Chapter Text
Distilling local information...
He sat up, rubbing his hip that he had fallen not too gracefully on. Similar towers stuck up in the distance. The rumbling stopped and the stone in the center of the ceiling lit up blue. Words trailed down it, going too fast for him to read, collecting into a bright blue light that dripped down onto the slate. The slate buzzed and he picked it up.
Regional map extracted.
A portion of the screen that held the blank map lit up, solidifying into a rough circular area. The Great Plateau. Some places were labeled, such as Mount Hylia, Hopper Pond, and the Temple of Time. There were more, but he put it away for now, looking out off the tower he now found himself on. He was high up, the wind whipping his hair against his neck.
"Remember..."
The voice beaconed him and he looked around him.
"Try...try to remember. You have been asleep for the past one hundred years."
There was a structure in the distance, all striking spires and surrounded by dark pillars that glowed red. As he watched, a cloud of black smoke circled the place, red eyes and teeth growling through it. In the very middle, a golden light shone brightly. He recognized it from when he woke up.
"The beast...when the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end. You must hurry, Link. Before it's too late..."
Link. The voice kept calling him that. He liked the sound of it, the familiarity of it. He was Link, and Link was him. He spelled it out with his right hand, smiling. Holding out his hand, palm facing away, he stuck out his pointer finger and thumb, making the letter 'L.' His other hand came up in an aborted motion, like he was trying to say something he couldn't remember. Shaking his head, he moved on and made his way down the tower, jumping from platform to platform.
Just as he lands on the solid ground of the earth, Link hears a shout from above. He looked up to see the old man come floating down to him, holding a mechanism of fabric and wood above him. There was no determinable place he could have come from as the tallest thing around was the Sheikah tower and Link was alone up there.
"My, my... It would seem we have quite the enigma here." The old man stroked a hand over his beard, eyes shaded beneath his hood. 'This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though.. a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly."
Link shifted uncomfortably.
"If you do not mind me asking... Did anything...odd occur while you were atop that tower?"
He stayed silent. He didn't trust the old man, the voice was his and his alone.
"You need not conceal the truth from me." The old man hummed. "Truth be told, I saw the whole thing unfold from afar. Although I could not hear anything, I did see you react as if you heard something coming from the direction of the castle..."
Link jerks back, his hands unconsciously making fists.
The old man chuckled. "Hit the nail on the head, did I? And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?"
He shook his head. The voice resonated with his soul, but no words came to mind.
"I see. Well, that is unfortunate." He turned, pointing to the menacing structure in the distance. "I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle. That...is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching..."
He turned to Link, eyes staring deep into him. "I must ask you, courageous one... Do you intend to make your way to the castle?"
Link nodded. She was there, that golden light, and he had to get to her.
"I had a feeling you would say that. Here," he gestured around them, "on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to jump off, well... no death could be more certain. Or more foolish."
His mouth twitched into an odd smirk. "Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be another story."
"Paraglider?" Link spelled.
"Oho! Piqued your interest, have I? Yes, I didn't come soaring down on my feathery wings, you know! Worry not—I will happily agree to give you my paraglider." Here, the old man held his right hand in a claw facing down with his left pointer finger held up underneath. He put both hands up to the side of his face and floated them downwards, swaying slightly, ending around his chest. Link copied the sign. "But not for nothing. Let's see now... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?"
He turned away and started walking up a hill. "Come. Let me show you something."
Link trailed behind him as he came to a stop. His head barely reached the old man's waist.
"Do you see that structure there? The one shining with a strange light?" He pointed to a glowing orange structure down the hill. It resembled both the cave and the tower, but was smaller, like a hut of sorts. Above the entrance was the same symbol that was on the back of his slate, an eye with a teardrop and three triangles above. In front of the door was a circle on the ground and a pedestal to the side.
The old man continued, "it began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."
Link sighed, then nodded, before he ran down the hill. There was a small pond that he splashed through, grabbing some of the fish that swam away from him and slating them. He had to climb around to get to it before stepping on the entrance and holding his slate up to the pedestal. The orange lit up blue and the top of the structure glowed orange. Behind him, the circle lit up blue with writing around it. Calling, it said, repeating.
