction, the old man climbed to his knees. With a grunt, he heaved himself up to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. When at last he was afoot, he gestured for Link to follow him. They didn’t go far, just around the edge of the alcove. The old man pointed with his stick.

“See that temple there? Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies.” Indeed, there was a temple, and an ancient one at that. Link could tell that it was once beautiful. Old stone made up the walls, and a tower rose high above the rest of the roof. Yet the building had long fallen into disrepair. Even from this distance, Link could see that parts of the building were collapsing in on itself, many of the glass windows broken away by time.

“Ever since the decline of the kingdom one hundred years ago, it has sat abandoned in a state of decay.” Deep sadness rung in the old man’s voice. Almost to himself, he added, “Another forgotten entity, a ghost of its formal self.”

Turning away from the broken building, the old man walked back towards the fire. Again, leaning heavily on his walking stick, he kneeled, then settled onto the grass by the fire. “Wait,” Link inquired. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sitting by the fire, of course,” the old man answered. “Though I will have to find another apple to bake at some point. They’re more nutritious baked. Come around later and I’ll show you how.”

Link didn’t leave right away. His conversation with the old man had left him with more questions than answers. The kingdom had fallen away? He still did not know who the old man really was. The only thing he was certain of was that this was no ordinary old man, like he claimed to be, and certainly no fool. He could sense that the old man was holding back from him, yet it made no sense. They had only just met one another. They didn’t even know each other’s names.

He glanced again at the old temple. Something about it was…inviting. Almost like it was calling to him. If this really was the birthplace of Hyrule, was it possible that whatever happened in Link’s past could be found within its ancient walls?

As he took his first step towards it, the old man’s voice called again, “Leaving so soon? I shall be here for quite some time. Please let me know if I can be of service.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER THREE

STRANGE CREATURES

With one final look at the Old Man sitting by the fire, once again appearing as if fast asleep, Link followed the path down towards the temple. The path twisted sharply around the side of the alcove where the Old Man had made his encampment. Here and there, stone slabs were embedded into the packed dirt trail. It continued its descent, turning from brown to gray gravel. On the left a hillock rose above the trail, capped with wide oaks and silvery maples. On his right, a small pond created a break enough in the treeline to reveal the temple.

Closer now, Link could appreciate the stone structure- and its decay -much better. Intricate stonework made up the sides, the windows old wrought iron. This new angle revealed that there was more damage than just disrepair. There were entire sections of the wall collapsed. Huge chunks of granite collapsed into rubble, so damaged Link couldn’t identify which part of the temple they’d originally been a part of.

Link frowned. The path appeared to bend around the pond, heading to the base of the hill before possibly bending around towards the temple, if it did at all. Yet the building was just across this pond! Wouldn’t it be quicker if he just crossed here?

There was no trail along the topside of the pond. Still, Link tried. He followed the tall grass until it met the edge of the pond. There was barely a shoe-length between where the ledge fell sharply into the water and a rocky crest. He went until it opened up a bit more, then stopped. Several meters ahead, the rocky crest on his right met with the pond ledge on his left, leaving no room for anywhere to walk around.

Here in this rocky crop, there were the remains of an old campfire. Embedded into an old tree stump nearby was an old axe. Had the Old Man built this, or had somebody else been here? Quickly, Link glanced around. There didn’t appear to be anybody around. No supplies were left behind, no food, no clothes, no camping gear. The old pit looked as if it hadn’t been lit in some time. Carefully, Link approached and kicked the wood. It crumbled into dust in a cloud of dust. No smells came off it to indicate it had recently been ablaze.

Making a quick decision, Link snatched the axe out of the stump. It was certainly old, the blade dull. Most likely it wouldn’t do him much good, but it was something more than a tree branch. He took a minute to strap it to his leather pouch, where it hung easily. Then he retraced his steps back to the trail.

Again, Link was faced with a dilemma. Should he follow the trail? There was certainly another way across the pond. If he couldn’t walk around, he could always swim.

For a long minute Link examined the water. There were large fish that he couldn’t identify circling in the water below. Lily pads floated along the surface. He couldn’t see the bottom through the reflection of the sun, but it looked deep enough to jump without breaking his legs. In the center of the pond was a tiny island, upon which sat a rock. Sticking out of that rock was- something. Whatever it was, Link knew it was important. He wanted it.

Making up his mind, Link began to undress by taking his shoes off first. He stripped down to only his underpants, rolling his shirt and pants up. It was strange how everything fit into his leather pouch, even though it was such a small accessory. Getting his weapons wet would risk rusting the metal axe blade more and would probably soak the branches. But now that Link had made up his mind, he was too stubborn to back down.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the edge of the pond. A rocky spur jutted out over the water, the closest point to the island from the trail. Taking a deep breath, Link jumped straight into a circle of lilies.

He experienced a jolt as he entered the water. Immediately a sound could be heard all around him, like jungle maracas. In a shower of sparks and with a poof much louder than Link might have expected, a creature appeared in midair above him.

It almost looked like a bug, with grayish skin, two cone-like legs and matching arms, wrapped around what looked like a twig with leaves. Its face, if one could call it that, was no a long leaf that started at its head and went down to where its knees ought to be. Two ears, equally as conical as the arms and legs, were just visible behind the stem of its head.

“Yahaha!” it sang. “You found me.”

Whatever facial features Link could make out formed into a look of surprise. “You can see me?” it asked. “I didn’t think your kind could see the Children of the Forest.”

Children of the Forest?

Apparently, the creature was not put off by Link’s silence. “Well, if you see Hestu, please give this to him from me! My kindred are hiding in lots of different places, too! Don’t be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!” It tossed something small which Link only caught because it was his reflex reaction to do so. Kicking his feet to keep himself above water, he held out his hand and looked at the thing. It was, well it was something. It was solid, golden, and smelled awful.

“What is it?” he asked at last, looking up at the creature.

“Tee-hee!” it only giggled.

Wrapping his fist around it, Link kicked his feet, propelling himself towards the island. Once he’d settled at the base, he stopped to catch his breath and pocketed the seed in the front of his pouch.

Link began to climb to the top of the island, where he’d spotted the rock and whatever was sticking out of it. Both the climbing and the swimming took more of his energy than he thought they should’ve. Just how long had he been asleep in that cave? He hardly felt as if he had any energy at all!

With his last bit of energy, Link heaved himself onto the top of the island, where a small circle of grass awaited him. He laid on his back and just stared at the clouds. Something had happened to him, no doubt about it. But what it was and what it’d done to him, he couldn’t remember. Taking a deep breath, Link got to his feet and looked at the rock right beside him.

From its surface protruded a sword. A rusty, old sword, but still a sword nonetheless. He clutched the handle and yanked it out, examining it. So slimy was its hilt that Link could not make out what material it must’ve been made from. His entire body tensed at the sight. No doubt this weapon was ancient, but right now, all he had were two sticks and an axe that was ready to break apart. Old though it may be, this sword would likely outlast either of those weapons in a real fight.

Once he’d packed the sword in his ever-growing scabbard, Link turned his attention back to the temple. The bluff of the pond was high enough that climbing it might be a challenge in his weakened state. Thankfully, he spotted a footpath that went all the way down the shore a little ways away. He’d have to swim there, but if he was not wildly overestimating his energy, he could make there no problem.

