SAND SEALS

Waking of Friday, January 19, 2018 ~ 2

SAND SEALS

I guess that, some time ago, I had ventured into the arid regions just enough that my loading screen had decided it was time to start giving me tips about Sand Seals.

I never read these tips. I didn’t want to be spoiled.

But I gathered a Sand Seal was something that could help you travel.

I just guessed it was something you stood on, like a dais, out in the desert, maybe some mini-warpable network that could take you from place to place without making you trudge through the endless sands. But wasn’t that a little redundant....?

Mmm but I did like to comb all the spaces between the anchors....

Then, as I approached Gerudo Town in the growing dawn, I saw a sight that made everything so clear to me:

Large, grey-brown shapes, three of them, sitting or rolling around on the sand before a small pavilion beside the town’s entrance.

I scoped in.

The one facing me had tusks.

Like a walrus.

IN THE SAND.

“Sand Seals!” I gasped!

It was THAT kind of seal! 8D

Whaaaaaaat? >u<

Oh my gosh did I ride it? Like a horse? Or like on the back of Prince Sidon? Did they go fast? Would I get a saddle?

My mind spun in dizzy delight as I approached the walls of the town.

The place was alien, but most interesting; so many ruins and strange formations jutted from the sea of sand all around. One shape with towering banners winked at me from within a giant dust-cloud. The Southern Oasis?

I placed a marker and checked my map.

It was smack in Divine Beast territory.

Nope! Definitely something for another day. :)

I hurried toward the Sheikah Shrine at the corner of the town—the Daqo Chisay Shrine. But before I entered, I spoke with the man standing beside it. Benja was his name. And he was the caravan leader.

Though his feet didn’t move, his eyes beneath a shading hand seemed to be walking all up and down the front of the town.

“Are you spying?” I asked him, and he dodged the question with some words about his caravan and the research he was doing or something.

My only response to give to this was, once again, “Are you spying?” XD

“It’s research! RESEARCH!” he shouted. Or some such assertion. XD

I entered the shrine. I think it was the one David said he had solved by just laying a bunch of metal weapons on the floor to complete the electrical circuits. But I just did it the regular way. :3

Afterwards I headed toward the entrance to Gerudo Town.

Two tall Gerudo guards in gleaming, gold-trimmed armor stood on either side. Merina and Dorrah.

First I tried just.... slowly stepping forward. But they had their spears at my throat before I could cross the threshold, and were kind enough to remind me that no voe were allowed in the city.

“I’m sorry... ‘boe’?” I said. Uh, why was this an option?

“Voe! Voe! Bite your lower lip as you say it!”

AND THEN I JUST DIED as I remembered that Japan has no traditional character for V! XD

Oh my gosh this was precious. XD XD

Wait how did they even write it in Japanese??

WHO WROTE THIS? You are just way too much fun. XD XD XD Oh my gosh. Now I want to see screenshots of this exact exchange in the original Japanese. XD

Through with probing the town’s entrance, I turned to the only other NPC that seemed to be a permanent fixture of the location—beneath the canopy to my left stood Frelly.

She stood happily clapping and cooing and calling to the sand seals lolling around on the dune before her. And when I spoke to her, she sounded more perky and friendly than any Gerudo I had ever met. :3

Sadly, since I was a voe, Frelly said I couldn’t go into town to just rent a sand seal for twenty rupees. But she explained that the wild ones were easy enough to catch:

You had to sneak up reeeal quiet behind one, and then you just grab it with A, and steer it with the joystick. But she said really the best way to learn was just to jump right in and try it!

Heh, Frelly was so fun. ^_^

Oh, and she also said I had to have a shield equipped.

A shield? How would that work?

Well, I had one of my three trusty Knight’s Shields equipped already, so.... I snuck up behind one of the sand seals out by the canopy.... and grabbed it.

And surfed on my shield behind it like a CHARIOT! 8D

HA! I rode around and the sand seal burrowed through the sand ahead like a dolphin and I turrrned it this way and turrrned it that way—and it WAS fast! But I didn’t want to get too far away from the city, and so angled back toward Frelly’s canopy.... and let go with B. And off the sand seal went back into the dunes before popping out some distance away to loll on the surface again.

And oh dearie my, I jumped into my inventory to check....