Sheikah Slate confirmed.
Travel gate registered to map.
Access granted.
The door slid open, revealing an alcove. Link stepped in and the floor lit up and started moving down. When it stopped, he was in a large chamber, similar to the cave. There were two giant metal slabs on the floor. He hears words, but no one speaks them.
To you who sets foot in this shrine...
I am Oman Au.
In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.
There is another pedestal with a stone above it in the corner.
Sheikah Slate authenticated.
Distilling rune...
The stone glowed blue, dripping down onto the slate. It lit up and a new screen appeared, showing seven empty slots. One of them filled in, displaying a red magnet.
Rune extracted.
Magnesis.
Manipulate metallic objects using magnetism.
Link took the slate back and pressed the rune. Through the slate's screen, the world lights up red. He swung it around and pointed it at the floor. The metal slabs lit up yellow and he clicked the activate button. With the slate, he picked up one of them and lifted it up with ease. He flung it around the room before letting it go, watching it fly into a wall, narrowly avoiding hitting his head with it. Where it had been, was now an opening in the floor. He drops down and follows the path, up some stairs, to another room.
The way was obstructed by large stone blocks, with a couple metal ones around the room. He rammed one into the blocks, scattering them around. As he made his way through, he heard a whirring noise. In front of him was a small version of machines around the ruins. This one, however, was glowing red. It only had three legs, but was fast and agile. It turned on him, eye shining bright blue as it pulsed and fired a beam of light at him. It flew right by his head as he dodged. His chest tightened and he lost his breath, but grabbed the boko club off his back and threw it as hard as he could. It stumbled and fell off the edge into the knee-deep pool of water below. It exploded on impact, leaving behind only a few screws.
Link crumpled to the ground, his legs unable to support the rest of him. His heart beat in his ears, fast and erratic. He was too hot and the leather straps were sticking to his back, rubbing against his scars uncomfortably. His hands were pressed tight to his ears, trying to block out a noise that wasn't there. Knees curled to his chest as he rocked back and forth, trying to get his breathing under control. He stayed like that for what felt like hours, time slipping away from him, just wheezing and sobbing.
Slowly, he brought his hands down and ran them lightly along the smooth, cool floor. He laid his head on his knees and took a few deep breaths. He let his legs stretch out, hissing in discomfort as his stiff joints protested. Laying his back flat against the floor, the cold seeping into his hot skin, he stretched out his arms and bent his knees, keeping his feet on the ground. The shakiness he had felt in his limbs, in his chest, started to diminish. He pulled himself up to his feet and shook out his arms.
He continued. Using Magnesis, he created bridges for himself over to the tall metal doors. There was a chest on a high ledge to the side and he dragged it down, unveiling a bow inside. He pulled open the doors, yanking the slate back, revealing a figure sitting on a podium. They had their legs crossed and their fingers templed in front of them. Their skin was gray and Link could see every bone showing underneath. They were in a glowing blue box, clear enough to see through, with the eye symbol on the front that appeared as he came closer. Link stepped up and placed his hand on the eye. A ring of light spread out from it, the box glowing brighter, obscuring his view, before exploding outwards in slits of light that dissipated.
You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.
The words echoed in his mind, and he knew they came from the figure in front of him, but he still could not hear it.
I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial.
I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon.
With your arrival, my duty is now finished.
In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you...
Please accept this Spirit Orb, a representation of my soul and power that will help you strengthen.
A white light floated out of the monk's chest, drifting down to Link. It collided with his own chest and disappeared. A warmth filled his body and he shivered. He didn't feel any different once it faded, but he pressed a hand to his chest and he could sense the dormant power hidden away.
May the Goddess smile upon you.
The monk started glowing a more cyan color as they slowly became light and evaporated before him. The moment Oman Au was fully gone, Link was suddenly riding the platform back to the entrance of the shrine. He stepped out, the sun glaringly bright against the dim lighting of the shrine. He could see that the top of the shrine now glowed blue to match the rest of it.The breeze rustled his hair, he hadn't realized that there were no drafts inside the shrine, and he relished in the feeling of the flowing air.
