The Legend of Zelda: The Desert Heroes

XLI

"Kaneli of Rito Village should be able to tell you more about your final task. To make your quest a little bit easier, let me see your Sheikah Slate." Trevian explained to Link.

Link handed the slate to the elder. He watched with wide eyes as Trevian's hands glowed green with magic. The Sheikah Slate lit up with the blue Sheikah eye.

"What did you do?" Link asked wonderfully.

"I increased the teleportation functionality. You can now teleport to locations you haven't been to yet. I also added a function that allows you to use the runes on the Sheikah Slate as a weapon. While I am the last person in the tribe with magic and the first person in centuries to have any sort of credible magic, it is very weak and can only affect technology." Trevian explained to Link quietly.

The hero nodded. "Is the magic hereditary?" he asked.

Trevian shook his head. "It is random. You have a chance to be born with it. But if a person who has a chance of magic has a child with a person with little to no chance of magic, the child has only half the chance of magic in comparison to the magic parent. So 100% becomes 50% becomes 25% becomes 12.5%." the elder answered.

"So it becomes less and less common with each generation. In a few more generations, the chance will be virtually zero." Link realized with a note of despair.

The elder nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. Zonai magic has been dying out exponentially for the past several thousand years."

Link looked out of the house at the rest of the village. Everyone seemed so happy without the magic. It seemed like an average tropical resort village for the people here. Troubles hardly ever befell them.

But it seemed that Trevian was the only one upset about it. He knew a life with magic.

"I should get going. It's nearly nightfall." Link said finally before he overthought it.

"Understandably so, young hero. Sleep well. I have asked Chessica to allow refuge from the wilds without charge." he said to the hero.

"Thank you, Trevian, but I will still pay for my stay there." the hero said insistently.

Link left the house and walked to the inn. He gave Chessica a red rupee and laid down on one of the beds in the back.

"Link, you-" Chessica started.

"Keep it. Too tired to argue." Link said exhaustedly.

Soon enough, he was snoring peacefully on the bed. About an hour later, he awoke into a dream.

-----

The rain was pouring hard outside of the palace. The sound echoed throught the halls and vast rooms. It was storming badly. An occasional crack of thunder would split the air.

Demise, Hylia, and the Hyrule Warrior stood in front of Link grimly.

"What am I needed for now?" Link asked.

"Valoria's power is growing. Malice from the demon has begun to infect the palace. You must hurry. If we don't have all three Triforce blades soon, Valoria could gain access to the Triforce and destroy this kingdom forever." the Hyrule Warrior urged Link.

Demise looked out into the raging storm. "This is your world as it appears now. It has been storming for a week. A flash flood came through yesterday. The palace is in danger. Zelda and Ganon have been sent to the Sacred Realm for now to protect them from Valoria's reaches." the Demon Lord told Link grimly. He looked back at the hero.

Link sighed. "How much time do I have left?" he asked.

The three deities in front of him looked at each other. Worried looks crossed their faces temporarily, but reformed into calm, yet grim expressions. Link was already guessing the worst.

"You have only about a week left. You must get Farore's Blade as soon as possible. Complete the Mirror of Farore, meet with her, and come back immediately." Hylia instructed Link sternly.

Demise nodded. "I fear that- I fear that if you don't come back in time... the Gate of Time will be destroyed by Valoria and it will be too late. Hyrule will be done for." he said in a gruff voice.

Link was the one to look out into the storm this time. It was a genuinely scary thing to think about. Ganon and Princess Zelda had been locked away due to the danger Valoria posed. Even Demise, the Demon Lord himself, was in an anxious mood for Hyrule's sake.

"I will come back. I swear it to you, Demise." Link promised calmly.

The Demon Lord's expression shifted as if he was trying to surpress something before going back to normal. "Of course. I will watch over you from here." he said.

Link nodded. "Farewell. Hylia. Demise. Hyrule Warrior."  he bowed.

Then, the world shifted. Link and Demise were at the ruins of Lurelin Village from Link's time. It was sunny, a soft breeze blowing past them.

"How much progress have you made thus far?" Demise asked.

"I'm about to go to the last Divine Beast. Vah Medoh." Link answered.

"I feared that. Your boomerang will be super important when you go to Rito Village. The final shard resides in the Divine Beast Vah Medoh. Once you get it, hurry immediately to the pedestal and restore the Mirror." Demise instructed Link.

"I plan to. Demise, can I ask you something?" Link asked hopefully.

Demise nodded. "By all means, hero."

"Please make sure nothing happens to Ganon. He's taken care of me for so long. I want to someday return the favor to him." he requested.

Demise's face went weird again. "Y-yeah. Of course. I have to go now, farewell on your journey."

Then, the dream abruptly ended.

-----

Link woke up. The sun was rising, meaning dawn had arrived. He got up and got his gear together. Link left another red rupee at the counter before leaving.

He was still reeling over the dream. Why did Demise seem so... awkward? It almost seemed like Demise was trying to act normal, but was dealing with a very awkward situation inside his mind.

Could just be the entire situation with Valoria. he thought with a shrug.

He took out his Sheikah Slate and tapped on the Rito Village icon. He pressed the teleport button and soon found himself in front of a bridge leading up to large spire of rock.

Vah Medoh flew menacingly in circles over the town.

So it begins. Link thought quietly.

He walked up the bridge and thus, began the final quest before facing his final nemesis, Valoria, who was currently trying to submerge Hyrule beneath the waves.

Let's do this. he thought grimly.