No Tarryin' for Tarrey!

Waking of Friday, February 8, 2019

No Tarryin’ for Tarrey!

While logging, I’d been referencing YouTube for unremembered details about the Thundra Plateau, and was shocked to remember how unconcerned the Piano was as it sat there picking its nails in the rain. When all of a sudden Oh.... so that’s where the Rubber Armor is....

I’d always meant to avoid spoilers, but....

Whoops!

I started at my house in Hateno.

Spoke to Bolson. He wondered about Hudson.

I was gonna go find Hudson.

But first, took a detour and warped to the Thundra Plateau to pick up the Rubber Shirt! That was a sneaky place to hide a treasure chest.... Now all I lacked of the set was the headpiece....

Warped back to the Wolf Shrine in Akkala—or, warped there for the “first” time.... Sailed down, lighted on the land bridge, same thing. Hi, Hudson!

He’s out here building a town.

Gave him ten bundles of wood. And now.... he needs a Goron.

Well.... If the lovely red rocks here were fated to be leveled anyway....

I warped to Goron City. I thought perhaps one of the diggers from Gorko Tunnel might be the one Hudson was looking for; they seemed like hard workers.... But neither of their names ended in –son. I asked around town, but could find no one who fit Hudson’s qualifications anywhere. Nothing.

So I ran down to the South Mine, and it was there that I met up with.... Greyson!

He was looking for somewhere where he could use his strength to help people!

“Tarrey Town!” I tell him, “It’s in Akkala!”

Oh cool, he liked that. - u - So he called to his little brother Pelison to come along and the two of them started off! Right into their own little cutscene blackout.

Well! c:

I warped after them, and Tarrey Town had another building!

AND A TROMBONE! 8D

The music had been simpler when it was just Hudson, but now.... it had another layer!

That was cool! ^__^

What was more, Greyson was much happier working for Hudson. ^_^ And little Pelison, still in his big yellow hardhat, had opened an ore shop! He said with all the rock they were moving around, they were finding some pretty good stuff to sell!

Well this place was developing quickly! :D

I spoke to Hudson again, and this time gave him twenty bundles of wood to help out. But he had another issue he was dealing with as well.... his clothes kept wearing out. He said he needed someone skilled in tailoring. Probably a Gerudo.

Well I knew just where to find one of those!

Gerudo Town! :D

But of course, Hudson had also said he could only take on someone whose name ended in –son, per Bolson Construction Company policy.

Criminy biscuits....

I asked around anyway. The clothing shop? It seemed like a good place to start looking for a tailor.... But their names didn’t end in –son.

WAIT.

OH MY GOSH I knew where this was going.

That one. That girl, the Gerudo, at Kara Kara Bazaar.

That one. What was her name? It ended in –son, I was sure of it.

The one who was looking for her true love.

Oh my gosh I so knew where this was going....

I sand sealed out to Kara Kara Bazaar! And I found her. Rhondson! That was her name. And she told me she was still continuing her search for a husband.

“Go to Tarrey Town!” I tell her! ^_^

“Tarrey Town?”

“It’s in Akkala!”

“Akkala... That’s a long way from here...”

But she considered, and conceded to herself that it wasn’t like she was getting anywhere here. And so she decided that.... She’d do it! She was gonna go home and pack a huge bag; it was gonna be a loooong journey.

And so she went.... with that same musical outro into a blackout.

They had all walked away with that same music. Tarrey Town music....

This was getting exciting! :D

I warped back to Tarrey Town! Still more rocks had been cleared away and there was yet another building! And little harp-like accent thingies to the music!

Hudson had been the Piano and the English horn. Greyson the trombone. Now Rhondson a harp or something like it. What a lovely ensemble this was turning out to be! ^_^

Rhondson now also had a clothing shop. And she sold the Desert Voe stuff! 8D

When I spoke to her she said she’d had to repair Hudson’s clothes just about every day. And she went on to say that actually.... it had been a little rough. The holes were enough to deal with, but.... Hudson’s clothes also stank of sweat. And whenever she brought it up, Hudson got all defensive! “Is this the only kind of voe I’ll meet around here?” she wondered unhappily at me.

She wondered....

Heh, but I didn’t.

Her future writ itself all over the sky right then and there before my eyes.

Oh this was going to be good. X-)

I continued exploring the houses again, and I saw some.... Hylians?

