The Wind Waker

XII

LINK'S MOUTH was agape as he held his hand in the flowing water. His whole life, he had seen the churning waves of the sea, but this was different. It was clear, like water drawn from the well on Outset.

The Codex had spoken of the ancient hero traveling along Zora's River. He had always imagined it, but now he himself walked on a river's bank.

Link stood up, looking back down the path he'd come. The island was crowded with large trees, all huddled around a massive tree in the center of the island, which towered above the forest canopy. He could see colorful birds gliding between the trees, making strange calls to each other.

He adjusted his equipment, and continued on. He came to several places where the path continued on the other side of the river, and he carefully crossed on small wet stones.

As he rounded a corner in the trail, he came to a full stop. Two massive walls of flowing water cascaded ahead. They thundered like continuous crashing waves. They never ceased, as if a massive jar was pouring limitless water.

He remained in the area for several minutes, gazing at it. Once again, the Codex of Time was coming to life.

The river had smaller falls as he traveled up it. Finally, the river flowed into the thicker woods, and the daylight became much dimmer. As the trees grew more dense, he was forced to begin walking through the river itself, though it had grown shallow and slow. It led him into an expansive glade.

There was a very ancient feeling about the place. A natural sacredness, protected inside the absolutely gigantic hollow tree. It was probably the most peaceful place he'd ever been. Even the creatures of the forest seemed to quiet themselves.

Odd, motes of yellow light twirled through the air. Fireflies. Another thing he'd only studied in books. Other than the sound of crickets and frogs croaking, he couldn't hear any sign of the Koroks who were supposed to be in the woods.

He walked out onto the bank of the stream, the forest floor crunching beneath his boots.

Link stopped walking.

He heard a groaning noise. It sounded like the groaning the pirate's ship had made rocking in the waves. As he slowly walked closer to the sound, he realized it was irregular, it sounded... alive.

He came to a tall, gnarled tree in the center of the glade. While he was walking around it, he was caught off guard. For the second time, he saw a creature of living wood.

Unlike the King of Red Lions though, the tree's face was a natural, knotty growth. The tree's face slowly contorted, a pained expression there.

Link walked up to the wood, and he was repulsed by an oozing substance in the cracks of the bark. Was this disgusting slime the cause of the tree's apparent pain? He decided to find out.

Without planning beforehand.
Link found a larger glob of the convulsing goo, and thrust his sword into it. The goo shrank back, and he saw other patches of the goo retreat.

The tree suddenly bellowed in pain, and Link flinched. A large protrusion of goo wriggled its way out of the bark, and slid onto the ground.

Dividing into parts, the goo revealed itself as a swarm of chuchus. Chuchus normally didn't get much larger than a rupee, but these were gross, abnormal, oily creatures unlike any chuchus he'd ever seen. Their protruding crossed eyes grew out of their bodies, and they began oozing towards him.

He began striking at them, making sure to thrust right through their center and out the other side, the only way to kill them.

Link kept his distance, darting out of the way when they'd pounce towards him. Normal chu chus carried a mild venom that couldn't seriously harm you, but he wasn't going to risk these abnormal ones.