Zora's Domain Again

Waking of Saturday, March 18, 2017 ~ 14

Zora’s Domain Again

I coalesced into myself near the gates of Zora’s Domain.

Rivan was the first person I saw.

He marveled to me at the clearness of the sky.

I felt different.

I walked inward, passing familiar faces, Fronk, Trello, Laflat....

I showed Laflat the pictograph I had taken of the charging Lynel, and she made a rather undignified squeak at the sight of it. But she was grateful to see it; it would help her scare the young Zoras from going near the mountain.

Scare away, Laflat. The terror of that thing was completely justified.

In return for my high-stakes pictography, she gave me a pair of Zora Greaves. She said they used to be very common—Zoras had gifted them to visiting Hylians after the Hylians had collaborated with the Zoras to construct the Eastern Reservoir wall. Now, however, you didn’t see them all that much, because Hylians didn’t visit so often anymore. The very pair she had given me was the last one in the stock room before her father had to close down their armor shop.

Well, I could certainly look the part now, couldn’t I?

But I didn’t don them just yet. It felt.... a little presumptuous, on my way to see the King once again.

Back in the throne room before King Dorephan. Sidon and Muzu were there, too, as were many of the Zoras I had met. A small throng of blues and greens and reds and blacks—I could pick out a few individuals....

There followed from the King some pomp and circumstance, but.... beneath all that, I think what struck me as perhaps the heaviest honor—or perhaps the most dearly bought by its bestower—was Muzu, repentant. He hoped, he said, that I would be able to forgive him for his words to me before, if not now, then some day.

Many of the elders I passed on my way back into the Domain still resented me for stealing away their princess. And I don’t suppose I can blame them, trying to see it from their side. But.... Muzu’s olive branch was a gracious and most welcome gesture.

The King awarded me with a treasure that had belonged to Lady Mipha—the Lightscale Trident—which reminded him....

“Where is your trusty sword, Link? The one with the power to seal away the darkness?”

I looked at him. “What sword?” I said.

“...So you have forgotten that as well,” he replied mysteriously, his eyes shrewd. He assured me that it was a weapon only I could wield, and that it was no doubt only resting somewhere in Hyrule, waiting for its master’s return.

The King lauded me a little further until the meeting finally dissolved into the cheers and shouts of gratitude and relief from the attending Zoras....

I spoke again with the King after everyone had left, and he asked after his daughter. After all, she had not returned with me. So the King had held out some hope yet....

“I met her spirit,” I told him after a moment.

He leaned forward all at once toward me again—that one his size could move so....

“Her spirit, you say? Did she say anything?” he asked.

And I told him.

“I see...” he said, “so she really is....”

What could I say?

What do you say to a father?

“She really loved you, Link,” he said to me. And he asked me to promise to him that I would remember her always.

“I’ll never forget her,” I said.

Dance with the Devil

Waking of Saturday, March 18, 2017 ~ 7

Dance with the Devil

(In the pale sunlight as it happened)

As I ascended the mountain, I thought I saw yellowish shafts protruding from the high pines. Stray discarded Shock Arrows.

It started getting cold, and my nose and cheeks turned rosy and my breath came out in little clouds. I wondered if I would have to switch to my Warm Doublet.

Higher up, a weak sunlight managed to penetrate the clouds and water—I could see Vah Ruta far below me in the Reservoir, casting it all up into the sky by its trunk like a smokestack. So much water.

But in the slightly stronger light I could see clearly: these were definitely Shock Arrows stuck in these tree trunks. I plucked a few of them out, tucking them away for later. I would need quite a few. I hoped I could get this over with quickly and deftly....

Sunlight reflected off the long wet grass into my face, glowing the ground into a blinding aura near the high, wide meadow.

Would it be like Talus Junior? Would I be able to see it? I moved slowly, very slowly.... taking my time at every step, keeping my distance, holding back....

But all at once a cinematic made the introduction for us.

Save me there it pawed the ground: six-limbed, four strong hooves, two brawny arms, muscly, horned, thick red-maned, and armed. What was its face but a terrible dark blur with glinting eyes?

The cutscene left me waiting round the side of a large boulder as the Lynel approached from the meadow.

