A Matter of Presence

Waking of Saturday, November 3, 2018 ~ 3

A Matter of Presence

It would take two shards of Naydra’s horn in order to enhance the Champion’s Tunic, but I decided to just stop at one for now. Waiting for that dragon had taken forever! And I didn’t want to put it off any longer—I went back to Serenne, and I was gonna head north. I was gonna.

I just noticed a few more possible Korok hiding places along the way.... and of course with David watching when the sun went down I had to show him what the Skelesuit did, when the Stalcreatures started popping out of the ground.... It was a disguise! David had had this suit way longer than I’d had it, and he’d never known! And then when I saw the light from that fallen star I had to switch to my Stealth Suit to run there and get it in time, just a little detour.... Whoops, had to watch out for that Lynel beneath Mount Drena.... How long had that been there?

And then here came Dinraal down the canyon.

I ran. Still in my Stealth Suit I ran, moving so fast, giving no time for baddies, my gosh, I had to get there—! And I BARELY made it to the big canyon’s edge to shoot a scale off the dragon’s tail as he curled and twined massively away and out of reach.

I floated down into the canyon to pick it up; that was two of Dinraal’s scales I had now. I could offer one to the Spring of Power....

And with a warp and a short jog—gosh Akkala was such pretty country—I did. And a door back behind the Goddess statue opened up to reveal the Tutsuwa Nima Shrine.

It was a Major Test of Strength. Always a good challenge....

But my controller battery was running low; I opted to wait a bit before defeating the Shrine-Guardian. But once I had, I felt cocky and confident enough to turn my attentions to the three Guardian Flyers in the neighboring Ordorac Quarry. I’d deflected enough bolts from the landbound ones.... I could probably deal with the flyers....

As it turned out it was much more difficult than it seemed. With the Stalkers I could assume an optimal distance away, and time my reaction to the bolt. For me it was easiest when they came in close....

But the Flyers evidently didn’t need to hover in the same distance to blast you. And they swung and weaved beneath their propellers, further complicating the timing, and not even ensuring a deflected bolt would connect!

It was hard. But once I’d started I wanted to see it through. I ended up burning through Daruk’s Protection, breaking a few shields and using more than a few arrows, but in the end I did destroy them all. And the run of the quarry was mine.

Disappointingly, however, there wasn’t much to be found therein. Just a few good ore deposits, which wasn’t entirely unsurprising, but I could find their like anywhere.

The encounter was not a loss, though; I found something else out.

I discovered what makes my sword gleam at odd whiles.

It turned out the whiles weren’t so odd after all. The Master Sword would double in strength, and shine with the power to repel Evil, whenever Evil was in close proximity.

I discovered this when I was maneuvering around the edges of the quarry, making ready to draw the attentions of one of the Flyers. As it moved around its small patrol-circuit, it would come near to me and then move away again, over and over. And the range was just right, so that when I held the Master Sword in my hand and the thing came close.... the sword would KLANG with a ringing that hungered to be thunder, while the blade would light up and shimmer fiercely. And when the Guardian hovered away and out of range again the light would go out, and the sound would sleep.

THIS WAS AMAZING. There was something really cool about it, though also a bit daunting, if not scary.... But I felt a little bit past that kind of dread now, with the Guardians.

I could get close to them....

Also it would be a lie to say all of this did not remind me at least a little bit of Orcrist, Glamdring, and Sting.

Well the Ordorac Quarry was nice, but I didn’t anticipate ever coming back here again after the next Blood Moon. There was ore to be found elsewhere, and this place was too choked with small trees anyway. I swept for Koroks and other treasures, searching round every obstructing hump of unblasted stone.... place shoulda been a lasertag course instead, really....

Where was I? What was I doing....?

....OH YEAH—

The Entry With No Point

Evening of Friday, January 5, 2018

The Entry With No Point

Chasing Koroks sufficed to wear my Flameblade down to nothing until it broke, whereupon I could finally raid the Silver Bokoblin’s treasure chest—a Knight’s Claymore, I think. A fine weapon. Though I do like the one-handed blades.... they are faster. I feel like I can never find enough of those....

Back at the Riverside Stable I took out Brown and rode him all the way back to the Gerudo Canyon Stable.

I thought it miraculous that no one called for rescue along the way.

And we galloped right past the Hinox—I’d been tiptoeing round him up ‘til then. We were too fast for him to give us any trouble, and when we stopped to look behind, it was only to see him flop enormously back onto the ground for another nap. David and I chuckled....