“Who are you?” I blundered. I didn’t recall going and finding anybody else to come here....?

I spoke to the woman and child first. Ruli was the mother, and her daughter Hunnie had been in poor health lately. They thought it would do them good to move out here where the air was fresh and there were not a lot of people.

Well it was pretty country, and very refreshing out here. Given you could keep the Guardians out of your pajamas.

“Now if my daughter’s appetite would just pick up,” Ruli went on. For she was sure Hunnie would do better if she would just eat more. “At night I need to talk to Papa again...” she finished mysteriously.

Who is Papa?

I hadn’t seen anyone else in the house.

Hm.

I looked around and THERE WAS ANOTHER HYLIAN SITTING ON THE GROUND LOOKING AT THE LAKE.

THIS WAS ALL GOING WAY TOO FAST! 8D

“Are you Papa?” I asked him, running up.

But he gave no indication of even knowing the other two.

My gosh how many people were moving out here??

Hagie was his name. He all but shoved 100 rupees into my hand to make me go kill the two Guardians in the lake. Sidequest, huh?

So I did. Easily.

Felt good, man.

On a quest so small I thought about being more present, but.... I just warped to the Wolf Shrine and sailed back in from the other direction, instead of climbing back up the big red rock.

The hundred rupees had been Hagie’s downpayment, and so now that the deed was done (he saw everything, he said), he gave me the rest: 20 rupees. Pfft.

Hagie remarked on my evidently apparent disappointment before the Sidequest Complete banner flashed across the screen. “Hobbies of the Rich” had been the name of that one.

That guy was loopy!

Aaaand I needed to harvest more wood, because this time.... Hudson needed thirty bundles of it. And after a time and going through some trees up the hill—which might have entailed the instance that certain Big Yigaman ghosted out to fight me and I narrowly evaded the razor shock from his WindCleaver only by dint of being shorter and standing downhill, and was thenceforth happy to assume that WindCleavers could not pitch their strokes—I delivered. I went back to town, and gave Hudson the thirty bundles of wood.

Hudson told me that with the growth of the town, they needed distribution. They needed a general store. They needed somebody who knew how to distribute goods and keep a store running.

“So a traveling merchant?” I asked. Oh great, I’m gonna have to find somebody on the road....

“Yeah, a Rito would be able to get around and move goods!” says Hudson.

Oh.

Well, the only Rito I knew of outside of their hometown were Kass, Frita and Guy. And none of their names.... well....

....

Hmmmm.

....

So I went to Rito Town and started up around the Neck, looking for SONS.... Not Laissa. Not Harth—“Not you I like you too much,” I said.

WAIT A MINUTE!

I stopped.

“That guy!”

I jumped over the rail and sailed back down to the first level and found.... Fyson! The sulky teal one who wanted to leave his mom’s store and open up a store of his own and sell anything he wanted!

“Heard of Tarrey Town?” I grinned.

I told him all about it, and he remarked that Akkala was pretty far away.... But he also said that he’s got to leave the nest somehow.... and the thought of his own store.... It sounded wonderful....

He’d do it! ^_^

And he went.... and walked off into the blackout. Every time one of these people had walked off, he’d had that same little music that saw him off....

I warped back to Tarrey Town and there was a fresh clarinet! ^_^

Ah! But it felt so special that a denizen of my favorite town in the game should be accompanied by my own instrument. ♡

And Fyson was selling arrows! 8D Handy! ^_^

And now Hudson needed 50 bundles of wood! 8O

I didn’t have fifty bundles of wood!

Aaaand ssoooo.... I decided I’d better just fall back on an old reliable source of mine, and went and blew up the woods outside of Hateno, in the old Concussion Forest.

Remember?

After I’d completely deforested the slopes west of Hateno Village, I came back to Tarrey Town—and in fact I did catch Ruli and Hagie together.... so Hagie must have been the “Papa” of that family—and remembered I needed to talk to Rhondson some more....

And I talked to her....

AND THEY WERE ENGAGED!

RHONDSON AND HUDSON WERE ENGAGED!

“What!?” I say.

But haha, she only laughed at my surprise, and said I could talk to Hudson to know more.

Heh, I’d forgotten to talk to her last time. Guessed I’d never know the interrim.... unless I checked YouTube or something.