AND MY SHIELD WAS STILL SPARKLY! 8D Riding it around hadn’t damaged it at all!

Well this was just a dandy way to travel! ^_^

From: Andrea

To: Vince, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:26p

Is there a “v” sound or

character in Japanese?

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:28p

Only in more modern stuff, a

lot of Japanese people can’t

really pronounce it properly.

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:29p

ヴ is how you write it.

Vince ->ヴィンス

From: Andrea

To: Vince, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:32p

Wow! How modern? And what

sound does that character

make without the hash marks?

And is that your name? ^_^

How does it go in Romaji? :D

Oh my gosh I need to calm

down.... X-)

From: Lisa

To: Andrea, Vince

2018-02-05 1:32p

^ ^I was just going to say that.

Katakana u with tenten.

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:35p

As for how it sounds, try

making a “vvvvvv” noise, and

then shifting your lips forward

until it’s just about at an

“ooo.” It’s in the middle of

those two.

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:35p

Without tentens, it’s just

“u” (like the oo in food)

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:36p

Romaji would just be v

From: Andrea

To: Vince, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:36p

Tenten! That’s what they’re

called----they usually add

voicings to non-voiced

consonants?

From: Vince

To: Andrea, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:37p

Yeah, that’s the trick.

From: Andrea

To: Vince, Lisa

2018-02-05 1:38p

I just love you guys. XD

Under The Sentinel Sun

Waking of Friday, January 19, 2018

Under The Sentinel Sun

In the morning I bought all of Shailu’s arrows—normal, Fire, Ice, Shock, and Bomb. The Bomb Arrow was.... expectedly more expensive, though expecting it did little to soften the deal.

And then Shailu was out of stock.

She’d only had one of each.

....

So outside, I bought all of Beedle’s arrows.

I still was not giving him my Energetic Rhino Beetle, though.

After this I explored a part of the bazaar I had not gotten to before—the part that first made me recognize the place as holding one of my memories. I’d seen it from way, way far away on the backside of the Gerudo Highlands, long, long before:

The large, characteristically bulbous rock formation jutting high above the inn, draped on all sides with rugs on ropes so that it almost resembled a hot air balloon.

It was easy enough to find the couple of ladders that led up to the top. But when I got there.... nothing was there.

That was strange, I thought. David had seemed so full of anticipation for when I climbed up there.

Then again it wouldn’t be the first time we gave each other puzzled looks over game happenings or non-happenings that didn’t line up between our separate playthroughs.

Seems the event programmers rather did the thing properly in this open world....

With nothing left to do in town and daylight starting to burn, I set out for Gerudo Town to the southwest.

But not far from the oasis, I started to pant and sigh—it was too hot.

So I put on my Flamebreaker Armor.

It didn’t help.

What? :c

I ran back toward the cool shade of the bazaar—Why didn’t my Flamebreaker Armor help? It could withstand the heat of the volcano. It could keep me from spontaneously combusting! Couldn’t it do anything to insulate me from the desert heat?

Or did it perhaps act like an oven instead?

Ughh....

On the way back to the bazaar I struck up a conversation with a Gerudo who was running in my same direction. Kyra was her name.

“Okay... it’s a voe. You can do this. Remember your training,” she muttered under her breath.

Oh my gosh what. X-)

She then launched into a romantic introduction outlining how she was going out into the world searching for her dreams. “You’re a part of my dreams, aren’t you?” she asked with a cute, girlish bounce in her posture.

The available responses made me laugh:

“You’re my dream girl!”

. . . . or . . . .

“Just a guy takin’ a walk.”

XD

Eh in the end I decided I didn’t want to lead her on. “Just a guy takin’ a walk,” I said, and she immediately dropped her girlish air like a sack of potatoes.

“If that’s the case then there’s no more point talking to you,” she deadpanned with all the tenderness of a cactus.

Dang.

I guess.... she had good training at least. She had seemed like such an eager young n00b....

Why didn’t my Flamebreaker Armor work?

I guessed I would need to make some cooling elixirs for myself. Or only travel at night.

At the bazaar I found some other people to talk to, including one Robsten, who said his caravan leader had gone to Gerudo Town to negotiate entry, but had not come back yet.

Hmmm....