In Gerudo Canyon I finally caved to the sidequest and decided I would gather rushrooms for that old man—Pirou was his name.

The rushrooms were plentiful near the stable, but it wasn’t too much of a chore to find a few more higher up. My climbing for them took me all over, right up to where I swear I’d been before, just before I came to The Tallest Tower.

I was quite high up by the time I’d collected at least fifty-six of them (the old man wanted fifty-five, but I wanted to keep my inventory oriented as it was). And from my altitude I could see a strange little rash of vegetation across the canyon, the green stark against the beige, on one of the great shelves of land leading up to the Wasteland Tower.

Baobabs.

The distance was vast but I managed to paraglide to the shelf just shy of the little copse, and then climbed up to see what I could see.

And what I saw was Guardians—

Paused and switched the sensor to detect Decayed Guardians—

....

Nothing.

There was no beeping.

These Guardians were truly dead.

I was safe.

Or was I?—there was movement over there—

But it was only a Lizalfos.

That was easy enough to deal with; on went my mask and I hunched over, head twitching and bird-like.

But I quickly found that even Kilton’s handiwork wasn’t enough to protect me from the blasted penetrating curiosity of a baddie..... when that baddie was an Electric Lizalfos.

It came close and when its sputtering, fritzing, zapping horn touched me—

Well it hurt more than my feelings, I’ll tell you that.

And so trying to avoid all the friendly advances, in the guise of a lizard I salvaged all I could from the remains of the dead Guardians—and one of them gave me gears!

Excellent.

I wanted to explore further—I even managed to kill one or two of the Electric Lizalfos, and there was a small troop of Moblins further up the hill I wanted to visit, but.... when the Blood Moon started coming on.... I decided it was probably better that I just go. I had the old man’s rushrooms; it was time to paraglide back.

The midnight vision happened to strike me in mid-flight, almost directly above the stable.

It’s strange, when you’re up in the air and well away from anything and thus assured in the knowledge that you are safe.... and yet when all that air around you turns so vivid blood red....

I enjoyed the novelty of the occurrence but it was a little like floating tiny and alone and naked under the gaze of Sauron.

When the vision had passed, I quickly dropped altitude and gave Pirou his blasted rushrooms.

Fifty-five bleedin’ rushrooms they take too long to gather....

And Pirou gave me a diamond in return.

....

Well I guess that was.... swell of him.

Not worth it.

Goodbye, Memories

Waking of Sunday, November 26, 2017 ~ 5

Goodbye, Memories

I WISHED ALL THESE MYSTICAL ENTITIES WOULD STOP CURSING MY ELECTRONICS.

I turned the TV back on.

But Embry the stablehand didn’t have anything else to say anyway.

Well shoot.

Well....

On to the Wetland Stable, then. That was where I’d first heard tell of this beast between my legs. Quince. That was the man’s name.

I would have to go see Quince....

We plunged on ahead through the night, the Lord of the Mountain and I. I had not dared spur him above a normal gallop, but I did then, to dodge past a whirling Keese flock. And he hearted at me after I soothed him then.

We weren’t stopping for anything.

I hoped the rain would let up....

We made it to the Riverside Stable, but I couldn’t stop there, and still we pressed on toward the Wetland Stable. And Quince....

I spurred him again and was shocked and flummoxed to notice that HIS SPEED CAME BACK IMMEDIATELY.

I KNEW HE WAS POWERFUL FOR THE FIVE WHIPCRACKS HE DISPLAYED BUT I COULDN’T PRESS THEM FAST ENOUGH BEFORE THE FIRST ONE JUST REPLENISHED ITSELF.

I SOOTHED HIM AND HE LOVED ME AGAIN.

WHAT EVEN WAS THIS BLUE SHADOWFAX CREATURE THAT COULD SPRINT FOREVER?

We passed Doctor Spoone between Horwell and Eagus Bridges. Interestingly enough he had nothing to say of my four-eyed alien mount, but he did educate me that Naydra’s scale could cure any illness—the only problem was that Lanayru Mountain, where Naydra dwelt, was just so cold....

Well, thanks, Doc! I had to be on my way.

We passed more people—Tye and Sorelia’s camp was blessedly at peace—

And THERE WAS THE WETLAND STABLE.

However Lawdon, the resident stablehand, gave me much the same reaction as Embry had.