Taking a deep breath, he ran forward and dived headfirst into the cool water. He found that kicking his feet to hard in his breaststroke wore him out quicker than a simple paddle. In no time, his feet touched the bottom, and he was able to awkwardly waddle out of the water.

He didn’t waste time waiting to dry off too much. The sun was shining brilliantly onto the ground around him. Already the day was getting warmer. He’d dry off soon enough. From within his leather pouch, he yanked his clothes. To his surprise, they were entirely dry. He glanced at the pouch. It didn’t look waterproof by any means. Yet still, his clothes only dampened by the touch of his wet skin as they clung to his frame. Like many things since he’d awoken, Link was beginning to suspect that there was something…not normal about his bag.

Once dressed, Link began to make his way up from the lip of the pond towards the temple. He found that his footsteps lead him back onto the dirt path. It must’ve curved back from around the pond towards the temple. There was a sign engraved on a stone post, dug deep into the earth here.

THE TEMPLE OF TIME

It read.

Closer now than he’d ever been, Link was able to tell that the Temple of Time was in a much worse state of disrepair than he’d thought, even from the other side of the pond. Not visible from the wrong angle, massive parts of the building’s structure had collapsed into indefinable chunks of rock, larger than the alcove where the Old Man had made his camp. There was a smaller building out front of the temple itself, its ceiling and many of its walls completely caved in. Even down here, farther away from the temple itself, Link could tell that most of the far side wall had come down by the way sunlight reflected through the windows.

Still, the building gave him an eerie sensation, as though he were being watched. There was nobody and nothing in sight as far as he could tell. But even so, the feeling only increased as he began his ascent up the staircase leading to the temple.

He drew closer, running along a stone block path built directly into the earth. Ahead, the pathway turned sharply left, towards what he hoped was the entrance. Giant, ancient machines rested haphazardly at the curve. What they were, he could not tell, other than that they were made of metal and had huge, tentacular arms sprawling out from the bottom. They were creepy, no doubt, and Link hesitated to approach them in case they came to life.

Giving them a wide berth, he rounded the corner, crested a short staircase, and found himself face to face with- something. It was tall, maybe a few centimeters taller than he was, only it was slouched to his eye level. Its glowing red eyes were deep set in its red-skinned face. There was no nose, only what looked like a boar’s snout. Between the little fangs poking out of its mouth, the claws on its clenched fist, and the angry snarl it made upon spotting him, Link instantly understood that this creature was not going to be as kind as the last one.

Knowing his only choice was to fight, Link brandished the first weapon his first closed on- one of the two sticks -and charged. Thankfully, the creature was slow, because it had a mean looking club that could undoubtedly give him a nasty bruise if it struck him with it. He struck it twice, knocking the beast off its feet before he brought the stick down over the creature’s head with a massive swing that shattered his stick. Quickly he brandished the other one as the creature jumped back to its feet. Moving as fast as his feet would let him, Link struck the creature twice again, and was about to bring this stick down on its head when it gave out a ghoulish wail and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

For a moment, Link stood, dumbfounded. Had he killed the creature? Or had it simply disappeared? On the ground, its club lay in the dirt, which Link figured would come in handy. He was down a stick now, after all, and this one was surely close behind it. As he bent to pick it up, however, he spotted something next to it he hadn’t expected. A small, conical horn lay in the dirt, one of the ones on the creature’s giant head. He contemplated just a second before picking it up as well. Perhaps the Old Man could tell him what it belonged to.

Venturing into the Temple of Time revealed the full extent of the damage done to it. Indeed, the far wall was missing, most of it having collapsed down onto itself. Still, the ceiling was holding up, which was a good thing. The floors were entirely covered in grass, right up to a stone-carved statue against the back wall. Slowly, Link approached the statue. At that moment he felt he knew; the unspoken calling had been drawing him here.

Standing, looking up at it, the bugs, the wind, everything seemed suddenly muted.

Link…

It was the voice again, the unnamable She that had helped him find his way out of his sleeping chamber. Her voice was muted, but quickly gained decibels.

Link… “Link.”

He looked around, wondering if perhaps it was She who had brought him to this statue. But like before, there was no one around.

“Head to the point marked on the map in your Sheikah Slate.”

At her words, Link pulled the device out of its holster on his hip. One of the buttons on its top, left corner was glowing. Link pressed it and the screen of the device lit up. He gasped. There was no map, per se, but a marker was labeled “Temple of Time” on the blue grid. Right within that marker, precisely where Link was standing, a small yellow arrow pointed him towards the statue. The point that She must have been talking about was a glowing yellow dot further northeast of where he stood. He could only assume that this is where She wanted him to go.

It was still morning, the sun still about midway to its peak. That meant that there was time yet to go to this point before he would have to make shelter for the night.

The steps he’d taken up continued downwards from where his path near the pond had connected with it. Further along he saw something that made him pause. There was another one of those monsters at the end of the path.

Cursing, Link weighed his options. He could fight, but he was pretty sure his stick was only one hit away from breaking, and what if he ran into more of them? Would his rusty sword and old axe survive a battle against many of them? He did have the club left behind by the monster at the Temple entrance. It seemed a good enough weapon, but would it last if there were others? Link did not know the answer to any of these questions, and decided it was best to backtrack and find another way out.

Luck was on his side. Thankfully, he found a path on the far side of the Temple just level enough for him to get down without having to climb, though it was close. It deposited him at the base of the Temple, near the destroyed outbuilding. He could see more of those monsters inside.

A quick look at his map revealed that his destination was further down into the gully. He looked over the edge in the direction of where he was headed but couldn’t make out any details. Still, She had called him there. So, there he would go.

He was able to find an easy path down, which he took with brazen disregard for the fact that he could fall and probably twist his ankle. But Link was learning more about himself now and knew that he wouldn’t fall. How he knew, he couldn’t say. Yet his sure footing was maintained, even at the steepest part of his descent, and he made the last few meters down with ease.

At the bottom he was greeted by a wide, flat plain. Grass grew sparsely here, more dried up than in the forest behind him. The point he was headed to was just ahead. Link could make out a collection of boulders, cascaded around one another at one point. It was his good sense that had him cast a look around before he made his trek over towards it, because to his left, not too far off, was an entire collection of monsters.

They were the same as before, red with pig snouts and all. Three of them, by the looks of it, sitting around a fire with a massive spit over it. Whatever they were cooking, it smelled amazing. All Link wanted was to go over and snatch it away from them. He shook himself. Seeing these creatures down here confirmed his suspicions that there were more of them in his path. He only had so many weapons, and he was not entirely certain how long they would last moving forward. The chances that he’d need them to reach his destination were too high for him to risk them on whatever these monsters were cooking. Besides, he wasn’t entirely sure that they were cooking anything he could eat.

So, with no small amount of self-discipline, Link turned on his heel and began to make his way towards the rubble ahead of him. Thankfully, these creatures were as dumb as they were fierce, because not one of them turned away from their spit to notice Link jogging in broad daylight only 30 or so meters away. The distance between them eventually grew so much that Link became confident that they would not attack even if they did spot him, giving him the confidence he needed to move quicker.

As he closed in on the rubble, Link slowed to a halt. The closer he got, the stranger the scene before him became. This was no ordinary pile of rubble. He was certain that there was something metal poking out of the top. Further, the rubble was not just piled haphazardly like he’d originally thought. They appeared to be covering something. In the base was a cave, all the rocks seeming to have fallen with such grace that they left this hole to enter. This, Link was certain, was where he was going.