Another young man standing on a little scaffold behind one of the piles of goods said he was watching the sandstorm around the Gerudo Highlands, waiting for it to clear, so he could go for the treasure it concealed....

Hmmmm....

Huh!

I tried running back toward the mountain. Maybe that would be different—

Nope. Too hot that way, too.

I was stuck.

Well, not really. But I didn’t want to warp away; there were no shrines nearby.

Hmm.

I made a cooling elixir. But....

Well I’ve never been one for elixirs.

I decided to wait for nightfall.

In the meantime I spoke to Kyra again, wondering if she had anything different to say. She didn’t, and I was once again “Just a guy takin’ a walk”, and once again dismissed just as coldly.

It was an interesting hobble, being held captive by the desert sun. And nothing I could don would form a permanent solution against it!

Well, I guess it does make sense.

And I would know.

But when the sun finally began to sink and the desert began to cool off I ran out for Gerudo Town, wearing my Lizalfos Mask, just in case.

I once again met Kyra running the other way.

“You again?” she said, “I’m on my personal journey of learning and discovery so it would be great if you could not disrupt it.” She paused. “Unless... Do you think you’re part of my destiny? My dream life?” Or some such words.

Eh, third time’s the charm. Just to see what would happen, I answered with a big hearty “You’re my dream girl!”

Kyra straightened up at once and said, “My vaba always said nothing’s so shady as a voe who talks about dream this and dream that. I guess she was right.”

OUCH. XD

I felt kind of pathetic in the Lizalfos Mask.

Why are Gerudo so tall....?

“Run along, voe. I’m busy,” she said, and left.

Wow.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Carrying on.

Kara Kara Bazaar

Evening of Friday, January 5, 2018 ~ 3

Kara Kara Bazaar

Situated round the hub of a cool oasis, ringed with palm trees, Kara Kara Bazaar seemed rather much like a stable: a sprinkling of merchants and other characters, a place to sleep, a lit wok, a local dog.... and Beedle.

I still wasn’t handing over my Energetic Rhino Beetle to him.

There were, however, no horses in the vicinity; all traffic here seemed to be on foot or not at all.

Most of the residents were Gerudo, and most of the Gerudo seemed concerned in some degree with expressing their loathing of the Yiga.

Well I guessed we were somewhat closer to that winding Satan Canyon with all the frogs and ant lion traps.

The merchants sat out in front of tents and tarped piles of boxes with their goods—fruit, mostly. “Good...day...” said the first one I talked to, “That’s how you say it where you come from, right?”

So cute! XD

The one elderly Gerudo merchant I saw had her hair (still very red!) pulled back in an elaborate updo adorned with beads and jewels. She complained so sorely about the heat, for a desert dweller, that I felt a little bad not buying anything from her. But I wasn’t interested in fruit just now.

And then I saw another Rito.

A thrill took me—I had never met any other Rito besides Kass before! I hurried to where this other lazed back on some rocks beside the water. Are you a girl bird or a boy bird....? David and I wondered....

The Rito’s name was Guy.

“Oh you’re a man-bird,” I said, and David laughed.

Apparently Guy had not been fully prepared for the pounding desert heat—if he just had a cooling elixir maybe he’d be able to continue on his travels....

The sidequest name flashed across the top of the screen: An Ice Guy.

....

I once read that groaning has been the appropriately appreciative response to puns since the days of the Roman Empire.

....

Yup. XD

I’d never made a cooling elixir before, but I certainly had enough darners for it. I made one now at the wok, and took it back to Guy. Oh, he was happy to get it—and he gave me a purple rupee for my trouble!

And then.... he taught me how to say ‘thank you’ in Gerudo: “Sarqso”.

Heh. Cool. >u<

Another Gerudo sat on a rug beneath some propped up, textile shade. “Mother wouldn’t be all right with a delicate voe like you,” she said of looking at me.

These Gerudo....

We talked. Her name was Rhondson, and she was looking for the love of her life.

Why the rush? I asked her.

“It’s incredibly rare for a male to be born to the Gerudo, so we travel to find husbands,” she said. And she wondered if there was someone out there for her....

Hang in there, Rhondson.

