Autumn in Akkala

Ch.17 Panic Mode

Pressing the Panic Button
!Link                        Gerudo Town

I'm ashamed of myself, for I have committed the ultimate act of betrayal.

I had awoken, my throat raw from the coughing that had finally abated. I saw Y/N asleep on my shoulder; naturally, I couldn't bring myself to disturb her. I lay still for a moment, pondering how to quench my thirst.

Until I noticed a book in Y/N's hand. Even in her sleep, it was clutched so tightly. Locked between the pad of her palm and her fingers.

Suddenly, I had a thirst that extended beyond just my throat.

Hylia, forgive me; I indulged my curiosity.

I greedily read every single line of her book's contents. It would have been best if I remained parched for my excessive knowledge to know what goes on inside her mind.

Because what's inside her mind isn't me.

At least, not the me in this current lifetime.

I remain afflicted even to this day by the fact that Zelda holds such disdain for the soul of the Hero I did not ask to house.

Now it seems I am afflicted more than ever before. If the woman who possesses my heart would rather it be possessed by the me of the past, what does that mean for the me of the present?

Y/N's writing about the Hero of Time is no different than if she were writing about some other man.

They are both strangers to me.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Every so often, you would hear a chorus of birds overhead. You were much grateful for their music. Without it, you were castigated by complete silence.

It started when you woke up. You could feel a small swoosh of air flutter past your temple. Link was zonked out cold; a gentle breeze filtered through his nostrils as he lightly snored beside you. You were still positioned on his shoulder.

Only now, his head was leaning against your own.

I wish we could stay in this cave and fall asleep to the sound of rain forever.

You turned over, careful not to disturb him, and placed the back of your hand on his forehead.

The fever was gone.

And you needed to be too. You discontentedly slid yourself away from the comfort of his shoulder. You noticed your diary positioned above your head. You had completely forgotten about it.

You grabbed it and made your way to check on Epona and Reisz, careful to stash it back into Reisz's saddlebag.

The rest of the morning passed by in an awkward blur. You managed to grab Link some fruit from Epona's bag and water from a nearby river. Boiling it beforehand, of course. That's all he needed was to get sick again from contaminated water. He was Hyrule's hero, sure, but he was not a hero of the elements. A bee sting could still prick his skin like the rest of us.

As you departed, you noticed Link still didn't seem like himself. His stature was stiff. He never once thanked you for breakfast, not that you did it for a receipt of gratitude. Still. Link had impeccable manners; it was odd. His eyes weren't latching onto yours like normal. He would look away from you, as if you were an unholy relic that would cast a curse upon him. Even when you spoke to him, he simply kept riding ahead, responding with only shallow remarks.