It was only examining this hole that Link noticed them: more monsters, many more than he’d seen so far, clustered around guarding the entrance.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER FOUR

THE TOWER

Link barely had time to process what he was looking at before one of the creatures turned its glowing eyes upon. They made brief eye contact as the creature gave a start, lifted its weapon, and began to charge. There was no time to plan, no time to think. Link could only react. On instinct, Link dodged the point of the spear, sort of sashaying to the left as soon as the creature struck. What happened next, Link could not say how he did it. As if in slow motion, he charged the creature, drawing his weapon. With one hit, he struck the creature hard in the side of the head, causing it to disappear screaming in a cloud of dust. Upon impact, his weapon shattered.

Almost as soon as he had killed it, an arrow whistled by his ear. His attack had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the camp. Several of them were now running towards him, though only one had a weapon itself, a crudely made bow with plenty of arrows. The rest were armed merely with rocks that they tugged from the ground and chucked at him.

On instinct, Link darted forward, dodging a second arrow, and snatching the spear the first creature had dropped upon its death. He couldn’t say how he did it; it was as if his body knew what to do when his brain had yet to catch up. Link charged directly at one of the creatures throwing rocks at him, thrusting his spear through the creature’s center. Both it and his weapon dissolved, but Link did not pause his assault. From his scabbard he withdrew his sword and, once again, charged another creature throwing rocks at him. Rusty though it was, it still caused a lot of damage when he cleaved the sword straight into the creature’s head. It cut less than it clobbed, but it was enough to dissolve this one as well.

In the time that Link had managed to destroy the creatures throwing stones at him, the other had reloaded its bow and fired. This time its aim was true. Link dodged to the side, but not fast enough. The arrow pierced the skin of his arm, opening a blazing hot wound in its path. But Link didn’t have time to focus on the pain; the creature was already reloading its bow with its seemingly endless supply of arrows. Gripping his sword in his dominant hand, Link sprinted as fast as he could, dodging to the right as another arrow whizzed past his left ear. With a war cry, Link slashed at the creature, again surprised by the ease with which he struck. Even injured, his arms were strong, his balance poised, and his aim deadly precise.

This time, the creature merely collapsed backwards, releasing its bow, which Link immediately kicked away. It wasn’t down long, however, springing back onto its feet rather quick. Now weaponless, it had no choice but to bend and pick up a rock to hurl at him.

Link was faster.

With a slash that cut straight through the creature’s solar plexus, Link sent this one into oblivion with an anguished cry of its own. It left behind only a horn and a fang, most of its arrows having dissipated with it, though about five or so remained. It was all that he needed.

Three more of those ugly creatures, alerted by their companion’s wail, turned away from the fire they had been tending to and fixed their beady devil eyes on Link. The bow was just behind him. There was no planning, no preparation, only action. Link sprung backwards as one of the creatures threw something at him- he couldn’t see what. His entire body flipped into a backwards somersault; one he would not have assumed himself capable of when he first awoke. He landed light on his feet, hooking the bow off the dirt and leveling it.

If Link had done much archery in his life, he could not say, but hefting this one here and now, he knew immediately that he had. Not only had he done, he had a talent for it, it seemed. His body knew what to do, how to hold it proper, how to avoid getting a thumb torn off from the arrow. He knew how to position the arrow against his pointer finger, using his dominant hand to aim. Somehow, without knowing how he knew, Link understood that the arrow was going to curve and how to adjust for that. It only took him a few seconds to grab the bow, guide the arrow, and release the string. Once. Twice.

The third creature’s dying cry brought Link to a halt. He could not see any other near this campsite, but that did not mean there weren’t others. Could there be more in the cave? He waited, certain that if any other beasts were nearby, they’d have heard the battle he’d just fought. They didn’t seem very bright. Would they come to the aid of their fallen comrades?

It seemed not. After a few minutes, Link allowed himself to relax. He set the bow down and released his breath. Now that he was sure that there were no other monsters about to come rushing out to fight him, Link had time to examine his arm.

Blood oozed out of his triceps area. Thankfully, it wasn’t too deep, having merely penetrated the skin. It still hurt, like a dull ache or a bruise. It was a wonder that it didn’t feel more painful. Perhaps it was the adrenaline. He’d have to clean it and dress it later. For now, he returned his attention to the task at hand.

The voice had told him to come to this spot. He took out his map and check again, to be sure. Yes. The arrow that must represent him was pointing directly at the blinking, yellow dot. This was his destination. Whatever he was supposed to find was here, in the cave most likely.

Before he entered the cave, however, Link spent time pilfering the camp. There was no food, unfortunately now that the fight had used up all his energy. There was a fine sheath which he slid his two remaining arrows into, and a bow-sling that he was able to attach to the leather strap of his pouch. He couldn’t find any of the arrows that had been shot at him, but he did find a sword. It was small and rusted, but in otherwise good condition. He sheathed it and continued to search, finding nothing else of value except for a crude, wooden shield and, of course, the parts left from the slain monsters. Link wasn’t sure yet of what value those were, but he kept them anyway, just in case.

Now that that was done with, Link turned to face the cave. Nothing had come charging out of it at him, so he assumed it must be empty except for whatever it was the mysterious She wanted him to find. Whatever was inside was clearly important. What if it was the key to understanding what had happened to him? Link needed to know.

He raced up the hill towards the opening and was surprised to find a structure embedded in the rock there. It was clearly man-made, for no natural process could have created such metalwork, yet it resembled no structure that Link had seen so far except for one: the place where he’d been entombed had been made of the same smooth stone. The resemblance boosted his confidence that he was about to get answers on his long slumber.

Carefully, Link navigated the rubble until he was well within the stone cavern. The rocks above dimmed the sunlight, casting him into deep shadow. There was just enough light, however, to make out a pedestal similar to the one he’d used to escape the room he’d awoken in. As Link approached it, unsure what to do, a mechanical voice emanated from it: place the Sheikah slate onto the pedestal.

Link startled, examining the pedestal closely. There was no mouthpiece here, no explanation for the voice he’d just heard. But indeed, he’d heard it, and its instructions were clear. Link lifted the slate and hesitated. There was a place for it just on the top of the pedestal. A short metal contraption was poking straight up, as if ready to plug into the device. This Sheikah slate, whatever it was, was his only link to the past. If something happened to it now, Link may very well lose whatever information it might have stored on it.

Yet that She had brought him here, obviously to find this. What if the information he so desperately needed was on this pedestal somewhere, and only his device could access it? Link didn’t have the answers to these questions. What made his mind up was this: if he didn’t do something, he would never learn anything.

Making sure not to harm either the pedestal or the Sheikah slate, Link attached the probing piece to the input jack on his device. Immediately, the pedestal spun the Sheikah slate around and withdrew it into itself, making Link gasp. He could still see the slate, thankfully, and he jumped back as it alit with red flaming light, which instantly turned blue. The voice spoke again,

Activating Sheikah tower…

Please watch for falling rocks.

Falling rocks?

What happened next, nothing could have prepared Link for. The ground itself gave a great lurch, causing him to stumble. A deep rumbling shook the very walls around him, so violent that Link collapsed backwards onto his arse. He could hear the cawing of crows as they took flight and saw a chipmunk dash from within the depths of the tunnel, disappearing out into the sunlight beyond. Link didn’t have time to follow.

