Establishing Hyrule

[NayruGoddessOfWisdom 8]

(( Awh Elway, that's really sweet, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it And I really LOVED the states, it was a lovely change from being in England, I'm definitely going to go back again! ))

 

Melaina is sat on the stool in my tent, swinging her legs back and forth and watching me with idle curiosity while I pack. I gather the ancient texts that Sheik gave me depicting the story of the Blade of Duplicity, folding them in half and slipping them into the small pouch fitted beneath my leather breastplate.

"The Hylians carry large clunky bags don't they?" I ask.

Melaina nods. "I think so... why?"

"They'll be good for holding potions," I reply, jumping to my feet and testing my flexibility with the fitted pouch in use: completely unhindered. "Aren't you going to prepare?"

Melaina shakes her head. "Who needs to prepare? I just bring my harp and I'm ready to go! So what's the deal with this blade then? Why do the Demons want it so bad?"

I turn, taking the other stool from the far side of the tent and moving it closer to where Melaina sits, before perching on the wooden seat. I've never been a big fan of seats... I prefer just sitting on cushions on the floor.

"From what I can gather in the ancient texts," I say. "When either the clone or the original person use it on the other, it has the power to completely destroy. But when used on anyone else, it's just an ordinary blade. I know that Blagdan created these clones because he wanted the power to destroy the Hero and the Mortal Goddess, so my guess is that he's going to use Link's clone to destroy him."

"Crickey," Melaina says. "This Blagdon guy sounds like he's got way too much spare time, he should get a hobby or something."

I crack a smile at her lighthearted response, before getting back to work. I pull off all of my leather armour, laying it out on the floor. I push the stool aside and grab a cushion, sitting down on top of it and grabbing a cloth. I sit there, in my leggings and shirt, polishing up all the different pieces of my armour. Melaina sits quietly for a few minutes, seemingly content with just watching me in silence, but it doesn't last long.

From somewhere nearby, I hear the distinct crack of a leather belt on exposed skin. The noise resounds over and over again, and it's making me feel sick to my gut. Melaina and I exchange worried glances. Among the Sheikah tribes, that sound is known as punishment. It's something that's never enforced upon a member of the tribe, but rather something that people inflict upon themselves when they fear that they've strayed too far from their original purpose. It's not a common noise to be heard... and I know that it's always Sheik's job to dole out punishment - he's told me before that it's the part of his job that he hates the most.

"I should turn in," Melaina says, her earlier light hearted demeanor having vanished. "I'll see you in the morning, Fintan."

I nod, not saying a word as she makes her way out of the tent. I'm left alone, sitting cross legged on the floor with armour in hand, listening to that horrifying crack over and over. And through the repetitive noise, all I can think of is the look on Caoilainn's face as I lectured her earlier on her duty...

Edited 9 Apr 2014 by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

[ElwayGuy7 10]

I walk back to camp at a brisk pace, a bit excited by both my revelation and my quests. But when I get into camp, I find an eerie silence has fallen over everyone, and start to wonder if something is going on, when I hear a sound, distinct and clear. The crack of a whip, or some other leather object, on human skin. I'm about to ask Sault about what's going on, but I don't say anything. Instead, he comes up to me and says two words.

"Self punishment," he says, and with that, I now truly understand Caoilainn's situation. She really is like me, I think as I listen to the repeating crack of the leather on her back. I start absent-mindedly counting the cracks in my head, and by the time it is over, I count 75, although I may have started counting late. Even for a person as strong as Caoilainn, 75 lashes seems almost inhumane. Then again, so does 75 cuts, I think, looking down at my arm. The noise has ceased, and the silence is starting to be broken, but it is too late in the day for it to get as busy and noisy as it was when I left. I get out all my gear from where I keep it stowed in my tent, and I take off my scabbard and shield, setting them beside the bedroll. I double, then triple-check to make sure I have everything I need for tomorrow's journey. I find that I haven't lost anything, so I lay my head down on the small pillow and begin to think. Tomorrow, I think. I will talk to her. I have to.