"Ho!"
The old man glided down once more and landed in front of Link.
"It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!"
"How did you know?" Link gestured loudly.
"Clairvoyance!" He chuckled. "Oho, or perhaps just something similar. As one gets older, it can become more difficult to see what is right before one's own eyes... However, that which was once hidden from view can often be crystal clear. But perhaps that is not true for everyone! Oho ho! The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine..."
Link shuffled slightly. The words felt like there was something more behind them, but he couldn't parse it out. The old man gestured to him.
"It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there."
"What do you mean?" His legs still felt a bit weak from the shrine so he plopped himself into the dirt, digging his hands through it, head down.
"It has been quite some time since I have seen that Sheikah Slate... Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago... Or so it is said. It is interesting however, to think... how something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more. Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines... and I will give you my paraglider."
Link's head shot up and he scowled at the old man. "That wasn't the deal!"
"Oh?" The old man lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed by the dirty boy. "Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure that it won't be a problem for a young go-getter like you! Since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines. It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point. Let's see here..."
The old man turns and points toward the tower. Link could see what was coming and sighed heavily, getting to his feet.
"How about you make your way to the top of that tower again?"
Link gave him an annoyed look and shook his head. He did not like the old man, with his double speak and hooded face. He was tired, it was only his first day, awake or alive he wasn't completely sure. He's been scared, hungry, thirsty, and sore most of the day. His body still had residual tremors from earlier. His arms ached from swinging heavy objects around. He just wanted to curl up somewhere and sleep.
"Oho ho! I am afraid not," he said infuriatingly. "But do not worry! I have another little trick to share with you for your effort. Take a look at the map on your Sheikah Slate."
He sighed and reluctantly obeyed. Besides the yellow arrow he knew to be himself, there were three blue points marked.
"See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you came from, and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those places with the Sheikah Slate." He turned away. "Or so I heard quite some time ago... I do not know if it actually works as such."
With those last helpful words, the old man walked away, disappearing over the hill and from Link's view. He stuck out his tongue at the old man's back, feeling very frustrated. He was half tempted to throw the slate away and find his own way down the Great Plateau. Instead, he turned away from the tower and stomped over to the moat surrounding the shrine. There were metal pieces strewn about, as well as some chests. He flung items here and there, taking pleasure in the clangs and thuds he heard around him. Retrieving the chests gave him a few pretty gemstones that he tucked away. There was a muddy pond nearby and he wandered that way. Two chests sat on a raised platform in the middle, but he didn't fancy trying to swim over to them. They were wooden so Magnesis wouldn't work there. A few moments later, he used a makeshift bridge out of an old metal door to reach them, a satisfied smile on his face. Five fire arrows and five ice arrows were slated.
When using Magnesis, Link noticed a round object hidden underneath the mud. Lifting it up, he could see that it was attached to a chain and no amount of yanking would free it. Following the chain to its source, he found a tree stump with a suspiciously round object shaped hole in it. He shrugged and dropped it in. A burst of leaves and jingling came from above the stump and a creature appeared. It was small and appeared to be made out of wood. It wore a leaf mask and held a branch with two large leaves at the top. It floated in the air.
"Ya-ha-ha!"
Link jerked back, nearly slipping and falling into the mud.
"You found me! Huh? You're not Hestu! But you can...see me? I didn't know your kind could see the children of the forest! Well, if you run into Hestu, please return this to him."
The creature handed him a small golden seed. The slate called it a Korok Seed. The name stirred something inside of him, but it was gone before he could grasp it.
"Oh, and my friends are hiding in lots of different places too! Don't be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!"
He nodded, grinning widely. The Korok waved and disappeared. Link continued to wander for a bit, not really wanting to look for another shrine that day. The sun was beginning to hide away beneath the horizon and weariness had settled into his bones. He came across another boko camp and took care of it quickly, wanting to use the fire for warmth against the cool night air. He stole the roasting meat on the spit and drank from a nearby pond. Stars glittered above him, more than he could count, and the chirping of crickets with the crackling of the fire lulled him into a deep sleep.