With a groan, the metallic structure he was standing on burst free from the ground around it. Dirt rained down on him, forcing Link to cover his face and neck with his arms. He spluttered as dust filled his mouth and nostrils, choking him. All he could feel was a great jerking sensation as the very ground beneath him seemed to be moving.

When at last everything was still, Link let himself lay there for a few seconds, processing what had just happened. He could still hear the clatter of machinery as various metallic parts around him continued to shift into place. He rolled onto his back again in time to see a ghostly blue light trace its way past him. Above him, mechanical arms were lifting towards the sky until finally, they stopped.

Slowly, cautiously, Link pulled himself to his feet. No longer was he in a cave buried under rocks. In fact, Link was no longer on the ground at all. He was standing upon some kind of platform that had risen many meters into the air. He could see far beyond what he had at the top of the mountain where he’d awoken. His wide eyes took in the vast landscape. There were clearly other structures in the distance, built by men, which signaled to Link that he was not alone in the world. Other towers like the one upon which he stood had sprouted, some nearby, others just barely visible on the horizon.

Welcome to the Great Plateau Tower, the voice from the pedestal said. Link whipped his head back around to it, having nearly forgotten its presence altogether. Distilling local information.

An electronic whirring sounded. From the very stones above a blue light began to glow, growing brighter and brighter until a very spark seemed to drop from the rock itself. It landed with a very wet sounding drip onto the Sheikah slate. Link jumped back, both in surprise and not wanting to touch the drops that seemed to splatter from where the information landed. But he couldn’t help himself stepping forward and watching as the screen of the Sheikah slate began to change. First it glowed bright, but as it dimmed back to its normal setting, Link was shocked to find a map where before there had only been blackness.

Regional map extracted, the voice spoke again, and did not speak again. The prongs on which he’d attached the Sheikah slate whirled and twisted, pulling the slate out of the machine and standing it upright, as if holding it out to him. Link grabbed the Sheikah slate off the prongs and held it up. Indeed, the map he was looking at seemed to show only the immediate area.

Disappointment pierced him. What use had all this been? So, he had a map of the area, big deal? It didn’t tell him any more about where he was, or how he had gotten into that cave. What good was it all? And it didn’t even tell him anything about the land surrounding the Great Plateau, only the plateau itself. How would that help him figure out where he needed to go?

He had just turned around, figuring his best course of action was to maybe go back to the temple and see if there were any other clues there when he heard it. At first it was so faint that Link wasn’t sure of what it was. But then it grew louder, and Link recognized Her voice again.

“Remember…” She sounded clearer now than She ever had, her voice almost a whisper in his ear. “Try to remember…”

Wildly Link cast his eyes around himself, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her. At first, he saw nothing but the landscape beyond the plateau, with all its mountains, rivers, and valleys within it until at last his gaze saw something that made him stop. It was a castle. A huge, beautiful castle. Its outline was only just visible in the distance, but its impressive height was nearly as tall as the mountains behind it. Stone spires and turrets adorned its silhouette, a flag just barely noticeable waving at its topmost peak. This structure was clearly the centerpiece of the kingdom. The focal point of Hyrule, it was befit of royalty.

Yet even from here, even as difficult as it was to see, it was obvious that there was something wrong with the castle. To start with, there were massive stone pillars, dotted with red glowing lights like eyes upon their surfaces, tilted on an angle, all pointed at the heart of the castle. The land before it, entire towns, Link could tell, were completely desolate of all life. Even the trees, which should have been green with foliage this time of year, were black scars across the landscape.

Link couldn’t keep his eyes off the sight. From the town ruins only just recognizable in the haze to the winding path leading up to the castle itself, it drew Link’s gaze. Then he saw the light. It was brighter than any Link had seen yet, almost like sunlight, but instead of coming from the sky, it seemed to come from the highest-most spire on the castle. Even from so far away, Link could feel its warmth. It pulsed like a heartbeat, pulling him towards it.

This was her. Link knew without question. Whoever She was, this light had to be coming from her. Link ran towards the light, trying to get a better view when her voice sounded again,

“You have been asleep for the past 100 years.”

 For the second time that day, the very ground seemed to shake. Link was forced to a halt as he was nearly unbalanced by the tower’s wobble. Astonished, Link saw that the ground around the shadow, from the base of the spires, had turned black with fog. But it was more than fog, darker, for one. Black. It was moving faster than any natural weather event could, rising, rippling.

“The beast,” it was almost as if She could hear his thoughts. “When the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end.”

A shape was forming out of the blackness now, though what it was, Link could not say. If he was not mistaken, it looked something like a dragon, or a boar, but with a mane. Horns protruded from its front. It reared, opening what was unmistakably a mouth and released a muted roar, but sounded more like a deep, rumbling growl. Most fearful of all was its eyes, burning bright red out of a cloud of purple-red gloom. Link actually took an astonished step backwards, suddenly afraid that those eyes could see him, certain that the beast knew he was there and that he was watching it.

That bright light that shone from the heart of the castle grew, stretching itself across the length of the motte. Slowly, fighting every second, the black mist began to recede back into the castle. But what was making it go back? The light, Link saw with dawning realization, was tempering the mist, holding it back. That was Her doing, he thought. Whoever she was, she was fighting this beast.

When it had been calmed, the voice sounded again, “Now then….” Link started. Now what? But whatever words there were to be said, She either couldn’t or wouldn’t share them with him now. “You must hurry, Link. Before it’s too late.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER FIVE

THE OLD MAN’S CHALLENGE

Too disturbed to remain where he was, Link turned on his heel and walked away from the castle, back towards the pedestal that had given him the map of the plateau. A sense of urgency had overcome him at the voice’s parting words, though he didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing. Perhaps to distract himself from his racing thoughts, Link focused his attention back on the pedestal. The prongs that he had attached his slate onto were still standing, ready Link supposed, to plug back into the device. There was no blue glow anymore from either the pedestal or the stone above it. He examined the stone from below, frowning at it. It looked a bit like a stalactite but blunted at the end. It was from there that he had watched the blue light form into something more liquid, drip down, and splash onto his device. Now it seemed quite innocent, if unusual in appearance, but otherwise not unlike any other stone structure. Of course, Link reflected, it had looked like that before it had dripped light onto his Sheikah Slate.

For a moment Link considered plugging his device back into the pedestal to see what more information he could gain. After all, what he’d seen and heard from the castle had been very interesting, but it didn’t answer the essential questions that Link had. Looking at the pedestal, dark and silent, Link doubted that there was anything useful on the computer. It had given him all the information it could provide.

Link’s next order of business was getting down from the tower. Whatever it was he was supposed to do, he couldn’t do it from up here. The only problem was that there was no obvious exit. There were no stairs visible, and a jump from this height would probably kill him. Link frowned. It looked as though the only way to descend was from a wide, triangular hole in the floor, opened above a platform where he could rest. No ladder descended to it, though the walls looked aptly structured that he may climb it.

Or. Well, Link did not fancy a broken ankle, but wouldn’t it be quicker to jump to the platform? It did not look that far down, maybe a couple meters. If he landed just right, he might able to avoid any unnecessary injuries. If he did not…well, Link knew for certain that he did not want to be stuck on the side of a high platform without the ability to get himself down. It would be safer to climb. Unless Link fell, in which case he’d have less control over his descent and landing.

He glanced back over to the castle. The black fog was threatening to rise again. He refocused his attention onto the platform below. Fine. He’d jump.