Hmph. ò.O

Where was Quince?

Probably sleeping. It was about 3:00 am when I got there.

I waited for him to wake up.

And looked at my clock....

And watched the time tick slowly by....

And swiveled the camera....

And studied the Lord of the Mountain....

And looked at the stable and all its satellite structures....

And glanced at the sky....

And peered about the landscape....

And peeked inside the stable from the Lord of the Mountain’s back and could see the slumbering masses on the beds in there I NEEDED TO TALK TO QUINCE—WAKE UP ALREADY, QUINCE!

I trotted around, admiring how the sun-colored hooves lit up the grass.

And what was that tinkling sound like tiny metal chimes?

Hanging on by only a hank of ethereal, light blue hair along the spine.

So precarious.

And the sun had risen, and people were moving.

Which one was Quince?

He would pair up with the dog, and they would stand near the woods to gaze at Satori Mountain....

And they DID—I moved in. Got close enough....!

TARGET.

A.

“I wonder what’ll happen today...” Quince said.

WAT—okay despite my immensely deep appreciation at seeing that sentence written with the proper punctuation—no no no no Quince, can’t you see I’m riding your great Blue Beast? Ah, perhaps it’s because he’s on the move, I thought.

And I waited for him to come to a standstill.

And when I spoke to him again....

“What the—seriously? Another guy?” he said. And he went on to lament that there were no girls around here. Just guys. “And when we finally were visited by a Zora, turned out it was just some manly prince guy who’s a dude,” he finished.

I.... admitted a snicker at the funny old line but QUINCE DON’T GIMME THAT I CAUGHT YOUR FRIGGIN’ BEAST WHY WON’T THE STABLES LET ME—

HHHHUUHHHHHHHH.

Wait.

Maybe if I let him tell me about his dog. Like he did before.

And I prompted him to speak at length about how he had gone to the mountain to hunt, and how he’d met Satty (Ah, yes, Satty, not Natty; and Satty was a boy....), and how Satty had protected him from the Blue Beast, and how they’d made their getaway—

“Someday I’d like to go back there and give that glowing beast a piece of my mind!” he asserted. Or something like it.

He said this to me as I sat on the back of said glowing beast.

Uh. -_-

Well, there was nothing for it then but to zip over to the Home menu and upload the ridiculous screenshot to Miiverse.

And I was saddened to discover that Miiverse . . . . had gone.

All the pictures I’d taken.

Well honestly I hadn’t taken very many. Less than twenty I’d say.

But....

They were memories.

I berated myself for not having downloaded them when I had the chance.

For I’d even thought about including them in this log.

Perhaps not those few from Twilight Princess HD –

– That first magnetic wall-walk. “I’d forgotten just how much fun this game is!” Or some such words.

– The somber, masked trio of ghostly Zora, sick with worry as they searched for their prince. “They care so much for their prince. ;.;” Or some such words. And emoticons.

– The most beautiful picture of all of Kakariko, taken from that high bend in the road where you could see the whole village.... I don’t remember what I may have said about it.

But from Breath of the Wild –

– In the dread, dark rain, on Fort Hateno’s high turrets, overlooking the Valley of Terror—and swearing the lightning was flashing me back, those great lumps still crawling, still glowing, as the water slicked over cloak and skin. Hand to my face and sigh at the thought.

– The IKEA houses of Hateno Village that perked me up that weary, weary night.

– Capturing the lightning strike as I weathered the storm beneath the shelter of that first wetland shrine.

– The beautiful dawn above the empty reaches of Zorana, as the music slithered out of the bare rock to run a chill up my spine.

– Sunset warming the red rocks and lying bright on the pond as I left the Shrine of Mirro Shaz triumphant.

– A rainbow away over green hills and against a brooding sky.

– A drippy sky afire from the top of the Woodland Tower.

– The ledge at the end of the world lit by a Thunderblade.

And others I am sure.

Just.... memories.

They were nothing really earth-shattering I suppose. Just sights. Gorgeous vistas that caught my fancy. It’s too bad I won’t be able to look at them again. They were pretty.

I came back to the game, and realized I did at least still have a pictobox on me.

Well that was something.

....

One for the album, then: I was going to take a self-portrait with the beast.

I.... dismounted.

The Lord of the Mountain.... stayed where he was.

Hooooo. ‘Kay. o__o;

That was good.

And I took out my pictobox and put it up to my face.