I stepped into the inn—which seemed to double as a shop, for my eyes fell on—

BOY DO THEY GOT THE ARROWS. C8

There they were, lined up in a neat little row along the wall, every variety except for Ancient. Shailu, the Gerudo behind that little counter, couldn’t be bothered much to chat about them, though—she was too absorbed in a book.

I would definitely have to remember this place—and so placed a bow-and-arrow stamp on my map right then and there.

By now it was about 8:30 or just past in the evening. I spoke to Kachoo, the actual innkeep, whose name I thought sounded like a sneeze, and.... aw heck.... asked for a soft bed, with a wake up call in the morning.

“Soft bed it is!” said Kachoo, “Sleep well!”

“Sarqso,” I told her.

. .  .   .    .     .       .

The time-passing music was different for the soft bed sleep—much embellished and quite fancy.

David turned in my periphery and stared at me intently during the little refrain.

But I did not stare back.

We weren’t playing Skies of Arcadia.

In the face of my vexations

Evening of Friday, January 5, 2018 ~ 2

In the face of my vexations

I bought all the arrows from that donkey-pulling merchant at the Gerudo Canyon Stable.

The sun was sinking. I had to hurry.

Calisa was nowhere to be seen. But there was another Gerudo—Lukan—whom I had seen by the stable before. Lukan was a soldier who posed as a merchant, in order to keep a better eye out for bandits from the Yiga Clan.

I thought about walking out with her for.... another attempt at the desert, but....

That life had already been lived.

And yet how I still pressed to repeat even a nighttime journey just the same.

I turned my back on the stable, and set my face toward the end of the canyon and the beginning of the sand....

Three Stalmoblins clawed up out of the earth.

Dang it.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go—

I dashed to isolate one of them, cutting him down quickly and dispatching the head—

But there was another voice behind me.

I turned to take on the second monster—and saw Lukan engaged with the third!

She was a soldier after all.

The manied hands made.... such light work.

And Lukan gave me a warming dish as thanks for the team effort!

Maybe I’ll walk out with Lukan after all, I thought, picking up the monster bits that had rolled back toward the stable.

And so it was Lukan’s company I kept as I walked once again into the icy, starlit desert.

It seemed Calisa did want to come along after all, though; for after a time I noticed she and some other merchant had started out from the canyon some distance behind us.

Well, the more the merrier.

Lukan advised me on the dangers of the desert as we traveled: “There are sandstorms so thick out there you can’t tell vai from voe.”

Vai, huh? Must be their word for female....

It was six in the morning when we came close to the bazaar, and Vah Naboris rumbled and roared.

The sandstorm was greenish, lighter with the dawn, and not the same. Not as good.

Not the blue pre-dawn dimness that was light enough to the eyes, dark enough to the heart, and far enough that it might have held the vast emptiness of space. The color of desolation.

But I took it.

And Ripp the guard told me all about the Divine Beast once more.

....

Nine o’clock.

....

Why is it so difficult?

I wish I could forget, but I have to remember....

Zelda ran panting over the desert sand. Ran for her life. Head, neck, and arms pumping momentum over exhausted legs. Tired, desperate, ragged gasps punctuated by the jarring of terrified vocal chords as she turned and turned again and turned again to see behind her.

A Yiga Clansman. Red and lithe. The vision of speed. Low and streamlined as a cat.

His scythe was drawn.

She ran.

In all the desert so open and vast, the one jutting hill of beige stone approaching fast on her left—

Two more Yiga leapt out from behind it to bar her way. Scythes—

Of course they planned it that way.

She had not wherewith to fight.

She could not turn left or right, only back and forth in snapping glances as they closed in, the chaser stepping now; his run was over. And in the whirling panic to measure and shrink from the press at every side she stumbled to the ground. On palms and rump, heels and elbows she shuffled herself backward, away from the chaser, shaking as he neared.

And the chaser stepped his last step and raised his scythe above his head against the dusty sky and they meant to kill and it was happening too fast and there was no hesitation and his arm reached its apex and came rushing down.

Metal clashed and sparked against metal—the scythe flew up into the air.

One stroke.

Zelda turned with a gasp.

But Link wasn’t looking at her—his sword was still outstretched from the parry as he stared the other two down.

Behind them both, the chaser’s limbs folded and he fell on his side, limp, and dead.

