Winds Of Change

VI: Stables

Meilen and Link approached the bridge cautiously, only to find that no monsters were on it. There was only a man, standing on the other end of the bridge. They began to walk towards him, seeking information.

"The end is here..." The man muttered. Meilen pulled on the mask part of her outfit, and cleared her throat. The man did not move, but he continued talking. "I may be used to seeing bad omens by now, but this is badder than most... "

"Excuse me?" Link asked quietly, hoping to grab the man's attention. The man whipped around, finally taking notice of the two figures behind him.

"We're doomed!" He shouted, startling both of the youth. "I mean, don't panic. Sorry, who are you? Have we met? Well, doesn't matter who you are, really. I was getting tired of talking to myself, so you both have come at a good time. By the by, those strange things popped out of the ground... Did you see them?"

"More like we activated them..." Meilen mumbled under her breath. Link nudged her, silently telling her to shut up while the man was talking.

"I've been keeping an eye on things, just in case it starts moving." The man explained, turning to look at the Guardian.

"You mean the Guardian Stalker? Those things won't activate unless someone gets close to them, that is, if they have any power left in them at all." Meilen questioned. The man gave her a funny look.

"How do you know what they're called and how they work?" He asked. Meilen winced.

"It's an old legend. The people in my village told stories of the Great Calamity that happened one hundred years ago. Some of the elders were young children when it occurred." Meilen lied quickly. She felt as though it would be putting the man in danger if she told him the truth. The man gave her one last odd look, before shrugging it off.

"Alright, be careful as you go. Some Bokoblins have made camps up ahead!" The man called as Meilen and Link walked off. They continued along the road, only stopping when they saw the Sheikah Tower across the river. Using the Cryonis Rune, they crossed it. The duo climbed the tower, and activated it.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Scanning local resources... Sheikah Tower activated. Local map installed.

They then glided back down to the road and continued along their way. They followed the road as the king instructed, and soon came across a stable called "Dueling Peaks Stable". They walked up to the front desk, looking for someone to help them.

"Welcome to Dueling Peaks Stable!" A man greeted them. "What do you think of the place? Pretty nice, yeah? F.Y.I. if you manage to catch a horse, take it to my brother, Tasserren, and he'll help you register your horse for 20 rupees." Meilen thanked him and asked about the stables.

"Well, we run a pretty lively business, but a few days ago, the structure in the water over there began to glow, attracting adventurers. 'Course, one of 'em is incredibly full of himself and won't let anyone else near it until he 'conquers' it. Bad for business, he is, but we can't get him to go away." The man explained, pointing to a tall and muscular Hylian teen. He had black, slicked back hair, and a face that slightly resembled that of a fox. Meilen raised an eyebrow and turned to the man.

"What's his name?" She asked, her gaze turning into a glare as she peered at the arrogant youth.

"His name's Aleph Suehans. He's downright cocky, but he's strong, so I wouldn't be picking a fight with him." The man answered, before turning to his brother to talk. Link gave Meilen a nod, and they approached the shrine. As they approached, Aleph heard the footsteps and turned to them. He raised an eyebrow at the youth, and stopped them.