So I talked to Hudson and gave him the fifty bundles of wood.

And he wanted to talk about something a little.... personal....

I asked him what it was....

“I got engaged!” he says.

“No way!” I say, XD “To who?”

Was that in the game? Eh I’ll chalk it up to a Clemensism.

“To who?”

“To Rhondson.”

Aaaand my choices: “You’re a cute couple!” or “What a surprise!” XD

I say.... “What a surprise!” XD

“You say that, but for some reason, I think you mean the opposite,” says Hudson. XD XD XD XD XD

He goes on, “Anyway, we want to have a little ceremony to celebrate, but we need someone priest-like to officiate.”

Oh, I have known just the guy for MONTHS....

“Priest-like, huh...” I smirk.

Hudson continued, “If we’re looking for a people devout enough to have a priest-like person...I’d suggest the Zora.”

Way ahead of you buddy. X-)

And again, the stipulation of the name ending in –son....

I was in Zora’s Domain in a trice, hoofing it up out of the shrine chamber and making my way back toward the sleeping quarters....

Kapson.

“If during your travels you meet any engaged couples I would like you to introduce them to me.” He said this as if we’d just been continuing our conversation from so long ago. “Joining two souls is a true honor, one I shall stake my life on. Just one more wedding...and I shall be fulfilled.”

“Get a load of this...” I said. XD XD XD XD And I fell into the inevitable gesticulations.

Kapson looked pleased. “I have been waiting to hear those words,” he smiled. “Now, please tell me the specifics...”

“Tarrey Town in Akkala!” I let him know.

“As for the location... Hmmm...” Kapson thought to himself. “Tarrey Town in Akkala... Akkala isn’t too far from here. It would please me to hurry there right away.”

And here I was given a choice of response: “By yourself?” or “Yes, please!”

I showed concern; he was quite an old fish. “By yourself?”

But he laughed a grizzled old laugh. “No need to worry about me. I have always had confidence in my fins and feet!”

Well that was good to hear, then. He sounded like a hale old fish. :) And he was bigger than I was anyway....

“It has been a long while since I have had work. I am eager to put my skills to good use! You should come as well. I will start my preparations in Tarrey Town in the meantime.”

And he walked off with the same music.... ^_^

Hahhh....

So he really wasn’t for Tye and Sorelia after all.

I followed after him right away....

And, you know, despite all the buildings, and the beautiful red rocks being cleared away.... Tarrey Town still really was quite lovely. ^_^

Only....

It was RAINING when I warped back! I DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS ON A RAINY DAY.

I went to look for shrines instead!

Or something....

Studying my map I warped here and there, poking and checking.... Okay, a CHEST beside the shrine name meant all the treasure inside had been gotten.... I looked around, sweeping the cursor over my shrine-markers. Dang I’ve missed a lot of treasure.... Huh, the Blessing Ones were probably just weapons I didn’t have room for....

Okay back to Akkala. Impatience took me quickly and I warped back to Tarrey Town.

The rain had stopped.

And now there was a guitar. ^_^

Heh, a guitar for a Zora, how fitting....

The island was completely developed now. Five comely buildings stood in a neat circle around the edges of the now flat rock. Oh but I wish they hadn’t paved the little Goddess statue pond. It seemed so.... sterile, now. It looked like.... It looked like....

It looked like IKEA.

....

I found another new Hylian in town as well, lounging out on a balcony. A Sheikah! I spoke to him....

And oh my gosh it was Granté! Wasn’t he.... Robbie’s and.... her....’s.... son? Jerrin! Jerrin. Robbie’s and Jerrin’s son? He was.

And HE SOLD ULTRA RARE ARMOR?

UUUHHHHHHHHHHH?????? THIS KID SOLD THE ENTIRE RUBBER SET????

WHAT IN THE WORLD WHERE DID HE’S GOT ALL THESE CLOTHES??? [[Grammar from my original notes.]]

OH MY GOSH HE’S GOT THE OLD SHIRT, WELL-WORN TROUSERS, Rubber ensemble, Climber’s ensemble, Barbarian ensemble, Sand Boots and Snow Boots!

And the ensemble pieces were 4,000 rupees a pop!

Huh.... I wondered....

Not that I had that kind of cash on me right then.