[Knuckle 484]

After the briefing, the day passed with little else going on. For the most part, Sault left the travel panning between the two of them to Link, given he had more experience. "You don't seem to be as worried about your duty as the other Sheikah, you know." Link said, interested in the relaxed nature of his bodyguard. Sault grinned. "Caring about duty and service to the point of compulsion must be something you're born with, because I can't pull it off like the actual Sheikah here. I do work hard for the glory of the village and all, but I don't go literally beating myself up when I fail." He replied, looking in the direction of Caoilainn's tent. "I'd bet my whole tent and everything in it that if you'd met a Sheikah on your travels they would've busted your butt about something or another at one point." Sault must have said something right, because Link gave a nervous laugh and looked away at that point.

 

"Don't get me wrong," Sault continued, "being a Sheikah has good perks, but... I don't know why, but I get this feeling I've been pulled out of my ideal life and put here for no good reason." Link thought about what Sault revealed for a moment. "I wonder if any of us are given our ideal lives, though." he pondered. "Maybe you shouldn't worry about what your life could have been and just focus on making it what you want." Sault nodded in agreement, and spent the rest of the evening thinking on those words.

[NayruGoddessOfWisdom 8]

First light wakes me. I clamber out of my sleeping sack and put on my leather armour, it feels a little nicer today because it's all freshly polished. I slip the ancient texts into the fitted pocket behind my breast plate. I then make my way out of the tent and head over to my usual spot behind the temple to meditate. I keep my mind open to check if there's any impending danger for the journey ahead, but I'm happy to find no dark presences. That's not to say that the quest won't be difficult, but I can't see any impending dangerous persons. I then open my mind further, searching the local region for any traces of the Blade of Duplicity. I can't find an exact location, but there are distinct traces of a dark and ancient weapon around the Lake Floria region.

I pull myself from the temple of balance and stretch out, before heading into the temple for the morning meal. I'm the first of the team awake, so I gather my food and settle down at a table alone. I'm halfway through my bread roll when Sheik comes over, settling down across the table from me.

"Are you ready for today?" Sheik asks, taking a bite from an apple.

I nod. "I'm not sure of an exact location, but I've got a vague idea, and a little searching should lead the way."

"Good," Sheik says, though he doesn't meet my eye. 

"Everything ok?" I ask.

He sighs, turning to look at me. "Sometimes being the tribal leader can be tough. I take it you heard what happened last night?"

I nod. "I did... is Caoilainn ok?"

He slowly nods. "I think so. Just look out for her on the mission, won't you?"

"I will," I say.

Edited 9 Apr 2014 by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

[ButterflyBabyBlue 2]

I wake from a fitful, broken sleep, my back feeling absolutely raw.

I finally open the bottle of red potion, feeling a wave of relief when the pain lessens dramatically. There's still a sting, but that's there as a reminder. 

I find a new shirt to wear, briefly tending to the damaged skin on my back before changing. 

I begin to get ready for our new mission, rooting about to find my roll of cloth. I retrieve a knife from under my pillow and slide it into one of my walking boots. 

Pausing to inspect my bloodied hands, I step outside. I'm met with Leoni, who appears to have been about to enter my tent.

"Caoilainn," he starts. "I'm-"

"Busy," I cut him off, striding past without a second glance. 

"I just wanted to-!"

"Leoni!" I snap, whirling around to face him. "You should be getting ready, you should be preparing yourself. You should be somewhere else!"

I don't stop to take in his shocked expression, moving quickly to the area that archery is usually taught in. I receive permission to borrow a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Satisfied, I head to get some breakfast from the temple.

He and Sheik are there, chatting and looking somewhat worried. I walk over, clearing my throat as I approach. Sheik looks up, blinking.

"Caoilainn," Fintan addresses me, seeming both surprised and concerned. "Is... everything okay?"

"Fine," I reply, taking a bread roll and an apple. I knew there must have been tearstains on my face, and I do my best to keep my hands out of view for fear of exposure. Very likely futile, since Fintan's tent is quite close to Sheik's.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"They'll be here shortly," says Fintan. "In fact, here's Sault and Link."

[Knuckle 484]

"Goooooood mor-" Sault cuts his greeting short as everyone else comes into view. The others give expressions ranging from melancholy to outright annoyed, with Link and himself being the only high spirits. "Uh, I'll save the greeting for later." He quickly decides before dialing it down a bit. Perhaps things would brighten up once the rest of the team arrived.