I stepped out where it could see me—and I could see it—and raised my Sheikah Slate as it charged.

I think I captured the last sight any number of good men may have seen. If Laflat didn’t like that photo, I didn’t know what she would.

And after that....

After that....

....

Y’ever play ring-around-the-rosie with the Devil?

It was big. And it was fast. And its weapons were many, for what little implementation it possessed. Sword and shield to be sure—and claws—and fangs—and horns—and kicking, trampling hooves like flints. And snapping, crackling Shock Arrows.

I ran. You bet your sweet Canadian mullets I ran as hard as I could. Fast it would come charging at me, the swing of its gigantic sword missing me by inches as I tore to the side. I just needed to get those arrows I saw sticking out of the ground and out of the trees everywhere.

Have you ever stopped to climb a tree when there’s a giant man-horse-lion beast galloping at you?

Other times I was not so lucky—if I could not clear its path in time, if its sword caught me, or its swiping hands found me—

I know at least one fairy came to my aid.

More than once I was sent flying, reeling and wheeling head over heels through the air, spinning, spinning to slam back onto the wet grass below—

“Get up get up get up, Link, get up!!!”

Where was it? And it would make another pass, come at me again. Stop, raise its bow—I would hear the crackling of yellow lightning in its hands—I leapt from the puddle I had stopped in—the arrow stuck in there wouldn’t do me any good if I got fried trying to retrieve it—barely made it out before the zapping explosion erupted behind me—

The Lynel was so fast, both on its feet and in its tactics, and I was small. I was eating through my restorative provisions at the fastest rate I had ever done—I’d cooked so many meals in Zora’s Domain beforehand that even my hammerspace pockets couldn’t hold anymore.... Well they’d have more room now, I thought.

And Holy DIN when I jumped aside from one of its attacks to see it skidding to a vicious halt, its claws and teeth chewing and RIPPING into the grass, into the ground, into the low prey-space I had vacated by only a fraction of a heartbeat—it meant to rend me asunder and then devour me.

Only a few more arrows....

But I couldn’t keep this up forever....

Uphill, uphill, UPHILL!! It had left some arrows below its meadow.... maybe there were some higher up as well....

Uphill, Link, uphill, run run run faster, Link, faster....

What is Courage?

Waking of Saturday, March 18, 2017 ~ 5

What is Courage?

I had thoroughly explored the Domain, and there were two roads I had not followed to their ends—because their ends trailed away into mountains and wildlands and I had had enough trekking through the dangerous wilderness for the time being.

But now I had to follow the east road out, which would lead me straight onto Ploymus Mountain.

Laflat met me at the edge of the square.

She knew where I was headed, and she told me there was some fool in the Domain, a diving fanatic, who kept pressuring others into going there as well and diving off Shatterback Point by questioning their courage.

“Oh yeah, Gruve, I know that guy,” I didn’t say.

The problem, she said, was that the mountain was too dangerous—Laflat knew there was a Lynel living somewhere on it, and she often tried to discourage people from going there, but she needed help.

She asked me to take a picture of the Lynel and bring it back to her. That way she said she could better describe it in terrible detail to frighten her fellow Zoras away from going there and doing anything stupid.

Well.... I’m not one to condone fear-mongering.... though I don’t suppose I can blame her. The application of Fear is, time-tested, the easiest and most effective way to control other people, after all.

But she didn’t seem like one to abuse it; this particular fear sounded like it might perhaps be a healthy one. I agreed to help her.

I had been delighted to see Mikau and Lulu Lakes on my map. But as I approached them now and prepared to ascend their many-layered falls under the brooding downpour, they brought me no joy. Just a handful of herbs and a few good frogs I could cook up later.

I had heard of Lynels before. I’d even seen a picture once or twice. I know what your centaurs are now, Joseph.

How big would it be?

Was it fierce?

Did it really carry a sword and shield?

Would I have to wait for it to shoot every single arrow I had to collect? Pick them from the ground?

I gazed up the darkened curtains of water. The sky had been gloomed over so grey, the same color, day and night, for so long. You couldn’t even tell what time it was without looking at a clock.

How soon would I find the Lynel?