The other two Yiga stepped back uncertainly....

Link didn’t flinch. And Zelda only looked at his face: steady, and hard, the gaze unreturned for it was busy, as her breath came back to her.

I think.... that this is the first time I have ever felt . . . . heartless, for the rapier precision I commit by my words.

What is this log doing to me?

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 MOUNTAIN'S CURSE

Waking of Sunday, November 26, 2017 ~ 4

THE MOUNTAIN’S CURSE

I warped to Satori

This was what I made all those Stamina potions for.

Even in the growing light of dawn, the teal haze still cast an otherworldly cloud upon the mountaintop, shutting out all else but that shining, sheening music. The song that felt somehow.... off. Glorious and mystical to be certain, and yet.... not without talons. Not without dread. Not without a gaze that you fear to let meet your own.

I scurried to the top and IT WAS RAINING AND I COULDN’T CLIMB THE STONES, BLAST IT.

I peered between them—the Blue Beast stood in the pool—maybe it was only the rain that kept him from spying me at this distance....

But how was I supposed to get—

Okay, topo, topo—I studied the map, read the lines carefully....

That rock to the left, the one I never climbed, that one seemed to be the least steep one....!

I scrambled for it, slipping time and again in the slick rain BUT SUMMONING MY ENERGIES I MADE IT TO THE TOP. BARELY.

Augh it was nearly MIDDAY at this point. But still the teal spell held....

I paraglided down, trying to turn in the air—for the beast was facing me and I didn’t want to land on it backward—NO IT STARTED TO MOVE I MOVED WITH IT—

I landed on its back. In the right direction.

And it started to buck, and I soothed it like mad, and my stamina burned away, rings counting down so fast, and I ate stamina-filling things, and I soothed, and I ate stamina-things again, again—

AND I SOOTHED IT.

And it stood still.

OH MY GOSH I SOOTHED THIS THING NOW IF I COULD ONLY GET IT.... SOMEWHERE....

I swiveled the camera in a wonder—

IT HAD FOUR EYES, LIKE SOME DOUBLE-FACED JANUS OWL.

FLOOFY ANTENNAE LIKE A MOTH.

THE EYES ALL BLINKED AT DIFFERENT TIMES? Some Greek god reared its dusty head in my memory—

GOLDEN YELLOW CLOVEN HOOVES.

No not golden—like—just a BURNING SUN COLOR.

SUN-COLORED HOOVES.

RUNES ON ITS BODY—

THOSE WERE THE SAME SHAPES AS SHOWED IN MY SHEIKAH SLATE.

THE SAME SWIRLS AS LIVED IN THE EMPTY BLUE BEYOND MY MAP.

THIS WAS THE LORD OF THE MOUNTAIN.

The ground glowed where its feet touched.

Its feet glowed so bright....

I walked it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth in the pool, hardly daring to kick above a canter, there was so little room. I soothed it for its obedience to my every turn and change, but it returned little acknowledgement. It felt so precarious. I’d never yet been bucked off a tamed mount, but.... How could I tell what this one’s limit was?

I would be gentle, until I could get it down from this awful mountain. Study the topography, study the topography, look at the land, find a way please....

I could see a place on my map where the lines seemed farthest apart.... but it was still so steep. I considered the glimmering, rippling rocks in the downpour; the rain would do nothing to help me there.

I started slowly out along a narrow ledge—this had to be the way; the topo didn’t lie—this was the best and only way—

A flash of bright blue in the dark—the blupees still had the run of the mountaintop. No but that one there was.... on flat-ish land just below me and to the left?

I looked again at my map.... now I saw it: a clear winding path cut safely through the jagged elevations. Still steep, but consistent in its descent. How had I never seen that?

....Well, I never was one to give much thought to roads—and that when they were plain.

I turned the Lord of the Mountain back, reached the steady slope, and followed it carefully downward in the drumming rain.

And in just a moment.... the sun came out. And in the warming sunshine I could see the blupees still roamed and there were other animals around.... before the wrack of cloud enfolded us again. We seemed to move in and out of the mist—a normal, grey mist; the teal haze had gone. But the mystical, creeping, piano-string-tight music still watched us intently from every side. Watched me intently. ._.

But at length as we descended further the sun came out the final victor, and even the haunting music melted away.