 

The rest of the crew trickled in a bit at a time; Melania showed up moments after Sault and Link had, equally as grim as Fintan. Byarly was next and looking quite upbeat, but before Sault could strike up a conversation she turned to Fintan. "I was wondering, where exactly are we heading?" She asked. "Our destination is the rim of Lake Floria." Fintan replied. "all of us are going to head there as a group and search for our objective."

[NayruGoddessOfWisdom 8]

Bryarly and Zelda arrive not long after Melaina, greeting everyone with warm smiles. I smile back, though I'm not all too sure that I'm convincing. Sheik excuses himself, getting to his feet and making his way out of the temple.

Leoni arrives then, dragging his feet as he makes his way into the room. He waves at us all in greeting, but I can tell that he's only half here. He looks over at Caoilainn nervously, but she busies herself with adjusting her sash. My jaw drops a little as the pieces of the puzzle fall together. Caoilainn... the reason she went to see Sheik for punishment was because she was distracted by Leoni... and because of that, she's cut whatever they had, leaving him hurt and confused.

I climb to my feet, my mind made up. I'll talk to him later today, set the record straight. He needs to know that it's nothing personal, it's just the duty of the Sheikah. But for now... for now I've got a mission to focus on.

"Ok," I say, looking around at the group. "Is everyone ready to go?"

The others exchange nods and smiles, and the Hylians set about picking up their satchels and their weapons. Melaina grabs her beautiful hand crafted bow and her arrows, slinging the quiver over her shoulder. Sault puts his buckler into his belt and tightens his boots, and Zelda straightens the long plait at the back of her head.

"Let's head out," Sault says, sounding optimistic as ever.

The group head towards the exit of the temple with me in the lead. Despite all the issues that have fallen over the Sheikah and the Hylians, there's nothing quite like a mission to bring everybody back to their rightful path. Maybe it's just me, but there's nothing I love more then heading out with my friends, safe in the knowledge that we're doing something meaningful and worthwhile. And somewhere inside of me, I hope that when we return here, at least something will be resolved.

Edited 10 Apr 2014 by NayruGoddessOfWisdom (see edit history)

[ElwayGuy7 10]

I start walking out of the temple, following Fintan's lead. I can tell Caoilainn is in no mood to talk, so I have decided to leave her alone for a while. I will tell her at some point, regardless of what happens to our relationship, but now is no time. As we walk, I busy myself by observing the beautiful scenery and mentally noting the name of each new plant I come across. I have learned that doing any kind of mental exercise helps pass time, so I continue, hoping that the next time I look up, the lake will be in sight. Before I know it, we're at the water's edge. Fintan has barely had time to turn around to address us when I interject.

"What are we looking for? A shard, or something like that?" I ask hurriedly, anxious to begin searching.

"I'm getting to that. The texts say that the piece was hidden somewhere around here, so we'll have to split up into groups. The blade was broken into three fragments, scattered on the Surface, and the hilt is in Skyloft," Fintan says. He rolls up the scroll he was looking at and looks at us. "I really don't want to be the bad guy here, so I'll let you decide amongst yourselves as to who you will search with. The exception is Link, who will stay with Sault. Any other pairings are fine, but no one goes alone, and choose wisely so we can find the shard quickly. There are still three other pieces after this one."

I look at the Hylians, but Bryarly and Zelda are already heading off together, and Link has to be with Sault. Fintan and Melaina leave together, so that leaves me and Caoilainn. I look in her direction and she glares at me, so I decide it is best to follow her at a distance, always keeping her in sight, but not being too close. After a while of searching with no luck, Caoilainn is clearly frustrated. She looks like she is about to snap, and a few seconds later, she does, although not in the way I suspected. She sits on a rock and starts talking to no one in particular.

"Why can't I do anything right...? Everyone is counting on me, and I'm letting them down. I can't even perform the duty I have known forever. Everyone will die, and it's my fault..." she says as she puts her head in her hands.

I walk up to her slowly, and she senses my approach.

"Don't even talk to me! You can't possibly know how I feel!" she yells, right at my face.