I looked around some more.... And found that Ha! Kapson ran the inn. XD That was a nice, grandfatherly fit for the hale old fish. ^_^

I visited with him and he said an important guest had yet to arrive before the wedding could take place.... and that I could talk to Hudson for the details....

So I went back outside and talked to Hudson. He was grateful that I’d found Kapson.

“He and I talked earlier,” Hudson started, “and he said that he literally was a priest before he retired. You can’t get more priest-like than that.”

XD

“And his name is Kapson, so I have no objections there.”

Naturally!

We talked a bit more, and I gathered that Oh, he wanted me to find guests! Bolson and Karson! But of course. XD

Hudson said he was busy preparing for the ceremony, and asked me if I could invite them.

Oh buddy.... You’ve got your hands full; just leave it to Link....

The stage seemed set.... This was all so exciting!

Almost all seemed to be just about in readiness....

On The Joys Of Mountaineering

Waking of Friday, October 12, 2018

On The Joys Of Mountaineering

From the Spring of Wisdom and the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine I swirled my snowy way down and around the mountainsides, tracking Koroks—I hadn’t known they could hide in ice! And during one sweeping paraglide, the wind began to pick up, and I knew....

Turning, I saw that Naydra had descended again; he was twining westward, toward the Lanayru Road.

I’d had to sacrifice his scale to the Spring of Wisdom before, but this time.... I wanted a piece of him and I wanted to keep it!

I sailed after him. But he already had such a head start, and he was such a gigantic creature and his head was already so far away.... I’d wanted a hornshard, but.... A scale would have to do.

I pelted his crystal Caribbean hide with an arrow and chinked off a scale. It glittered for a moment before breaking off and sailing down toward the earth.

And I realized I might have made a terrible miscalculation.

We were still so high off the ground, Naydra and I. We were essentially floating out from the peak of one of the tallest mountains in the game. The ground.... was an immaterial thing, at these heights.

But it quickly became material, as I saw the scale break off and arc, and arc, and arc down through the sky, on a trajectory that took it far beyond the icy mountain, away from the Lanayru Road, away from anywhere I’d ever been before....

It smashed against an unfamiliar mountainside on the other side of a large, dark body of water.

I kept sailing toward it, casting an unsure glance at my stamina wheel....

I had to paraglide all the way over Lanayru Bay to a place called Trotter’s Downfall, shedding altitude in great chunks near the end, for I wasn’t sure I was going to make it....

I hit the sodden green earth on my last red sliver of strength, and David and I laughed in relief. A short jog later, the scale of Naydra was mine.

But I made a mental note to not try knocking off pieces of dragons at high altitudes again, before warping back to the Jitan Sa’mi Shrine.

My wanderings over Mount Lanayru brought me easterward until, in a saddle near the sea, but still high enough to be snowbound, my shrine detector started going off. I ignored it for only a little spell, just to climb a certain Walnot Mountain while I had the altitude on my side.... and then headed back toward the lower spot where the signal was strongest.

A Korok distracted me something sadistic along the way. It was a race. From the saddle down to the lower crag’s edge.

Paragliding? No, I couldn’t sail down there fast enough.

What about a long, straight paraglide followed by a sharp drop at the end? That almost worked.... but not quite. And it hurt on the landing.

I tried a few combinations of paragliding and shedding altitude.... all to no effect.

What about the straight up bone-breaking approach of just running down the mountain? No good. That didn’t work either. And it hurt even more.

Difficult Korok....

I stopped to get the shrine partway through my efforts for the Korok just to quiet the brreep-brreeping of my Slate. It lay behind some explodable rocks between the saddle and the crag; I’d been flying over it at each pass to get the Korok.

The Tahno O’ah Shrine it was called. And when I finally unearthed it, the shrine quest banner title Secret of the Cedars flashed across my screen, with a Complete status now affixed to it. Who knew! I’d forgotten.... Somebody had told me long ago.... those three trees on the mountain.... Line them up and they’d point to a trial encased in stone....

Guessed that was the shrine.

Tahno O’ah was kind enough to simply grant me his blessing, and in the accompanying treasure chest, I found....

CLIMBING BOOTS. SWEET.

So the Bandana was part of a set!

And I thought.... I’d found that Bandana nestled back in the Dueling Peaks, in the Ree Dahee Shrine.... And here on this mountain were the Climbing Boots.... Hmm, climbing gear found on mountains.... Maybe on another mountain somewhere, I would find a climbing shirt!