There was no running jump. Link did not stop long enough to do one, and in either case it wouldn’t help. Instead, he took a step, bending his knees to absorb the impact. For one brief moment, wind roared in his ears. The sun flashed as he passed out of the shadows. And then it was over. His feet made contact with the metal platform with a slap! It wasn’t half as jarring as he might have expected.

A stone barrier rose from the front of the platform, but ended on either side, leaving room to get down from there. Below to the right and to the left were other platforms, equidistant apart. Judging by the distance, Link thought it looked just as far as this platform had been from the top. From there he could see other platforms, spread the same as these had been. Link jumped down to the next one, then down again and again until he reached the ground.

His feet had scarcely hit the dirt when he heard a sound that turned his head. “Ahoo!” A bizarre shape was descending from the sky. The best Link could compare it was a strange plant, or bird. Another creature?

No. As the shape drew closer, Link was astonished to make out the Old Man he’d met at the alcove. No longer was the impression of the feeble geezer who had mystified Link before. In its place was a spritely man, still hooded and equally as peculiar but in a totally different sense. He was hanging from some kind of contraption put together with different wood pieces and a banner stretched between them. His declination brought him ever closer to where Link stood, waiting for him.

With a thump, the man released his grip on the wooden pegs and landed with a gruff beside Link. Immediately returned the picture of the feeble man, his cane coming out of seemingly nowhere to support his heavy weight. For the first time, Link fully caught a glimpse of his eyes, small and silver, gazing up at the tower from which Link himself had just descended. Stunned, Link gazed up at them, surprised at how familiar they seemed to him…

It wasn’t obvious that the Old Man noticed Link’s stare, but he shifted in such a way that his eyes were blocked by his hood. Had he done that on purpose? Did he realize that Link felt some inkling of acquaintance between them?

His croak of, “My my…” prevented Link from asking any of the questions burning in his skull. “It would seem we have quite the enigma here. This tower,” he gestured towards the one behind Link with a jerk of his staff. “And others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another.”

Link turned and gazed out across the horizon with narrowed eyes. Sure enough, the Old Man was correct. Some were too far in the distance to be made out properly, but others were close enough that Link could tell they were, more or less, the same as the one he’d just activated using his Sheikah Slate.

The man’s words drawled behind him. “It’s almost as though…a long-dormant power as awoken quite suddenly.” He stiffened as the words registered. Without looking Link knew the Old Man was studying him, could feel that silver gaze boring into the back of his head. Almost instinctively, his arm moved to hide the Sheikah Slate from the prying eyes.

In the charged silence, time seemed to freeze as they locked eyes, each grappling with the weight of unspoken questions. A tense stillness hung in the air, neither willing to make the first move, the unspoken queries lingering like a palpable force between them. Link had the fleeting sense that they were in some kind of battle, although he could never imagine one more silent or still than this.

At last the Old Man broke the tension. “If you do not mind me asking…did anything…odd, occur while you were atop that tower?”

His voice was too calm, his expression too knowing. Link pondered carefully what to say. It was almost as if the Old Man already knew what Link had heard. Had he heard it as well? Why, then, would he ask Link?

This was leading somewhere, Link could feel it. If it was the only thing Link had learned on his adventure so far, it was to trust his instincts. Right now, his instincts were telling him to follow this lead, even if it was only in his head.

“I heard a voice.” He said it before he had a chance to stop himself.

The Old Man’s eyes lit up at his words. “Well now! A voice you say?” He paused, looking Link over intently. “And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?”

Again, Link paused. How could he possibly explain what this voice meant to him? That he felt some kind of familiarity with the voice but didn’t know how? It made him uncomfortable how intensely the Old Man seemed to be watching him, waiting for his answer.

“No.”

The Man’s shoulders sagged at his answer, whether in relief or disappointment, Link could not say. “I see. Well. That is…unfortunate.” His tone made it impossible to tell what he was truly thinking.

Suddenly the Old Man turned his head and looked towards the east. “I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle.” Link followed his line of sight where the beast was once again circling the keep. The image of it gave Link a deep pit of horror. He watched, entranced, as a tuft of red smoke ascended from one of the taller watchtowers and mingled with the white clouds above.

“That…is Calamity Ganon.” The Old Man’s words cut through his reverie. “A hundred years ago that vile entity brought the King of Hyrule to its ruin.” There was a note of disgust that shook the old voice. Link could sense deep loathing radiating from the Old Man as sure as the sunbeams penetrated the clouds. “It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path.” The Old Man’s head bowed, his voice quieted. “So many innocent lives were lost in its wake.”

Link returned his gaze to the smokey entity at the castle. The Old Man was finally giving him some explanation, but the more Link heard, the more he wished he hadn’t. Or at least, he didn’t want to believe what the Man was saying was true.

“For a century the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely.” The Old Man gestured towards the castle with his walking stick. “There it festers, building its strength until the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching.”

They stood in somber silence for some time, together watching the beast rise and ebb around the battlements of the castle. Link stared at the entity, horrified by what he’d learned and angered by the loss of his home. Countless people slaughtered by this beast, this Calamity…it was ineffable.

Something had to be done about it.

In that moment, Link knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was his destiny. He knew was a fighter- his adventures here on the plateau had already proven that. Could a beast like that be struck with a sword? Perhaps it would take the work of a bow to take it down. If Link was going to attack, he would need to arm himself well. Already the weapons he’d used had proven to be too weak for such a journey. Where would he get better ones?

The answer came to him easily. He’d passed a few creature’s camps from the temple to the tower. There were bound to be more! If he could raid their camps, he could gather food, arrows, maybe a better bow and a real sword…

As his plan formed in his mind, Link realized the enormity of the task set before him. Fighting the creatures he’d encountered so far had been a chore. His strongest weapons were weak enough to break fighting them and he’d already been injured. The Calamity was bound to be stronger by far than any of these pig-snouted monsters. It would take a stronger weapon, a far stronger weapon, to take it down. And then there was the problem of getting to the castle. He had no means of getting there except on foot and if the number of monsters on the Great Plateau were any indication, he was sure to encounter many more on his journey.

Maybe that was a good thing, he thought. Maybe he would find monsters with better weapons on the way. And with every camp he raided, he would become stronger. Would he be strong enough to face this Calamity?

The rustling of garments told Link that the Old Man had turned towards him. “I must ask you, courageous one…Do you intend to make your way to the castle?”

Link did not immediately respond to the Old Man’s query. Why did he care what this man, a veritable strange to him, thought of his plan? Yet he did care. Something deep within told him that this Man’s opinion would be of great importance. Still, he wondered if the Old Man might try to stop him if he revealed his intention.

“You need not say a word,” the Man interrupted his thoughts. “Your eyes reveal the determination within.” Once again, the Man surveyed the landscape, this time using his came to gesture towards the edge of a nearby cliff. “Here on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try and jump off, well…” he chuckled here. “No death could be more certain. Or more foolish.”

Link peered down the side of plateau. The Old Man was right, of course. It was far too high to jump, and he doubted he had the strength to make it the whole way down before he exhausted.

“Of course,” the Old Man’s words drew him out of his thoughts. “If you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story.”

“Paraglider?” he asked before he could stop himself. He didn’t know what exactly that was, or how to use it, but if it would help him in his quest, Link was certain he could figure it out.