"I don't want to talk to you, I just want to show you something," I say. She looks puzzled, and I kneel down on the ground. Then, for the first time since I was in the academy in Skyloft, I take off my gauntlets, and I show my scars.  "No matter what you think, Caoilainn, you're not alone..."

[ButterflyBabyBlue 2]

I cringe away from the scars on Leoni's wrist, leaning a little away from them. I'd never liked seeing other people's wounds and scars, it had the tendency to make me feel a little uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for you," I say quietly, then stand up again. "But Leoni, I don't mind being alone. I thrive in it. I can't think, I can't do things when I'm surrounded with people. I know your race is one of unity, and it's well-known that Hylians do well in each other's company. My race is too, but I've adjusted to a certain lifestyle."

I rummage around a bit, still intent on finding the piece of the blade.

"When you picked me up that day, you set off something," I continue. "I'd never felt so weak until then. And every day after that, I was weaker. And that's why I went to Sheik, I told him to whip me one hundred times and wash every trace of emotion from my body and my mind."

Leoni listens intently, and I notice him almost reach for his notebook. A glare is all it takes to stop that, though.

"And now, I'm as hard and as tough on the inside as I am on the outside. I've found my old self again, and I am genuinely content."

Leoni nods, seeming to at least partially understand. I stand up with a sigh.

"I'd rather you talked about this with someone else, though, Leoni," I say. "I don't like this kind of conversation. And I hate bearing my soul like that, too."

I watch him for a few moments, a mixture of expressions crossing his face in a mere few seconds.

"We should keep looking," I remind him, casting a wary glance in Fintan's direction.

"Of course, yes," Leoni agrees hastily, getting back to work.

I breathe out through my nose. I wasn't going to get frustrated again, over a piece of a sword that was definitely somewhere nearby. I don't look at Leoni, opting to keep my back to him as we work, training my eyes on the water of the Lake. No distractions.

[ElwayGuy7 10]

I rummage around in the leaves at the base of another tree near the water's edge, and I find nothing. I feel like the Goddess wouldn't have hidden the shard in such an obvious place. I look towards Caoilainn, and past her, to the water's reflective surface. I walk closer to the edge, and I realize where the Goddess hid the shard. It's like hiding something behind a mirror; the reflection would make you think there wasn't anything there. I quickly take off my boots and scabbard, laying them against the tree, and I start running toward the small cliff over the lake. At the last second, I leap and dive into the water headfirst. I know I am getting curious looks from everyone, especially Fintan, but I am confident. I swim along the cliff, looking for signs of a cave or crevice where the shard could be hidden. I swim the length of the lake, and I don't find anything, but on the way back, I notice a small crevice with the Hylian Crest etched above it. This looks promising, I think as I reach inside, fumbling around blindly with my hand. Finally, I feel something thin and metallic, and I pull it out. It is a shiny shard of what must be the Blade of Duplicity. I swim to shore as fast as possible, and I run towards Fintan. Score one for Leo! I think as I hand the shard to Fintan. 

"Well done, but we've barely even begun. Three more pieces to find..." he says, sounding tired. 

"Should we set up our camp here?" I ask.

"It's as good a place as any," Link says. 

"All right," Fintan says. "Gather all of the gear at this spot and we'll set up a small camp."

I run back along the lakeside to retrieve my stuff, and my head is so far in the clouds after finding the shard myself that I literally bump into Caoilainn, who is walking towards Fintan. I stop and she glares at me, with even more intensity than ever before.

"Our relationship can be done, that's fine, but I have one question. What happened to your family?" I ask.I know she hides her emotions behind her wall of physical strength, but someday I hope she can come to terms with having emotions. And maybe that day is today, I think as I wait for her to respond.

Edited 10 Apr 2014 by ElwayGuy7 (see edit history)

[NayruGoddessOfWisdom 8]

It's slow progress, but it's progress, and that's something to be happy about. I turn the blade over in my hands, examining the piece I've been given. It's long and thin, cracked horizontally at the top. It doesn't seem like much more than a simple blade to me, but the old texts did say that's it's ordinary unless used on a clone.

"Want me to look after that?" Link asks. "I've got a satchel after all..."