But I had left it too zoomed in—a blur of distant greenery, leaves and grass.... I’d need to pull back, turn a bit, zoom out to find the blue beast—

Only as soon as my eyes were off it, the instant it had escaped the frame.... there was a snort, and a whirlwind of hooves.... and then....

The Lord of the Mountain was gone.

Well that just iced my 糟糕。

Guess it was like a leprechaun—you look away and they vanish.

.... I woulda called him Lucky.

I putter-putter-puttered in the dismal loss of Miiverse and the loosing of my fine wild Janus Owl Moth Horse.

How could I waste more time.... -_-

No, but I needed to be responsible. I had a full week ahead of me after all.

But I didn’t want to end on such an abysmal note....

....

I knew—I would just try to find that silver Bokoblin again.

I’d seen him on my mad dash over here, between the Outskirt and Riverside Stables, at a T-junction in the plain.

But rare sight though he was, I hadn’t been stopping for anything, remember?

Not even a Silver Bokoblin.

But I went to find him now.

It wasn’t far; I got there quickly even on foot, and found him capering happily before his campfire, quite alone.

I remembered: on my last pass through here the blue beast and I had mowed down his sole red companion.

Guess he wasn’t all that broken up about it.

Concealed by distance and long grass, I tried the beehive first. One arrow brought it down, and sent the swarm buzzing after the silver Bokoblin in an angry cloud.

He outran them, though.

Next I put on my Bokoblin Mask to approach, and he started at my presence before coming over and proceeding to strike up what seemed to be an engaging conversation with me.

I couldn’t tell; I don’t speak Bokoblin.

He wouldn’t stay put when I tried to take a pictograph—they do that, the baddies, when they see you disguised as one of their own. They like to come in real close and just.... look at you.  O_O  And maybe chat a bit.

The fidgets notwithstanding I was able to get a couple of decent pictographs, and my Compendium outlined what this particular breed might drop upon dispatch—

Ore.

Lots of it, and in the rarest varieties.

....

As I could think of no further way to sport with the creature, I laid him out flat with my Flameblade. Just a regular Flameblade, and it took a lot of damage before I was through—the silver Bokoblin had something like seven hundred and fifty hit points. That was more than many Moblins I’d slain.

But I was not disappointed with the spoils: rubies, topaz, sapphires—I think there may even have been a diamond in there.

And with the camp cleared, the treasure chest on top of the tower unlocked with the familiar boxing-match bell—it always makes David and I laugh—

I couldn’t claim the sword within, however; my inventory was full.

.... Hhhhh ....

It was.... a nice little camp. Not too big. And the field was green and lovely....

But.... it was getting late. In the game and on the couch.

Sometimes the days just blow out with a murmur, and you still feel lost and unfulfilled.

I sat by the fire until morning, saved, and quit, and got ready for the week.

The Long Way Back

Waking of Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The Long Way Back

I shared a somewhat.... irksome exchange with David the other day, as I lamented to him about all the dead-ended rivers I had searched. I told him I had searched every waterway downstream from the wetlands, and that none of them led to Lake Hylia.

And in a terrible digging voice and with shrewdly narrowed eyes he answered, “Are you sure?”

Well.

I did wonder about that lake beneath Digdogg Suspension Bridge, and I hiked to the actual bridge (upon which I had never set foot) to have a look. In skirting round the sleeping Hinox and peering down over the edge, the water really did seem to come to a dead end just there.

But I wanted to be thorough. I pressed on into the desert landscape of the other side, had it out with a couple of mounted bokoblins—and one of their horses, a pretty, peach-dusty thing with a sandy mane, decided he didn’t want me on his back, and promptly jumped us both into the drink.

David lost it completely.

I just.... blinked.

....

The horse looked like a good mount, but I had no stamina for swimming after him, and so warped to the shrine just away beneath the bridge. After that it was a boat-ride back to the waterfall, a quick ascension in my Zora Armor, and.... I was still quite far away from where I had been....

But, as I was so close to the Great Plateau, I simply put on my Warm Doublet, warped to the shrine on the icy mountain, ENCOUNTERED A STRANGE TREASURE CHEST with the letters “EX” on it—for a moment I was terrified it might be a T-shirt or something.... but it was Bomb Arrows—don’t ask—and PARAGLIDED back to Digdogg Suspension Bridge.

I’d dealt with the bokoblins, and I finished off their friends in a nearby treehouse—David got quite a kick out of the Great Thunderblade I had acquired from Sheem Dagoze.