This caused the Old Man to laugh. “Oho! Piqued your interest, have I? Yes, I didn’t come soaring down here on my own feathery wings, you know!” A grin stretched over his face. It was unnatural, and bizarre. “Worry not! I will happily agree to give you my paraglider. But not for nothing.”

His last statement threw Link off. He supposed it was only fair. An even trade for the paraglider. But what could he possibly have that the Old Man wanted?

I don’t have anything. He couldn’t tell the Old Man this. What if he took back his offer?

As if sensing what Link was thinking, the Old Man offered, “How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?” Link stared. Treasure slumbering nearby?

The Old Man turned. “Come. Let me show you something.”

Without waiting for Link’s answer, the Old Man began walking away from the tower, away from the edge of the plateau, and towards what Link could not see. He followed but kept a distance. They made their way to the top of a dusty hillock. Across the valley below Link could see several deep ponds amongst some old rubble. Strangest of all was a black building of sorts. The glowing orange lights along its facade reminded Link of the room he’d awoken in.

“Do you see that structure there? The one shining with the strange light?” It had to be a rhetorical question. How could Link have missed it? “It began glowing the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground.” He cast a sly look at Link. “I would think such a place would house some kind of treasure, wouldn’t you?”

A deep sense of foreboding rose up in Link, unbidden. He didn’t need the Old Man’s knowing chuckle or his words to know what he wanted. “Treasure of the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe.”

There was nothing for it. Link could tell by looking at him that the Old Man was serious, despite his lighthearted demeanor. If he wanted to follow his destiny and stop the Calamity, then Link would need to get that paraglider, which meant that whatever awaited for him in the structure ahead, Link would have to face it.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER SIX

THE FIRST SHRINE

By now the sun was already beginning its descent. Link wanted to get started right away but knew that soon hunger would catch up to him. From his sack he pulled out one of the apples he’d picked earlier and ate it in hungry bites. To his astonishment, he began to immediately feel better. His strength returned to him, and his arm began to hurt less.

Still watching him, the Old Man chuckled. “I did tell you that food was healing.”

Not waiting for any further quips from the Man, Link descended into the valley. It was larger than he’d thought. What he’d assumed were puddles were deep enough to submerge, and the grass came up to his waist. Upon further inspection, he thought he could see small fish swimming in the depths of the water, though he couldn’t be certain.

In a pile of ruins along the very edge of the plateau itself he saw crates and, most strange of all, a series of walls with strange markings scratched into the surface. If he didn’t know any better- and really, Link did not know any better -they were wear and tear from battle. As soon as the thought passed through his mind, Link thought he knew what was hiding behind the walls. Sure enough, as he got closer, he could see them through the slight gaps between the boards. The red creatures from earlier; three sat around the fire. A quick scan of the area revealed a fourth, stationed on a raised platform facing away from the others. From its position, it would get a good view of the valley and any potential attackers coming its way. Only by sheer dumb luck had it not spotted him so far.

A plan began to form in Link’s mind. This camp was not exactly on the way to the shrine. He could easily bypass it and continue. From this angle, there was little chance that the guarding creature would spot him making his escape. Even if it did, he’d be moving away from them, clearly not a threat. How far would these creatures give chase, if at all?

And yet…there was sure to be dangers ahead. The shrine looked ancient, made from the same technology as the Sheikah slate was and the tower had been. If there really was some sort of treasure inside, then the chances were very slim that whoever had put it there had left it unguarded. What weapons he did possess were all either rusted or feeble. There was a very distinct possibility that they would not hold up against whatever tests he was about to face. And well…these creatures had weapons they had so casually discarded, propped against the logs they were not sitting on.

It was decided without too much thought. Link needed those weapons. He counted the arrows he had gained from the other camp he’d raided. Eight. Not as many as he would have liked, but enough to get the job done. Hopefully he’d be able to scrounge some more from this camp here.

Link lined the arrow up, pointing above the head of creature on the stand. A little higher, so when it arched down it would strike. The creature must have spotted when he moved his fingers to release the string, because it turned towards him right in time for the arrow to pierce its eye. At once it disappeared in a puff of black smoke. There wasn’t even time for it to scream.

Its companions might not have noticed its disappearance if Link had not jumped out from his hiding spot at that moment. As it was, only one seemed to be paying any attention. It jumped up when he appeared, but not quick enough. He dispatched it the same way he’d done the first. The third went the same way as the first two.

The fourth creature was moving too fast for Link to shoot it with his arrow. Already it had grabbed for its weapon. Link dropped his bow and grasped his own weapon, a club just like the one the fourth creature was charging him with. It took three hits straight to the head for the creature to become disoriented. One massive strike to the back of the neck and it, too, faded away.

A sound from behind distracted Link. He whirled and saw on yet another raised platform, higher than other, a chest gleamed golden. It was this chest that had made the noise, a clicking sound that reminded him of the noise made when he’d opened the chests to find his clothes. Only Link doubted very much that this one held clothes.

It was obvious that the creatures had been guarding this box. What treasure could lay inside it? Probably not something worth trading the paraglider for. Link had a suspicion that the Old Man would take nothing other than whatever the shrine held. This treasure here was just for Link.

He climbed the dusty ladder rungs and eagerly opened the chest. Inside was a sword. A small, single-handed sword, not rusted or wooden but a real sword. It was too small to do much damage, but it was a damn sight better than the weapons he’d got.

The rest of the camp was a quick plunder. There was one club that he was able to add to his growing collection of weapons, and several crates. Using the old axe, Link was able to find apples and acorns, and most importantly bundles of arrows. He took the time to collect the leftover bits from the creatures, horns and claws and teeth. He didn’t know what use they’d have to him yet, but he was sure there was something he could do them for.

 Once he had collected everything that could be deemed useful from the camp, Link resumed his journey to the shrine. The path took him right up to a deep pond, far deeper than any body of water he’d seen so far. Then it wound away to his left, back up the hill towards the Temple of Time. It ended at a broken bridge.

Link was certain he could make that jump, but should he? There must be a way to the shrine from the other side of the gully, but it would waste precious time and energy getting there. Not to mention there could be more camps with more creatures. One camp with four was an easy enough battle, but did Link have enough supplies to get through if there were ten? Twenty? What if there were a lot more?

No.

His quickest and best shot was to swim across the waters before him and get to the shrine that way. He wasn’t much of a swimmer, but this wasn’t far. Surely, he had enough energy to make it.

This time he didn’t bother to roll his clothes into his sack. It would mean getting soaked again, but what difference did it make? They’d dry off eventually, and he needed to get to that shrine. So, without letting enough time pass for him to talk himself out of, Link took a running start and dived headfirst into the water.

A shock jolted his system. Link had expected it to be the same temperature as the pond with the Forest Child, but this pond was much colder. Gooseflesh erupted on his skin while he gave a hearty shiver, exhaling at the abrupt change in temperature. He kicked out with his legs and realized instantly that that was a bad idea. It wore him out much less to slowly doggy paddle towards the opposite shore. His clothes weighed him down, slowing his progress, and his shoes made it nearly impossible to get good propulsion. Yet progress was steady, and he didn’t over-tire himself getting there. Slowly, he adjusted to the cold.

The water was pristine, crystal clear. He could see all the way down to the bottom, where dirt, rocks, and even some moss showed a landscape that might have once been dry. Ruins climbed out of this rocky chasm, the tops of some just poking out of the water’s surface. Algae and other greens grew atop these pillars. Not for the first time, Link was plagued with questions about his surroundings. What used to be here? he wondered. And what had happened to ruin it so completely?

