New Home - BotW Link x Reader (Undergoing Revisions)

Chapter 03 - Little More than a Glance

After checking that the coast was clear, I began to slowly approach the weapon - so slowly, that as time seemed to speed by, I questioned whether I was moving at all. But I certainly was moving, and as soon as the weapon was in reach, I crouched down then picked it up in my hands, one right above the other on the handle. 

Carved crudely, the handle of the club was uneven and rough, its grips surely more comfortable for a creature with fewer fingers than I - so, in other words, it was perfect for one of the Bokoblins, and not as much for me.

But I could make it work, I was sure of it.

I took in how unnatural it felt in my hands, for even the skin of my palms was smooth, soft - not calloused or rough like an those of an adventurer. Quickly, yet probably very stupidly too, I glanced down at my hands, hands I arguably knew incredibly well. Why wouldn't I? They were my hands, that which enabled me to do everything I wanted. With them, I had hugged people, written, drawn, held books, held tools, and now... now held a weapon.

These were not the hands of an adventurer. They were my own - but I had to summon my nerve from somewhere, I had to. My hands in this moment more than any other could not fail me now.

The weight of the weapon in my hands was an unfamiliar one, but it was not more than I could handle, not now with my conviction set. I stood up straight, my shoulders bowed only slightly to afford me the ability to hold the club within both hands. I took one step, and then another, making sure to pay careful attention to the clunky weight of the club. As best I could, I kept my steps silent and true even in the loose sand below me.

Step by step, I got closer. Closer to the monsters, yes, but closer still to the start, climax, and end of the fight I was about to start.

My mouth was dry, my throat tight, my steps measured, my heart racing, and my mind strangely, suddenly calm. All my focus was centered on what was in front of me, what was in my hands, and what I was about to do. Whatever plan had formed in my mind was gone, the only remnants being the courage it left behind.

I could feel even the most minute of my muscles preparing for what was to come. I could feel my heart rate calm, and for a moment, I felt as if I had always done this, as if I had done this a hundred times before. I knew it wasn't the case, but I was emboldened by the sensation as I drew ever closer to the closest pair of monsters, the ones I had been watching only moments before - the bickering pair.

With the Moblin still asleep, I prayed my aim might be true and my strength sure, so that it might stay that way. I didn't know if death was silent, but maybe today it would be. I also asked Hylia for guidance, and maybe a bit of luck. Of course, the only way for me to know if she listened, and if she granted those gifts to me, would be to strike.

And that's exactly what I did. 

After only a single moment more to gather up my strength, I began to lift the club over my head. Somehow, the monsters had not yet noticed me - and for this I was grateful. I was aware I could very quickly be overwhelmed, injured, and killed. Actually, the likelihood of me dying here was higher than I cared to admit, but Hateno was a peaceful place.

No matter how desperately I craved a change, an adventure, some liveliness... Never would I jeopardize the people here. If monsters could gather here, they could gather closer to the village. Hylia, I'd even heard murmurings lately of monsters being reported as close as Midla Woods. If those whispers were true, and now they were here... it would be a simple thing for the monsters to close Hateno in. It was a pincer attack through and through, though slow going and definitely clumsy and perhaps unintentional.

I could never be sure where this courage was coming from, not really, but I could at the very least know that even if I laid my life down today, it would be to protect those I cared about. I did not want to lose my life today, but I would - and that was terrifying.