"Good idea," I reply, gently placing the piece of blade in his hand. I turn, seeing how the construction of the camp is going. Only four tents have been raised, so I'm guessing that we're sharing. I guess it makes sense - smaller camps draw less attention. I jog over, and set to work helping Melaina build a campfire. Within an hour, the camp is completely ready, bedding has been dolled out, and our evening meal is cooking in a hefty pot over the campfire. Dusk is just beginning to set over the land, so we all congregate around the campfire.

"Has anyone got any good stories?" Sault asks, stirring the pot gently. "Link? You are the hero of Legend after all..."

Link shrugs. "I suppose, but everyone already knows my stories, my friends were there with me! Zelda, why don't you play your harp for us?"

"I didn't bring it with me," she says, sounding a little disappointed.

I glance over to Melaina. "Didn't you bring your harp?" I ask. "You could play for us..."

"Uhh... sure," she says with a nervous smile. She carefully picks up her harp and settles herself down on an old tree stump to play. Her fingers gently dance over the finely tuned strings of her instrument, and a melodic sound rings out. As she plays, Zelda begins to softly sing along with the music, her voice harmonising perfectly with the harp.

I turn, to find Link watching Zelda with a look of absolute adoration. Maybe it's just romanticised by the warm light from the fire, but he way he looks at her really says something about their relationship. Who ever would have thought that the Hero of Legend and the Mortal Goddess would fall in love?

And it's as I sit there, watching the look in his eyes and her soft smile, that it occurs to me that I've been missing something for a very long time...

[ButterflyBabyBlue 2]

I watch Leoni silently for a few moments, at the same time hearing gentle music coming from a little way from where the others have set up their camp.

"Why..." I falter. "Why would you want to know about that?"

"I want to know why it is you're so tense, why you restrict yourself so much."

"Well, I have no reason to tell you," I reply.

"I'm asking as someone who has also lost their family."

I run my fingers through my hair, which had grown considerably longer over the past while.

"My parents were people who made mistakes. My father was an unskilled worker for the Sheikah tribe. He was strong but never amounted to anyone of notice. My mother was a Sheikah archer, and she practiced hand-to-hand combat."

Leoni nods, his eyes drifting to my coarse knuckles and the quiver on my back.

"They met when they were very young," I say. "Much too young, and they both knew it. That was one of their first mistakes. And within a year of knowing each other, my mother was pregnant with me. Another mistake. The labour lasted sixteen hours, I'm told."

Leoni seems surprised at that. "Did she die afterwards?"

"No," I reply. "She made it, and they set up their house in the middle of a forest and began raising me. Yet another mistake."

I turn my back to Leoni, mulling things over in my head.

"There are some terrible things in the forest, Leoni. And my parents were stupid, they didn't scout it out once, or even ask a Sheikah to do it for them.They'd had some close encounters but managed to fend off most attackers. And then, one night when I was eight years old..."

I pause, my mind drifting back to that night.

"I don't think I'd ever seen my mother cry until that night. Or scream so loudly. My father too, my strong father who never felt the tiniest scratch."

Suddenly I kick a stone, sending it flying out over the lakeside and down into the water.

"And all I could do was stand there and watch. Even as they screamed at me to run, I just stood there. Useless."

I blink, pausing to take a deep breath. Leoni waits patiently for me to start again, seeming unsure of where to look.

"The Demon Lords didn't kill me, and I still don't know why," I say with a sigh. "They held my parents up for me to see, but I didn't recognise them. I couldn't see their faces, they'd been so badly mauled. And that's when I ran.

"I ran as far as I could, fear fueling me and refusing to let me stop to catch my breath. That's when I stumbled, alone and terrified, onto Sheikah territory. And now here I am."

I spread my arms as I finish, moving past Leoni quickly towards the camp.

"No more questions," I warn, not waiting for him to follow. I walk to where four tents have been set up, sitting down between Link -who nearly seems caught in a trance- and Bryarly. Melaina and Zelda are performing a duet, the harp and Zelda's voice harmonising flawlessly.

I close my eyes and lie back, looking at the stars above us. The harp music has a calming effect, and I'm able to finally relax a little in the serene stillness. I don't even hear Leoni rejoin us, I'm so distant.