At last he found his way to the distant shore. A waist-deep ledge jutted into the water just far enough for Link to get his bearings before he tried climbing out. Dust and debris clung to his wet skin and clothes, his shoes squelched with every step, but he was out and had certainly cut the time it would take to get to the orange building in half at least. In fact…

Yes!

As Link crested the rocks, he found himself face-to-face with the glowing orange outpost. Only a few yards separated him from his goal. Closer now, he was able to further inspect the landscape around the glowing structure. A smaller pond, much less deep than the one he’d just swum across – or, in fact, than the one he’d found the Forest Child in – sickled around the side and back of the structure. Next to it was a metal box of some kind and –

There was a treasure chest.

Could this be what the Old Man was looking for? No. He’d specifically asked Link to get treasure from inside the structure, had he not? Yet a barrier was in the front of the structure, and try as Link might, he could not lift it. To the right he noticed another pedestal, just like the one in the tower.

Oh good, he thought. His first instinct had been right; this was no ordinary structure. Something was about to happen, even though Link did not yet know what.

For a moment he deliberated, then he turned to the chest. If this was not what the Old Man was looking for, well, at least it could be something useful to Link. He knelt and opened the chest, his excitement popping like a bubble. Inside was…a stone? He could tell immediately that this was not just any rock. It was red and almost glowing. This was a precious stone, but he didn’t know what. At the very least, it would fetch a fair price by any merchant, so Link pocketed it.

Finally, he turned his attention back to the glowing structure. He knew what he had to do now. Prepared, he pulled out his Sheikah Slate and was surprised to see a glowing dot where he was. OMAN AU SHRINE the label read.

So this was a shrine? Link had never seen one before, at least not to his knowledge. Yet when he placed the Slate onto the pedestal, as he’d done before, a thrill of something electric went up his arm. Almost like…almost like a memory. But not a conscious one. This was more like muscle memory, just as fighting with the bow and arrow had been.

Had Link visited this shrine before?

He waited for something spectacular to happen, perhaps for the shrine to spring up into the air or for the ground to drop from under him. It didn’t. What happened instead was the grate that he’d been unable to lift previously suddenly sprang to life. Of its own accord, it lifted into the air until no trace of it remained. The ground he was standing on suddenly glowed blue.

“Sheikah Slate authenticated,” a mechanical voice said. “Travel gate registered to map. Access granted.”

Link stared at the blue patch of ground, then into the shrine’s entrance. He expected to see something within, treasure, at least. But there was nothing. It was completely empty.

What is going on here? he thought.

He walked inside, examining the walls, the ceiling, anything to hint what it was he was supposed to. His left foot connected to the ground inside the shrine, then his right. In an instant there was a glow surrounding him, so bright it almost felt like the light was coming out of the floor as a flame. And then the floor began to lower.

…

When it finally stopped moving, Link had to stand for a moment and gather his wits. There was no way he could have expected the floor to move. He stood, not shaking, exactly, but catching his breath and looking around. After a few minutes, he took a step forward.

As soon as his foot touched the metal a voice called out to him from the depths of the shrine. “To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Oman Au”. The sound was not something he heard but rather something he felt. It reverberated in his very head, freezing him in spot. “In the name of the goddess, Hylia, I offer this trial.”

Link took an experimental step forward as the voice faded away. Nothing happened immediately. Yet he was not fooled into thinking nothing would happen. This was a trial, and almost certainly this was what the Old Man intended for Link to encounter. The only question was why?

He suspected he’d only find out if he went forward with it.

Upon inspection of the room he spotted another pedestal, a plaque engraved into the base of it. Carefully, he approached it. MAGNESIS TRIAL, it said. Link had no idea what that meant. What he did know was that he was supposed to put the Sheikah Slate onto the pedestal. That was exactly what he did. As soon as it was placed, the pedestal twisted, locking the Slate in just as it had in the tower.

“Sheikah Slate authenticated,” the mechanical voice spoke. “Distilling rune.”

Distilling what?

Link watched in fascination as the rocky protrusion hanging from above began to glow blue. Different symbols appeared along its surface, all seeming to point down the eye symbol on the back of the Sheikah Slate. Just as it had in the Great Plateau Tower, the blue light convalesced into a single point, dropping down onto the Slate as a drop of liquid. To his astonishment, the screen of the Sheikah Slate began to glow, then dulled again, a single symbol on its surface.

Magnesis, it was labeled. Grab onto metallic objects using the magnetic energy flowing forth from the magnesis rune. Link blinked, completely bemused. Objects held in the magnetic snare can be lifted and moved freely.

Moved freely? Lifted?

“Rune extracted.” The mechanical voice interrupted his thoughts. Task completed, the pedestal spun and released his Sheikah Slate back into his custody. The screen held more information, mostly about how to use it. For a second Link just stood there, looking over it. The instructions were telling him to press a button on the side to activate the magnesis rune. Link held the object at arm’s length and then depressed his thumb.

The display of his Sheikah Slate lit up, the display showing the room, but… different. Every wall, the ceiling and floors, was a pink glow. He could see the outline of every contour in the wall. Gridlines interlocked along each surface; he supposed he could measure height and distance with it, if he wanted to. But what immediately caught his eye was an object he had not noticed upon first entry of the shrine. Link looked past the screen to the room, then back. At the center of the room, something glowed orange. Metal plates were resting there on the floor. How could he not have noticed them before?

The mechanical voice from the pedestal had indicated that Link could lift and move these metal objects freely. Looking from the door to the screen, Link had a moment of doubt. That door had to weigh several hundred pounds. Link certainly couldn’t lift it on his own. How was this ‘rune’ supposed to lift it? Were there weight limits?

He decided to give it a try. As soon as the screen indicated his target was locked, he again depressed the button on the side of the slate. A noise emanated from the device that Link had never heard before that he could remember. Startled, he let go – nearly dropping the slate in the process – and the noise immediately stopped. This time prepared, he pressed again. The noise happened, but nothing else.

It took a few tries, but eventually Link figured out how to use the rune. When he held the device in front of his face and pressed the button while the object was glowing orange, he was able to grab it magnetically. The strangest sensation accompanied this hold, a powerful vibration that caused his arm muscles to clamp, accompanied by a humming sound that put the hairs on his arm on end. Yet he was able to lift it and move it aside as if it weight nothing at all. He could feel the weight of it in the slate, as if it was hesitating to follow his directions. But move it, he did, and he didn’t wonder long what the purpose of the metal doors had been, for underneath them opened a passageway.

Link wasted no time descending the ladder. There was only one direction for him to go, with steep, smooth walls protruding on either side of the path, and a small channel ran parallel to the walking path, filled with water. Desperate to find whatever treasure the Old Man was looking for so he could move on from this Great Plateau, Link raced along the passageway. It wasn’t too long, ending at a set of stairs after a relatively short jog. Once he had ascended the steps, Link couldn’t hold back a groan of disappointment.

The room was empty, devoid of any treasure. It sported the same smooth walls that had lined the rest of the shrine. Directly ahead was one wall that was different; comprised of at least twelve squares, taller than he stood, a rough stone wall lay ahead, built as if out of bricks and positively blocking the only way forward. Link could probably climb it, if he had the gumption to do so, but already his energy was waning. He was hungry, and tired, and wanted this over with quickly. Who knew how long it would take him to climb the wall, and how much of his own energy he would have to expend doing so?