And after a good look about the place.... I decided that Yes, this really was a dead end to the river.

Ignoring my shrine-locator’s beeping, I ran all the way back to the Outskirt Stable.

It was....

It was time to start back. And set my face toward Akkala. And Robbie.

I did still decide to do this all on foot, however.

“Aren’t you gonna just.... Beam-Me-Up-Scotty?” David asked.

“I don’t wanna Beam-Me-Up-Scotty,” I said.

“You’re gonna walk the whole way?”

Well, maybe I’d Beam-Me-Up-Scotty just a little. I warped back to the Sheem Dagoze Shrine, and started north, for the Elma Knolls.

But first I came to that big toothy crack in the earth, found a shrine in the bottom of it, and completed that—I’m up to nine Spirit Orbs now; I really should find a Goddess statue....

And after that it was a very long jog past that sparse ruin over the water where I’d played hide-and-seek with the Korok—The Ancient Laboratory Ruin or something like that—aaaaall the way across the Elma Knolls with their endless wolves, and those mounted bokoblins with the fire arrows or whatever they were.... Got hit a couple of times there—

I didn’t feel like chewing through my food, but decided that, if I fell, I would just rely on Mipha.

What good is a gift avoided? And Mipha’s was a very good gift.

It was a very long trek, and the bokoblins cut me down to one heart, and a mob of giant blue chuchus cut me down to one quarter heart—but I kept running. And I kept killing wolves, never shying.

And it was raining, and I found Mils and Mina—not Nina, as it turned out—fighting against some bokoblins on the road, and I helped them out, and—

“Well there’s a split off the river,” said David.

I looked toward the castle. Beneath the unholy Calamitous Clouds, one fell fork split off and meandered away into the blackened landscape. It looked just like another part of the moat.

“I don’t think Lake Hylia’s in there,” I gestured to the castle lands.

“But.... open your map; maybe it connects with.... these down here.”

He indicated some rivers along the vein that ran between the Dueling Peaks.

“ . . . . Huh,” I said, “Maybe.” Perhaps.... this warranted some looking in to.

Also I had the feeling David was . . . . mmmm maybe nudging me around a bit.

The sun came out like a bad cliché when I finally jogged onto the friendly grounds of the Woodland Stable. It was 11:15 in the morning. I decided to take a forty-five minute nap to rejuvenate my aching one-quarter-heart body, and at noon, I took Thrice out for a ride.

We took the Thims Bridge road, over the mossy mounded hills and past the Honeydell—saving Leekah from a bokoblin on the way of course. But I stopped at one junction of the road I had never explored.

“Stay here,” I told Thrice, and climbed a bit over the rocks beside the long stretch of a T-junction. The stretch that pointed toward the castle....

“In my experience,” said David, “The closer you are to the castle....”

The farther you are from harm? I thought hopefully.

“The closer you are to trouble,” he finished.

“I’m just gonna take a little look,” I assured him, inwardly thinking how VERY like Famous Last Words those sounded....

I crept among the rocks until I was high enough to peer into the central plain before the castle. There at the base of the hill I was on.... coursed a little river. Flowing north to south. One that very probably could only have come from that split David had shown me earlier, among the big cubic stones surrounding the castle.

. . . .

Maybe....

Maybe....

I looked at my map again.

The river system near the Dueling Peaks.... the river that this one by the Honeydell may have connected with.... was called the Hylia River. And it was joined by the Squabble River from the Dueling Peaks....

But further downstream it was still called the Hylia River....

And then it ran away southward off of my known map.

Could it be . . . . ?

I came back to Thrice, and we pressed on to the Wetland Stable—saving Leekah again on the way—and I stopped.

Oh I was aching to go on. I had arced all the way north around the castle again in a great upside-down U, and I still had the drive and energy to keep going....!

But it was late again, and I did have to get up early.

But to be absolutely sure....

To see those waterways....

There was one more thing I could do in pursuit of the hapless missing Mei.

And it lay at the top of the alleged scariest Sheikah Tower in all the land.

Fight For Your Honey!

Waking of Friday, April 14, 2017 ~ 5

Fight For Your Honey!

Now I could set out for the Woodland Stable. There seemed to be a spread of low mountains between me and Thims Bridge. And the path like a stream of water wound through the lowest parts....