I exited the shrine and once again made the arduous climb back up the snowy hillside to the race’s start on top of the saddle. I hadn’t been able to use my Climber’s Bandana, on account of having to wear both the Warm Doublet and the Ruby Circlet to stay warm. Unfortunately my new Climbing Boots couldn’t help me out much either; I needed my Snow Boots to maintain a decent mobility.

Soon.

I tried for the Korok again. Got close but just not quite there....

Enter David. “Oh THAT one,” says he.

“Why what a knowing grin you wear,” says I.

I asked him if he’d used the paraglider. He said he hadn’t. It was a simple trick, he said.

But I had only complicated guesses. “You started the race up here, and you finished with your actual person down at the finish? There wasn’t like.... some kinda Ben Statue trick?” “Did you use the Ninja Suit?” “Did you ride an animal?”

His brows shot up and he frowned at that last one. “Good guess,” he said. But no, it was simpler than that, he told me.

“You didn’t paraglide?” I almost pleaded for the umpteenth time. This Korok was driving me crazy. “And it wasn’t clothes?”

“....You’re wearing it,” he finally said.

I immediately thought of the Sheikah Slate. “Did you Stasis something? Magnesis?”

“No.”

I was flicking into my menus; I studied my person....

And with a groan I saw it—my shield.

“You shield-surfed?”

“Yes!”

“Augh....” I’d forgotten all about shield-surfing.

I went to the map.... There, around to the left. That topo looked smooth enough to try it. It bowed wide of the target, where I would have preferred a beeline. But.... I’d give it a try....

And I did.

And it worked.

“Good job!” said David, “I’m so proud of you!”

Hahh. “Thaaaaanks,” I said. |D

Turning the Tables

Waking of Thursday, May 31, 2018 ~ 2

Turning the Tables

Many, many moons ago, before any moons I could remember, before moons were moons, I hurried with a shake from the cold and entered into the Keh Namut Shrine, high on the Great Plateau, and found myself face to face with a three-legged devil terror that wanted to kill me.

It was only the second Guardian I had ever faced, the first having appeared before me in the Shrine of Oman Au.

But in engaging that second one.... somehow....

....Somehow I blocked that one with my shield and learned something called the Perfect Parry.

Hopefully I’ll be able to employ this more purposefully in the future....

That was it....

I checked my list of skills. It was actually called the Perfect Guard, but I think I preferred the alliteration.

That was it. That was what I was remembering.

I.... had never taken the time to finesse my swordplay—I’d always imagined I would, in the future, at some point....

But I never had.

But now....

Well I wanted to show David something but he wasn’t coming and I dared not do anything important in the meanwhile but I could go hunting because I needed those gears for the Ancient Cuirass—

AND I WAS GOING TO PLAY THIS GAME FOR THE PRESENT ANYWAY.

I needed gears. And only Guardians had gears.

So....

Up to my aid came the memory of an accidental parry, and....

I wanted to test it.

I wanted to try doing it on purpose.

Perhaps it had only been foolish to think of making the attempt in the middle of that basement full of nightmares, but.... where could I....?

I knew.

Back to Robbie’s place—The Decayed Guardian down the hill would suffice for the experiment. I floated down to say hello....

I.... stood my ground.... and held my shield....

No was it a two-handed weapon in my grasp? What was I doing—Daruk’s protection wore thinner....

I had come in too fast without a plan—And then as I could not take much more I made a dash for the other side of the stone, falling shamefully back to a panicked mashing of buttons.... I was Z-targeting, but I was facing away. The blast came. Daruk roared again.

But—

....

And the Guardian died?

How had—?

Was it because the shield had been on my back?

That happened to me in Majora’s Mask.

But if the shield were not actually deployed (for it was a Guardian shield)....

....

This needed more practice.

I collected the Guardian’s remains—there were no gears.

Cheapskate.

I was out of Ancient Arrows anyway. I didn’t want to go charging up against any more Guardians, decayed or not, without some backup. So it was back to Robbie’s again, where I bought ten more arrows. But I only had eighteen or nineteen gears. Not enough for the Cuirass.

Soon.... VERY SOON....

I warped to Kakariko Village—there were a couple more fairly manageable Guardians near there. I wanted to see if I could get more gears, continue practicing the Perfect Parry and, if need be, put my new arrows to use.