[ElwayGuy7 10]

I walk in the opposite direction, heading towards the tree where I left my things. Everything is as I left it, and I put my scabbard and boots back on, and slowly walk toward the tents that have been set up, thinking all the while. I am finally at peace about this whole 'relationship' thing, and  I walk into camp that night happier than I left. As I enter, I can hear Melania and Zelda's music, and it is mesmerizing. I sit on the other side of Link, across the circle from Caoilainn. What I thought we had is over, I think. And I'm okay with that. I continue to listen to the beautiful music as I watch the campfire dance. Just for fun, I write the lyrics to Zelda's songs in my notebook, so I can remember this forever. A smile crosses my face, and in that moment, I realize how glad I am that I came down to the Surface.

[NayruGoddessOfWisdom 8]

I get a better nights sleep than I have in a very long time, even despite the fact that I'm not at camp and that I'm sharing a tent with Leoni. I drift off with the memory of Zelda and Melaina's beautiful duet in the back of my mind, and stay warm and content in my bedding roll throughout the whole night. When I wake, I wake to early morning light and the sound of birds singing - which isn't something you can commonly hear in the Sheikah camp. I wake with a yawn, and quickly dress, trying my best not to disturb Leoni.

I make my way out, struggling to find a good spot to meditate. I'm not unfamiliar with the area, but I've never meditated here before. After a short walk along the shore of the Lake, I find a small cut away in the cliff face. It's shaded and secluded, and the sound of the water gently lapping is comforting. So I sit down on the grass, assume the lotus flower position, and begin to meditate.

I find the connection and sink into my temple of balance, feeling the familiar warmth surround me. I open out my mind, traversing my thoughts from my current location over to the Eldin region. I scour the area, searching for any traces of magic. There's a hub of dark magic amongst the northern regions of the volcano, but I suspect it's the Demon colony. I probe a little farther, and suddenly I see it.

Another piece of the blade, the very tip of the weapon is resting on the charred, rocky ground. It's as clear as day, almost as if it's sat right in front of me. The presence resonates from the west of the volcano. I pull myself back, trying to observe the scene from further distance, only to find that my mind floods with molten heat, bubbling and boiling in every corner of my brain.

I cry out as I'm dragged back to reality, my hands fly to my skull out of instinct, but the worst of the pain is gone. The last remnants of heat fizzle out from behind my eyes, and I find myself gasping for breath. I've never done that before... I've never seen an exact location... I know exactly where to find the next part of the blade!

"It's in a cavern beneath a pool of lava..." I mutter to myself. "Just west of the volcano..."

I jump to my feet, stumbling out of my meditation spot and running back to camp, feet pounding against the grass.

"IT'S BENEATH A POOL OF LAVA!" I yell, running back to camp, unable to fight the grin spreading across my face.

[ButterflyBabyBlue 2]

I awake, not to the sound of birds chirping, but to the triumphant voice of Fintan, shouting something about a pool of lava. Confused, I sit up and creep past Zelda, who is stirring a little. 

"Fintan," I say as I leave my tent, "what on earth is the matter?"
"I know where the next piece of the blade is!" Fintan says, elated. "The exact position!" 

"That's wonderful!" Melaina exclaims, nearly falling out of her tent in her attempt to reach Fintan. "We can get it really soon then, right?"

"Yep," Fintan replies, smiling at her. 

I watch them for a moment, taking a moment to note Melaina's expression, and Fintan's contentedness. Grinning, I wait until Melaina has turned around to talk to Bryarly, and grab Fintan. Pulling him aside, I lower my voice so as not to alert the others. 

"Hypocrite!" I say to him, still smiling. 

"What do you mean?" Fintan asks, his eyes darting away before returning to me. 

"'Don't stray from your duty, Caoilainn'," I imitate him, lowering my voice. "'You must be focused and don't be distracted!'" 

He seems to pick up on my point then, and colour flushes his cheeks. I knew it. 

"Caoilainn," he says hastily, "it's not actually, I-I mean-"

"I don't mind, Fintan," I say. "But don't you go jumping down my throat again, okay?" 

He nods sheepishly, not meeting my eyes. With a laugh, I pat him on the shoulder and walk off, grabbing my bow on the way into the fringe of trees so I can practice. Still smiling, I shoot down a pear and chew thoughtfully, musing to myself about Fintan and Melaina. 

"I knew it," I say again, taking a satisfied bite.