Or would it find me first?

“‘Not the absence of fear’,” I reminded myself in a murmur, and speared up the first waterfall.

Unsaved

Waking of Monday, March 13, 2017

Unsaved

I only walked about. I was weary from my long hike up the river.

I talked with some of the other Zora I saw moving about—and saw a few familiar faces! Ledo and Torfeau.... I found out Tona actually worked in a shop up here, but I didn’t actually see her until I bumped into a group of Zora girls downstairs on the other side of the . . . . do I call it a square? It seems to want a more elegant word than that, so high pillared above the beautiful waterfalls.

The group of Zora girls, it seemed.... were members of a Prince Sidon Fan Club.

Seemed the prince was quite popular with the ladies around here! Somehow I didn’t find it surprising. The man bled charisma.

Tula was the name of their club president. Laflat was the name of the secretary I had met before. Dunma was the name of Rivan’s.... daughter, it turned out. Not a son.... I had met so many Zora.... and a Goron.... There were a lot of people up here.

I suppose it was comforting to find so many goodly folk all together, and safe, in one place, but.... maybe just a little bit overwhelming for a small-town guy like me.

A small-town guy?

Maybe I only thought that because small towns were the only places I’ve been—or the only places I remember being.

I’m not a small-town guy. What am I?

A Resurrection Chamber guy?

I hope I can find my memories soon.

Not the least reason for which is because every aged Zora I spoke to in Zora’s Domain was unhappily disgusted to see my face.

What had they thought I’d done to their beloved Mipha?

....

What had I done to their beloved Mipha?

I couldn’t vouch for myself—I had no memory.

What had I done?

I went to see the king, and quit without saving.

Rivan

Waking of Saturday, March 11, 2017 ~ 7

Rivan

The road to Zora’s Domain was the longest and most dangerous I had encountered yet. But I did make it to the top.

Near the end I found a couple of large stone tablets bearing records of ancient deeds—the first recounting one Zora King’s triumph against a Guardian that no other Zora soldier could best.

The second was very worn down, and told of the Ancient Hero’s defeat of.... something that was always missing some letters due to time and erosion.

Had I done something?

The first time I saw the word, I could only make out the first and last letters—both L’s—Ah, “Lizal”, perhaps? It would make sense with all the Lizalfos around.

But at the next encounter of that word, the second letter was Y, not I. And I think the one before the final L was an E.

Oh no.

I think I might know what Joseph’s centaurs might be.

I have never played a game wherein I had to fight one. But....

It seems they are powerful but I must not be daunted.

I must remember my old self.

I made it to the top. David asked if that were Minas Morgul. “See the glowing walls?” he said.

“Yes. That is Minas Morgul,” I said, and continued on.

At the far end of the final long bridge, Prince Sidon met me, grin still flashing and eyes still burning and strength still exuding from his royal person. He said it was time to meet his father, and to come this way—

I would.

At a walk.

The road had been long.

Two Zora guards were the first people I encountered. The one on the right seemed.... piqued by my appearance. “Hmm?” I heard him murmur. And when I turned to him— “MASTER LINK!” he shouted, “It’s me! Rivan! We used to swim together when I was but a child!”

Oh my, this was—

But I didn’t recognize him.

He conceded that.... perhaps that was understandable, given that it had been a hundred years. “Come to think of it,” he continued, “shouldn’t you be dead?” And then he backtracked murmuring something about perhaps that question being too personal for a Hylian....

His son, the other guard, reminded him they were on duty.

This.... Rivan.... He said he was now a hundred and thirty years old....

How long do Zora live?

Oh I wished I could stay and talk to him, but....

Farther on there was a fountain with a statue of what I learned to be Lady Mipha, who once controlled the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. The personal secretary of the Zora King told me this—I don’t remember her name.

She told me Mipha’s skill at healing the wounded had been unparalleled, and that all the aged soldiers who had fought by her side so loved and revered her above all others.

Lady Mipha.... someone I had known....

I was running out of juice.

I just needed to keep following that orange glow just ahead....

I made it to the shrine, went inside, was you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me’d by the goings-on inside, solved it all anyhow, received the Spirit Orb....

And saved.