Oh my gosh I was hunting Guardians.

My first target was that one in the pit out back, at the top of the Sahasra Slope.

That first live one I’d ever seen....

Where was this Courage coming from?

....

I guess.... the lightning strikes near you often enough, and makes the earth to shake....

At some point you just stop trembling.

....

But you try not to get struck nonetheless.

My timing was very much off, and I lost my footing in the fireballs. One laserbolt destroyed my Guardian Shield and I had to switch to a Knight’s Shield—It wasn’t Ancient Tech; would it work the same?

This was a dangerous skill to practice; there was no padded training arena for this. But Daruk protected me. And Mipha kept watch.

I managed to take the Pit Guardian down using only the Perfect Parry followed up with normal arrows to its eye.

I slew a Guardian without an Ancient Arrow.

And the second one just through the PitGate and out on the grass was almost as manageable! But, as Daruk became exhausted with my poor sense of timing—and, as I also lost my Knight’s Shield to a laserbolt—I did use an Ancient Arrow to finish that one off.

Two Guardians with one Arrow. Heh.

I made one last stop at Cotera’s to see if there were anything I could upgrade—turned out there were—I bumped up the defense on some of my Circlets.

And then it was back to Robbie’s once again because those two Guardians out back of Kakariko had bumped me up to twenty-four gears!

I HAD ENOUGH GEARS FOR THE CUIRASS!

AND CHERRY MADE IT FOR ME!

KhuAGH! My wallet!  >⩄<

But it didn’t matter—I had enough rupees—and now I had two of the three pieces of armor that would defend me from my deepest nightmares!

DANG it, Nintendo! I said it before! Why do they do this!

The only way to acquire the thing that would make your most dreaded trial more bearable.... is to first complete your most dreaded trial without it! OH you cruel ironic building my character so I can—hrrmph!

Back to Cotera’s and I upgraded my new Cuirass, for there were no gears required for the first level. Plenty of lesser parts, but I had enough of those to spare.

There were gears required for the second level of upgrades: ten gears per piece for the Ancient Armor set. I assumed it would be the same case with the Ancient Greaves. After the twenty gears it would cost me to acquire those in the first place....

These things were so expensive.... and not just in rupees.

But.... I was getting better.

Soon I would become better still.

A Blood Moon rose as I ran around Cotera’s forest.

More gears would be ready and waiting for me to collect them.

SOON.

I just needed a few more shields. Mine were running out pretty quick.

Old Friends

Waking of Thursday, May 11, 2017 ~ 4

Old Friends

Beyond the tree was a little gully running up over the hill of the shore. It looked like I could shinny up there....

I did, and came to a wooded land, indecisive between forest and marsh, for it seemed as much flooded as not.

This was Faron Woods.

The sun rose again as I wandered into the trees, the framerate keeping a valiant pace amid all the wood and water and floating leaves. I thought of the Yiga Clan. Would I run into any of them here? The place seemed quiet for the most part; I only encountered one Octorok I think, hiding in the ground, and I blew him up easily enough.

The silence otherwise was.... disquieting.

I pressed on into the woods, but.... was there any point, if I was getting so far away from the water? Or were these little pools and puddles remnants of Vah Ruta’s flooding? Dared I hope?

Where was Mei?

Had she been kidnapped by the Yiga?

Oh gads was this like a Kafei-type quest, that I wouldn’t be able to resolve until nearer the end of the game?

My mind drifted through what Yiga Clan minibosses might look like....

The land twisted through the trees; I found some huge crumbled statuary—of the dragon, I think—and another shrine. But.... I was getting too far.

I had to consult my Sheikah Slate to head back toward the water. There was no map, but the compass still worked, and I could register the direction of the Ya Naga shrine. I wended back between the trunks—

And a commotion played in the dappled water ahead.

There was a man.

And a bokoblin, a blue one.

“Come get some!” the man yelled bravely, even as he splashed a few steps back from his foe.

I ran in—what confusion was the sun through the trees in the splashing, shadow-spotted water!—and cut the offending brute down.

I turned, and spoke to—

“Tye?” I gasped.

He stood panting, gripping one arm. “Oh Sorelia please be all right—” he grunted.

Oh no.

