Nydia waved Link off as he mounted Epona, and took for the northeast. The afternoon he rode off into seemed calm enough, as though nothing could possibly go wrong. That is, nothing that hadn't already managed to go wrong.
Braden turned to the young woman once the travelers disappeared from sight. "Well, that boy has been sent on his way, but we can't rest just yet. Am I wrong?" He inquired, pressing for more information.
Nydia sighed, and turned back towards the house. "No, you aren't. Grandfather has foreseen it for months now." She waved him back inside, holding the door open.
Aldwin was just making his way into the front room when she did. "There's no need for alarm, I assure you, Captain. No one from the village is in any danger, I can promise you this."
The captain pursed his lips skeptically. "No one who isn't some insane emissary from the Evil Realm, you mean."
"No, no.. Those you speak of are no true harm to anyone," He said, "They can only watch and speak... It is the inevitable arrival of those who approach that may and will cause us harm."
"Well who is it?" He asked, getting impatient.
The elder closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I can't say. However, I can say it is a graet evil that has been in search of me since my youth. Long have I been able to evade their sights, but I cannot hide forever."
"Well... how did they find you so suddenly?"
Aldwin sighed. "It was only a matter of time. My magic barrier has allowed me to escape their sights only in spirit, meaning that I can't be sensed by those with a high affinity to auras. But my physical location is not hidden very well, and evil's eyes are everywhere. I am no longer hidden, and will not be able to hide again so easily at my age."
"But, Elder, there must be something we can do!" Braden insisted, "I can fight them off, and-"
"Enough of that," Aldwin demanded, raising his hand in a gesture for silence. "I'm afraid even you are nothing against this foe. I alone will handle this, my boy."
"Grandfather," Nydia said softly, gazing out the window, "We don't have anymore time to discuss this."
As soon as she finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door. "Ah, just in time," Aldwin breathed calmly, "Come in."
Before he could even finish giving the say so, the door flung open, and in marched a balding little robed man, followed by two burly soldiers. "Well, well..." He began, looking around the small room with an amused grin, "So this is where you've holed yourself up all these years.."
The elder raised from his chair. "It's been a long time, Moddin."
Moddin smiled. "Hasn't it, old friend? You have something My Liege desires."
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Before East Hyrule Field could blend into the north field, the path broke off, running up the side of Zora's River into a canyon below the east plateau. A path had long since been paved for horseback travel, making it easier for Link and Epona to traverse than the forest had been. Still, Link was anxious to find out why Princess Zelda had sent him on a detour far past a closer location that had the same thing he needed. Could it have been simply because Lillian and the forest children needed him sooner than the zoras? But how could the princess have known? Then again, she did seem to have all kinds of strange and mystical abilities.
But Link was soon faced with what may have easily been the answer to his questions: A standstill in the path that put him at a dead end. The river swallowed the path, and continued up the canyon.
"Well.. this is an interesting development," He commented, not sure what to make of the situation.
Mari too, was confused. "How are we supposed to get up to Zora's Domain now?"
Link shrugged. "This must have happened recently," He pointed to the ground at his feet, where the dirt of the path turned to mud at the river's edge. "It looks like the path could keep going. There aren't any plants growing, like other places where the water meets the land."
"What do you think happened?" Mari asked.
"Well..." Link gazed around, inspecting the area ahead of them. The path would have slanted upward beside a waterfall, but the water suddenly seemed to swerve over it. "It definitely isn't natural. Someone must have used a spell to alter it. I'm not surprised at this point."
"What can we do?" Mari huffed, "Should we wait for the zoras to notice? How long could that take?"
"We don't time for that!" Link exclaimed, "If someone was here, then that must mean the sage is in danger! We have to find a way up right now." With that, he dismounted Epona, and continued looking around the area for anything he could use. "Mari, why don't you fly up there and tell me what you see."
"You got it!" She said, eager to help. She fluttered up to the top of the waterfall, and looked around. Immediately, she came across a stone slab poking out of the ground. "I found something!" She called down.
"Really? Great! What is it?"
"It's... some kind of monument.." She squinted to read the surface, straining to make out the script carved into the stone, before sighing. "It's no use! I can't make heads or tails of this inscription! It's so old!" Link almost sighed in disappointment before Mari gasped again. "Wait, this part isn't a word.. It's a picture.. of a feather!" She quickly descended the cliff, and back to Link.
Link touched the feather he had tucked onto his hat. "The Midor Feather? It seems unlikely that it might be our answer.."
"Give it a try!" Mari said enthusiastically, "It couldn't hurt!"
Link shrugged. "I guess not.. But I don't really know how to use it.." But before he could ponder the mechanics of the item, something strange happened. As he pulled the feather from his hat, and held it up for inspection, the quill began emanating a yellow light, that then shot up into the air without permission, and crashed into the stone slab above. Link and Mari watched in shock and amazement as the water began receding, until none remained in their way.
"Did.. you do that?" Mari asked in astonishment at the power that came from the tiny feather.
Link shook his head. "Well, if I did I didn't mean to.. It just.. happened!"
"I wonder what else this little treasure is capable of..." Mari grinned mischievously.
"Well, we'll find that out in due time, I'm sure!" He tucked it back on the side of his hat, and began treading through the mud. "But right now, we have to go!"
"Right!"
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Woah, hey, managed to publish two chapters in a week -c- Well, mostly because this one is so short, but had to cut it uvu)/ Thanks for reading!
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The Legend of Zelda: The Regal Flame
AdventureThe Regal Flame was an everlasting mystical candlelight given to the the ruler of Hyrule. It seems some would go to great lengths to obtain it...
