The Picori Plight

Chap. I ¦ Incident In A Forest

Link unmounted from Epona. He wore battle armour that was reminiscent of his olive-green garb and tunic. Made of shiny mithril, his chainmail, leggings, greaves, and boots were surely a dazzling sight. Not only did his attire change but his physical appearance did too. Facial hair began to grow upon his upper-lip and chin. His hair was cleanly combed; the top combed straight forward and the sides and back brushed downward. A mature glow also resonated upon Link himself. A glow that increases as his reign progress.

The edge of the forest seemed eerily peaceful that day. With a handful of Hyrulian soldiers, Link headed into the forest. Sheer silence surrounded them with its peculiar approach.

On the other hand, trees were fallen and bodies lain to rest on the smoky battleground. Link motioned his soldiers to stand still while he inspected the area for any survivors.

Link searched under fallen branches and other hidden areas. He hesitantly lifted up a log that crushed a dying Kokiri tribesman. He tossed it to the side and the elven soldier let out a sigh of relief.

Struggling to say his last words, the dying soldier murmured, "The Picori. Evilness surround them. They're killing our men, women, and children. Do what's right, Link, avenge our deaths. Do it for the good of..."

The poor soldier couldn't finish his sentence. Instead, he choked up a mouthful of blood that ultimately determined his death. Link kneeled down and gently closed his eyes.

Rest in peace, Kokiri brother," Link murmured softly.

Link swayed to his troops to come to him. Moments later, they came and gathered the dead bodies in a large heap. Towering an alarming fifteen feet high mound, the battle that took place was certainly a gory sight, even in its aftermath.

Ordering his soldiers to come to his aid, Link commanded, "Bury the bodies here. I have shovels back at camp. My goodness, I was afraid this was going to occur."

Two soldiers nodded to Link and ventured back to the edge of forest. Link sat down and silently hummed to his lonesome. Then, he thought to himself: Everything seems to be in turmoil at this point. I can't negotiate with them. They contest against each other and don't seek out solutions. It's been over five years since I've transformed into that vile form. The form that 'solved' my problems which only weighed me down with more. Regardless, it's my responsibility to fix 'em.

Suddenly, a flash of blackness stroke the ground. Thick smoke swathed the visibility of everyone blanketed by it.Seconds had passed and the thickness of the mist lessened and what appeared was Vaati; alive and well.

Vaati wore the same flashy purplish robe and clogs. Vaati's skin was pale as moonlight and his eyes still reflected the apparent glow of benevolence. Despite wearing the same attire like before their last meeting, his demeanor seemed as if it.changed.

"Happy to see me, King of Hyrule?" Vaati asked, unaware of Link's identity. "I'm surely am. Anyways, you must retreat from this forest or face dark malevolence beyond your comprehension. The day of the Picori has arrived. Do not interfere with such matters."

Attempting to deepen his voice's tone, Link answered, "Very well then. Continue to meddle with the Kokiri and you'll find your little rebellion destroyed by fire and brimstone."

Thankfully, Vaati did not recognize the gruffy tone Link put in place. Instead, he asked in reproach, "You're not threatening me, are you?"

In a louder tone, Link declared, "It's a promise. For now, I'll take my leave but be wary in the future, Vaati. I don't like insurrections, especially those that are lead by your kind. Bye, for now."

Vaati scoffed and muttered, "You're quite the bold Hyrulian. Nonetheless, farewell, King of Hyrule."

Link nodded a final goodbye and turned to the opposite direction. He rallied his men together and all of them left altogether. They walked about half a mile, venturing over fallen branches and narrow pathways. Over a couple minutes later, they arrived back at their base camp.

A toasty campfire was made in the center with several tents surrounding it. Several soldiers were out patrolling the vicinity of the camp along with Romulus himself.

Romulus was gruffier than before. Wrinkles of age lined his forehead and cheeks. A scraggly beard covered hairless area that was his chin. He wore armour that resembled Link's but Romulus's cuirass bore the Phoenix symbol. Despite the aging he's endured, he still is cheerful as he was previously.

Shaking Link's hand, Romulus greeted, "Welcome back, sir. What did you see back there?"

Nervously scratching the back of his head and looking downward, Link informed, "Multiple casualties resulted from a battle between Kokiri and Picori that were warped here from their world and I got a pretty threatening warning from none other than himself, Vaati."

Romulus uncrossed his finger in unfortune of the news he was given. "Vaati, hmm? I don't see how he could be alive. There's nothing that I know of that could of done such a thing."

Link looked to the sky and bit his lip. Moments later, he responded: "Well, I can't think of anything."

Romulus nodded his head. "It'd be a good idea to alert the Hyrulian people and government of this."

Link shook his head and replied, "It'd be a bad idea. More bad than good would come out of it. A calm citizen is better tolerated than a bewildered one."

Romulus shrugged his shoulders and arched an eyebrow. "Guess you're right then, sir. That does make sense after all."

Link mounted upon his horse and every soldier including Romulus followed in sequence.

Link turned to his left where Romulus was situated and instructed, "We need to head back to Hyrule Castle and I must don in my Hyrulian green garb and leggings once more. Vaati and his minions might be expecting me but at least they don't know that I'm the king of Hyrule."

Romulus urged his horse began its journey back to Hyrule. Looking directly at Link, he urged in a whisper, "We might want to follow suit quickly then, sir."