I whirled around—there a stone’s throw away, a red bokoblin capered over her as she lay collapsed in the shallow water.

I bolted forward, hopped a fallen log in my way, and a few sloshing strides later collided with the monster, beating him back.

When the bokoblin was dead, Sorelia staggered to her feet—Tye joined us—and we moved to a dry spot where we could catch our breath.

Those two do seem to get around.

They were still searching for their elusive Silent Princess flower. But they hadn’t seen any Zoras along the way.

Satisfied they were at least out of harm’s way for the present, I bade them goodbye, and continued back toward the lake.

My raft was gone.

Hhhh, I’d known it would be, when I first ventured into the trees, but....

Well, there was nothing for it but to start sweeping the coastline. The ridge of big rolling hills to my right seemed an easy place to start. I hiked up to their crest and started back along the lake.

This proved largely uneventful, until very late into the night, when I came upon the ruins of a Deya Village, in a shallow little valley just over the other side of the ridge.

A chill stole over my soul at the sight of its rickety remains, the overturned wagons, the charred and splintered house-frames.... but my heart leapt to see that it was all flooded.

Would Mei be in there?

I moved in—cautiously. There was a very large dead tree beside it—I mean VERY large. I’ve seen these blasted hollow stumps here and there in my travels, especially along the road near the Honeydell. I’m not quite sure yet what they portend, if anything, but they give me the willies.

But this one near the Deya Village Ruins just had a few baddies hiding around it—and a Korok inside the adjacent fallen log. And that was all.

One end of the great hollow log lay near the flooded valley floor; I walked quietly down through it until I stepped out into the water. The village was big....

But in the end, after an extensive search, I found only two poorly-equipped Lizalfos lurking about. And a few well-hidden treasure chests.

But Mei wasn’t there.

I climbed all over the surrounding cliffs, stole a Flame Rod off a Wizzrobe, found out just how ineffective it was against stal-creatures, paraglided back into the village....

No sign of her.

Then I saw a cleft in the hills surrounding the Deya Village valley.

The water snaked away through it.

Follow the water, I thought.

I’d been following the water for weeks.

Just keep following the water....

But the water in the cleft ran dry after only a few score paces.

The only thing left was another camouflaged Lizalfos. They’re pretty talented, the Deya Lizalfos; they produce a most convincing mottle....

But there was no sign of Mei.

What was left?

I moved into the area beyond the cleft. Wound my way through a few more trees. Came upon a campfire. Saw a man there. Spoke to him and—it was—?

“GIRO?” I gaped.

My gosh, I hadn’t seen him in forever! :D Giro! Buddy!

Wait where the heck was I?

I opened my map.

I had wandered back into West Necluda.

It was the selfsame campsite I had cooked so many dishes at, long, long ago with Giro, before the night of my first Blood Moon.

The very same.

To think that I had been so close to the lake back then.

But I wasn’t looking for Giro, I was looking for Mei.

And I couldn’t find her.

I couldn’t find her.

Regarding THE WORLD

Afternoon of Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Regarding THE WORLD

I don’t know why, I don’t know why.

I DON’T KNOW WHY.

This is the most terrifying Zelda game I’ve ever played.

It’s not so much the mournful dark flavor of Majora’s Mask; it’s something more primal than that.... The thought that around any corner, in this land so folded and full of secrets, something much more powerful than you could charge in, come to life, wake up, try to kill you.

I don’t want to die.

Also, there is a really interesting interface this game has that seems to plug directly into your spine.

I think it has to do with that blasted piano....

You see—okay, this is different from any Zelda game I’ve ever played before. There’s no set field music. Well there is, but it’s not the same. The towns have music, the very particular areas have music, but the world....

There is a diabolical Piano that has been following me around, more conniving than any moblin or Talus or any other beast I have encountered, in the coldest, most subtle way.... though it does have its good moods too, I must admit.

When I am out in the wilds.... sometimes.... I feel a chill run down my spine.

It comes from the piano.

It feels like some kind of sixth sense, some.... feeling.... about the world around you, or your surroundings....

The piano conveys this.

The piano can make you feel safe.

The piano can make you feel watched.

....

Maybe the piano isn’t so diabolical after all—it could be like a warning....