Well I didn’t like that at all—I climbed up into the hills on the right side where I could keep a better eye on things, and I found some very craggy land indeed! There was an especially deep little sunken dell in the ground where it looked like there might be a Korok hiding—and which had two bears in it, skulking around the entrance of a small cave.

I stayed up top and gave them a wide berth for the time being—I’d heard things from David. I think he said a bear killed him once.

Besides, there was a big nasty treehouse up ahead that I wanted to clear out.

It held no bokoblins or moblins, though. Just a few large stray blue chuchus. I dispatched them and looted what was worth looting, and then came back to the Korok in the dell.

A few bombs scared off the bears, but I made sure to scout out a quick escape-route if they should come back while I was flushing out that Korok....

But they never came back.

I found some honey in their cave—swarming with bees, but a bomb took care of that, too. Useful tactic for later, I think.

There was a flat way out of Honeydell—mm, yes that fits—which led straight back to the road, but I climbed back out by going straight up the cliff. I didn’t want to run into those bears!

Only a little more trekking, a little more sniping, another treasure chest inside a big mossy skull-rock.... and I had arrived at Thims Bridge. I knew it! I knew they connected. :)

The rain started to come down as I crossed to the other side of the river, and I saw a man sheltering beneath a little half-tent beside a fire.

I’d never yet seen a Yiga with a campfire, so I talked to him. I can’t remember if his name was Fin or Russ, but he and his buddy, whose name was also either Fin or Russ, were in the business of selling shields.

I’ll say Fin was at the tent. His buddy Russ was up on a hill just to the south, beneath a large and prominent tree. All their wares were up there, because aside from selling shields, they were also teaching people how to shield-surf, which was most effective when going downhill.

David told me he’d done this! I remembered!

Like friggin’ Legolas at Helm’s Deep! 8D

Well.... movie Legolas. ^_~

I didn’t buy from them, but I learned the trick! And then continued on my way.

Another blue bokoblin was ruckusing around up ahead—chasing somebody it looked like.

I ran to get closer, and it was.... Leekah again?

I cut down her assailant, and she stopped and stood shivering in the rain, her poor familiar hunch making her look pitiful and vulnerable. When I spoke to her, she thanked me again for rescuing her, and gave me some honey.

Huh, I briefly wondered if she must have frequented that little Honeydell I’d visited!

This time, she continued down the road at a jog toward the Woodland Stable—just the place I’d wanted to go as well. I escorted her.

It was beginning to thunder.... I had to switch to non-conductive weaponry and equipment. The sky was already dark from the brooding rainclouds, but the sun must have gone down behind them, because only a short while later, no fewer than three stalizalfos popped up out of the earth in front of us.

Leekah shrieked and fled while I charged in, trying to draw their attention. The trouble with these blasted stal-creatures was that they just went all to pieces when you hit them.... but you had to find and finish off their heads or else they would eventually locate their members and put themselves back together again.

In a mad, rattling fray of bones, I took down at least two of them, chasing down their bouncing skulls—did one of them come so conveniently flying my way? Did Leekah punt it over for me to finish off? I could have sworn....

My blade put an end to their mischief. But as I turned to confront the last one—they’re usually so easy—so easy to dodge....

I took a bad arrow-hit.

Ugh, that hurt.... so many hearts....

A few bites of simmered fruit from my pocket, and a final charge, and I cut him down as well, before returning to Leekah in the new pouring stillness.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” I told her.

She once again expressed her profound gratitude to me.... and gave me more honey.

She really is a sweet girl.

No pun intended.

On our final jog over the last few dozen yards to the stable, we passed another person just jogging out, heading southward, the way we had come. Tall, dark-skinned, ruddy-haired, and wearing poofy pink harem pants. A woman....

I caught her attention and we splashed to a halt beside each other on the road. “Sav’saaba!” she hailed. She introduced herself as Karsh of the Gerudo. “Remember it!” she said, and remarked further on how probably the only people capable of matching her own endurance were the Gorons....

We continued on our separate ways beneath the raging storm.

I’d never seen a Gerudo before.... at least not in present memory.

Now there went a damsel who looked hard put to be put in distress.

[[Fanart should have Link putting his cloak around her poor shivering figure as he helps to steady her in the pouring rain. But I was wearing the Zora ensemble + bandana at the time.]] - [[originally withheld from the blog; added from the log 2018-09-17 per entry of Wednesday, June 20, 2018 ~ 6: Unsaved Again]]

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.