Man there were goats everywhere.

The Lord of the Mountain had only hearted at me once, maybe twice, up on the gloomy mountaintop, but no more. Not once since then. And yet it did not snort and turn of its own will, or deny the directions I gave it. Did it bond fast?

It seemed to make a tinkling as it cantered over the grass.... like jingle bells....

Miraculously, unbelievably, we reached the level Nima Plain—this glowing, godly, blue thing down on the common sunny grass—and traveled thence to Sanadin Park.... and come Sanadin Park, the Lord of the Mountain followed the path on its own.

Good work.... good work.... well done.... well done.... I chanted under my breath—

It still felt fragile as glass and ice.

We crossed Manhala Bridge, and came into the Outskirt Stable as the sun was readying to set. Oh my gosh when David saw this.... but I was alone right now.

“Looks like you’ve caught yourself a new steed! Do you want to register it?” said Embry.

HECK YES. “Yes, please.”

“Understoo—Uh...” Embry looked up.

“Wh-what is that?

Can that...THING you’re riding be the

fabled Lord of the Mountain?!”

YES AND I WANTED TO REGISTER IT OH MY GOSH THIS WAS GONNA BE AWESOME WHAT WOULD THE TACK LOOK LIKE OH PLZ PLZ PLZ COME ON GAME DO IT....

Embry yelped in fright and trembled where he stood.

“Why in Hylia’s name would you bring

something like that here? We’ll all be

cursed!”

THE TV TURNED OFF BY ITSELF.

Gone Fishin'

Waking of Sunday, November 26, 2017 ~ 3

Gone Fishin’

I turned my attention to something that wouldn’t require a horse. Or rather something to which a horse would be most ill-suited, I suppose....

I recalled the time when Finley had sent me down the river with her love letter to Sasan—I had happily collected a lot of fish that day, and by doing no more than drifting with the current and floating right into them.

My Sheikah sensor was still tuned to detect the Hearty Bass I would need to upgrade my Zora Armor.

It was time for another ride down the lazy river.

I warped to Zora’s Domain, put on my Zora Suit and Lizalfos mask, and started floating down the river to pick up fishies. The pickings were rather slim however until I came to the Bank of Wishes. But the fishies weren’t the only things that showed up—the Lizalfos population increased dramatically as well. I remembered.

But my new mask made the passage much, much easier. Albeit a little alarming at times. As night fell I ventured onto the shore to catch my breath and regain my stamina again, when the single Lizalfos that had started eyeballing me was joined by three Stalizalfos bursting up out of the ground nearby!

In a trice and two steps they all stood in a tight semicircle before me with their noses inches from my own, creaking and chirruping their interest as they all looked at me. O.O

I excused myself back into the river. ^_^;;

And I did catch a few Hearty Bass along the way! The sensor was a big help—it can get so difficult to see the fish beneath the water’s surface, especially at night. Let alone tell what breed they are.

I scoured the wetlands below for the Bass as well. I had to switch between my Lizalfos mask and my Bokoblin mask quite a bit, but I’d say I did pretty good! If only those guys would have just kept out of the way....

They like to make small talk I guess.

After a time, my sensor could locate no more fish. And so with nine Hearty Bass in my pockets I warped back to Kakariko. I wasn’t sure exactly how many fish I needed, but nine seemed like a good hefty number to start with.

I checked with Cotera—it took five fish per piece for the Zora set, as it turned out.

What does she use from all these fish anyway?

I upgraded what I could anyway, as it started to rain.... again.

Thanks, Cotera.

I peered through the gloom.

Satori Mountain was still not lit up.

It was just such a rainy, rainy time these days. -_-

I wandered eastward; I thought I remembered hearing a shrine over there that I couldn’t find, somewhere along the Hateno road, long, long ago.

On the way I scaled one of the magnificent peaks surrounding Kakariko Village (there was a Korok on top) and took a moment to look around through the thinning drizzle.

Satori was alight now?

It glowed tealy green. Right before my eyes.

But it was 7:50 in the morning!

I kept looking.

The light did not dim as the time passed eight.

I thought it only lit up at night....

Decisions, decisions.... Shrine? Or Satori?

....

Satori.

The Shrine wouldn’t go anywhere.