Yet he needed that paraglider if he was going to fulfill his destiny. Swallowing his disappointment, Link began trudging towards the wall, ready to do whatever it took to save Hyrule. Then he stopped. He hadn’t noticed before, but the shifting light revealed something odd about one of the stones. It wasn’t shadowed; it was darker than all the others.

A sudden suspicion creeping over him, Link lifted his Sheikah Slate to look at the wall through the eyes of the magnesis rune. Sure enough, it was made of metal. Locked onto the target, Link depressed the button on the slate and lifted the metal block. Like with the door, there was a hesitation of the object to move under the weight of the numerous square boulders around it. Yet it held its own, and with a spark of inspiration, Link used the metal square to push all of the others out of his way.

As soon as he did, Link knew two immediate realizations: vaguely he was aware that any treasure he would find in here was not of material value. The second and far more pressing was that this challenge was about to get a lot harder.

For there, on the other side of the wall, waiting for him to break through the wall, was the strangest creature Link had ever seen. More odd than even the korok had been, Link now faced a mechanical creature that surely had no heartbeat but was intelligent enough to lock its laser gaze from its single eye on his figure. Its torso was comprised of the same smooth material that lined the walls of this very shrine, though it had stone markings built into it. Long, sinewy legs curled out from its bottom, like a spider, three in total. The runes along its body began to glow, and Link knew the rush of adrenaline that came with immediate danger.

There was no way of knowing whether his sword could run this machine through, nor did he have time to truly contemplate such matters. Thinking fast, Link flicked the wrist of the hand holding the Sheikah Slate. The metal cube he was still dangling jerked forward. At the last second, Link released the button, and the cube fell directly onto the mechanical beast in front of him, clashing into its head.

There was no damage, give some scratch marks on the head. But he must have jostled something, for its lights flickered and it seemed momentarily stunned. Its head portion spun, its single eye roaming the room before setting once more on him.

Link was too new at the rune to trust his agility there. Instead he pulled out his rusty axe and began making savage swipes at the mechanical beast. It took two additional hits before he got its eye and, with a flash, the creature collapsed and then – poof it exploded.

For a moment he took the time to just breathe, letting the thrill of the fight die down. An axe? As far as he could remember, Link had never fought with an axe, but found that it was as natural to him as the sword and the sticks had been.

A glance around the remaining portion of the room revealed no other enemies, but a setup that was as strange as Link could imagine. He was beginning to understand that this shrine and all he was doing therein had little to do with treasure. It was as if the spirit of the shrine – Oman Au, was it called? – had laid out what was essentially a puzzle that Link needed to solve. The Old Man had to be in on it; there was no other explanation.

Link was standing on a peninsula in a basin full of water. Ahead of him was an island, and behind that the far path continued to a set of metal doors. Surely he’d need magnesis to open them. There was a metal bridge between where he stood and the island ahead, which he crossed, but there was not one to get to the other side.

Sighing, Link maneuvered the metal bridge so that he could cross it. He doubted very much that if he fell into the water, he’d be able to climb the smooth walls back onto the walking path. He could well drown there.

Yet as he moved the metal door, he saw something out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention. Once the door was firmly in place and he could cross over to the path, Link  gave himself time to really look at what it was.

It was a treasure chest, high on the wall on his left side, way out of reach.

This had to be the treasure the Old Man was seeking. Yet how was he to get to it? There was no path up to it, and no where to climb. Considering what he’d been through so far, Link could guess how to get it. Eagerly he pulled out his Sheikah Slate and was rewarded to see that the chest glowed. Standing at the edge of the water, Link was just barely in range to lock onto the chest and pull it down within reach.

Excited, he opened the chest ready to see treasures beyond measure…but what he found was a bow. Better than the ones he’d collected from the pig-creatures, but certainly not of high value. Link frowned. This couldn’t be the treasure that the Old Man was looking for. What in Hylia was he supposed to be looking for?! In his frustration, Link once more raised the now empty treasure chest with the magnesis rune and flicked it into the water where it sunk until it was submerged.

Well, this wasn’t the end of the shrine, Link reminded himself. There was still more to discover beyond the metal doors. Using the magnesis rune, Link easily pulled open the doors to find… it was the strangest sight, and Link wasn’t sure he could find the words to describe it if he was asked to. There was a stone dais, with steps that ascended to the very top. Blue light surrounded the dais, like a canopy of fabric but also not. Inside the canopy was something old, decrepit, something too horrible to immediately comprehend. Link was so far away, anyway, that he couldn’t quite make out the details, which gave him hope that he was wrong about what he was seeing.

He raced across the smooth metal, glancing around to confirm what he had suspected. This area was empty of anything save this dais. Up the stairs he found himself face to face with what he’d known all along. It was a person behind the veil of light, a Hylian, so skinny as to be skeletal. They were sitting in a prayer position, clearly in deep meditation. Link wondered if the person was even alive, or if it was a statue. Or, even worse, was it a deceased person who had turned to stone over the ages?

This was the end of the shrine. Whoever this person was, they were here for him to find. Link reached up, unsure what he was doing entirely, and touched light. Against his expectations, the light was tangible. It gave him a small shock, but felt more like he was touching water, though his hand remained dry. Ripples spread from where his finger had disturbed the light, and then –

Sticks of light broke away from the canopy, spreading into the stale air of the shrine around him. Link watched in wonder as the sticks of light floated, then faded, leaving nothing but the unnatural lights the shrine already possessed.

A wheezy voice, deep and yet airy, brought Link back to himself. “You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.” Was it the corpse speaking, for surely this person, so skinny and unmoving, could not still be alive? The skin was gray, the form too stiff.

“I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial.” Now Link was enraptured. The voice was indeed coming from the monk in the shrine, yet it wasn’t moving its mouth as it spoke. Almost, it seemed, that the words were coming from within, and yet they were without. They were everywhere, something that was felt rather than heard.

“I am a humble monk,” Oman Au continued. Link stared at him in wonder, the standard itching to be on his way temporarily withheld in his awe of the dedicated monk. “blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon.” He froze, strength surging through him. The treasure – he was near it now, and it wasn’t gold nor jewels. It was the destruction of the great Calamity. Whatever this monk had wasn’t a tangible gem, but instead, something that would help him defeat Ganon.

And he was in no way going to give it up to the Old Man.

Now he was looking eagerly at the stone monk. “With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled.” What? That couldn’t be. Link hadn’t yet received his reward.

As if reading his mind, the stone monk continued. “In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you… Please, accept this spirit orb.”

Link watched, completely astonished, as a ball of light emerged from the stone monk. It floated towards him. Instinctively, he put his arm up as if to touch it. He jumped when it burst into whisps of light that seeped into his chest, through his clothes and skin and bone. His hand came up to his chest, his fingers gripping the air where the orb had disappeared.

As the force of the spirit orb filled him, Link became aware of a peculiar sensation all over his body. His strength returned, his wounds tingled. To his absolute shock, Link noticed the wound on his arm completely healed before his eyes. The stone monk had been alive! And he had just granted to Link his own spirit, his life force.

 “May the Goddess smile upon you,” Oman Au said to him, his final words as Link, hardly believing what he saw, witnessed the monk dissolve into blue light before dissipating completely.