Whatever extra-sensory thing, whatever miraculous ability it is that humans have, whatever feeling cloud of thought it is that causes the hairs to rise on the back of your neck, or the pinpoint pressure between your shoulder blades that makes you look behind you, or the quick-bleeding jolt in your heart that makes you stop and be still with your ears flared wide....

That is what the piano tells.

Great honk, who even composed—who programmed that thing?

And where even is the tonic? Blow me if I can’t ever pick out a key from that thing—confounded.... wandering.... rubato.... thing that’s it I’m bringing my tuning fork next time....

Zoras, Zoras Everywhere

Waking of Saturday, March 11, 2017 ~ 3

Zoras, Zoras Everywhere

As I crossed the bridge, a female voice called out.

I looked around.

Another Zora, deep red as a plum, poked her head out of the water to my left! She seemed astounded to lay eyes on me. A real Hylian!

Her name was Tona and she said the same thing Ledo had said—Prince Sidon was away at the bridge up the river, and would I please go and help him.

Well, that’s where I was headed. So off I went.

The tower was heavily guarded. I managed to evade most of the resident monsters, but there was one moblin that gave me a bit of trouble as I climbed—he sent me rolling dangerously near a cliff’s edge before I was able to take him down. And the rain certainly didn’t make things easy; all the rocks were too slick to hold on to.

I climbed a tall ladder to a look-out platform and paraglided over a Lizalfos I could see lying in wait, camouflaged to look like the stone. Chameleons....

And the tower was open, and free, and I scaled its sides and rested on its platforms until I finally came out onto the uppermost floor!

Someone shouted in surprise at my appearance.

I looked around.

There was another Zora up here.

“What are you doing up here?” he asked me.

“I could ask you the same!” I said.

His name was Gruve, and he, like his fellows, had been sent out by Prince Sidon to locate a strong Hylian. But, along the way, he had fallen asleep.... only to be woken by a tremendous lot of rumbling and movement, and.... here he was.

Oh no, I realized, he must have been sleeping right on the spot where the tower was buried before it burst out of the ground.

Since then Gruve had been trying to call down to the prince on the bridge far below—for he was too frightened of climbing down or taking an ultra high dive directly into the river—but it seemed Prince Sidon was unable to hear him or help him from his predicament.

“I FOUND A HYLIAN!” Gruve still tried valiantly, which I’m sorry to say made me have to suppress a little grin. Poor guy.

Well, no worries, I was that close it seemed. After uploading the local map (and noting that Lulu and Mikau Lakes were next to each other <3) I HALO-jumped to a very near shrine down off the hill and across the water—where there was another Zora waiting! Her skin was deepest crystal-blue and her voice very even and mature. Torfeau was her name.

I noticed that this one was wearing a bit of armor.

I was getting close it seemed.

Go to the bridge and meet with the Prince, she said, yes, yes, like everyone else, I knew. I looked through my scope toward the bridge and could see, up on one of the spires, yet another Zora waiting, bloodruddy in color, with a thick, muscly build and a many-crested head. He was also wearing a little bit of armor, more intricate and intimidating than Torfeau’s, and was keeping a thorough eye on his surroundings. Maybe a guard there to protect Prince Sidon as he waited for his Strong Hylian.

I was very close now; I would get there soon enough.

But I wanted to take care of this shrine, first....

Fearful Nights

Waking of Saturday, MARCH FOURTH, 2017 ~ 6

Fearful Nights

I’d been able to explore far off the road when I was just on foot. But I decided to ride Brown the rest of the way to Kakariko Village.

It was night when I started out.

I started out very slowly. Just a walk, really. Because I didn’t want to miss anything. And also because I didn’t want to plunge headlong into dangers.

I started following the road to the north....

Beast Ganon from Twilight Princess barreled left to right far ahead across the road—

I must have vocalized somehow before I sighed with a shiver and said, “Oh it’s just a goat....” It had been much closer to me than I thought. Not as big, not far away. Just a goat.

David sniggered at me.

And, knowing the brotherly ridicule this would bring, I said, “I thought it was Ganon.”

“Why are you so afraid of everything in this game?” he laughed, “It’s not a horror game.”

Huh. Tell that to the Dead Hand. Or the Silent Realms. Or perhaps all of Majora’s Mask.

I rode on, still slowly, stopping now and again to climb a hill or a rock, finding apples, mushrooms, bugs, lizards, minerals and other things, and a treasure chest or two.