Breath of the Wild: Link and Friends

Chapter 27

    A few hours and some fighting later, Link and the rest of his group were on top of the Sheikah tower with a new map. (Sorry, doing every tower they would get to is tedious) They were now ready to go into Hyrule Forest. Link could see it and it was shrouded in a thick fog and a moat, but he could see an absolutely enormous cherry blossom tree in the center of the forest. If Link's sword was anywhere over here, it was there.
   "Well, I gotta say, this is probably the most exciting thing I've ever done in my entire life," Kenton declared.
   "You need to get around then," Elijah said. "Luckily you've got us now."
   "We do this all the time," Elyza added.
   "This isn't even the most fun things we do," Zalie said, smirking.
   Link smiled a little to himself. They had all bonded with Kenton quickly. He had a bit of an ego, and was a little reckless—in the way a volcano is a little warm—but he was a good guy and likable.
   "Right, well, we gotta go now," Link said. "I think you all are on your own getting down. I think I'll just glide down."
   "What? No way. I'm coming with you," Zalie said.
   Link looked at her and shrugged. "Ok then."
   Link stood on the edge of the tower and Zalie held on to him. Link did see Kenton frown, looking a little jealous. He clearly had a crush on Zalie. Link kinda felt bad but he wasn't gonna tell Zalie no. So Link jumped off the tower and glided down to the steep road. The others followed slower and so Zalie and Link waited for a bit for them to join them. They hadn't brought the horses because they would be going back to the stable and the walk to the Great Hyrule Forest was short.
   Eventually the other 3 joined them and so they started walking. They were silent, but it wasn't quiet. As they neared the forest, that changed. The birds stopped chirping and the fog got denser. The trees had no leaves and there was a bubble of light ahead of them. Link drew his sword—just in case—and walked toward the light. As he did, the wind started blowing. It wasn't super strong exactly—it couldn't blow him over or anything—but it was distinct and not constant. It changed as he neared the light which turned out to be a set torch and a portable torch was next to it.
   "I don't like this place," Elyza whispered.
   "Me either," Zalie said softly, shivering but not from the cold.
   "Why are you guys talking so quietly?" Kenton asked, voice seeming quite loud in the stillness.
   Zalie shushed him and he went quiet. Link smiled and turned to face the eerie forest. He sheathed his sword and picked up the unlit torch.
   He lit the torch and started walking straight into the forest. The others followed behind him closely but Link soon lost sight of them as he walked. He could barely see at all. The dense pink fog had completely enveloped him and Link had no idea where he was going. He thought he heard distant yells but he didn't know for sure.
   Link walked for a while, aimless, when the fog suddenly broke and Link found himself back where they started by the broken archway by the lit torch. He looked around, confused. He hadn't turned around at all or turned period. Link looked back at the forest, but there was no dense pink fog.
   What in Hyrule is going on in this forest? Link thought. He walked back in but stopped at the torch and looked around.
   "Link! Link!" a voice called. It sounded like Elyza. Link looked around but saw no one. Just another torch to the right.
   "Guys?! Where are you?" another voice yelled. Elijah?
   "Anybody?!" yet another voice shouted. Kenton.
   Link looked all around. He couldn't see any of them.
   "Link! I found you!"
   Link turned around and found Zalie right where Link had ended up. She ran over to him.
   "I don't like this place. I felt like I wandered forever. I couldn't see in front of me until I ended up here. Where is everybody?" Zalie whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.
   "I don't know," Link whispered back. "Zalie, I think this is what protects the sword that seals the darkness. It's a puzzle. A test. To see if we can even make it to it. I feel like these torches are apart of it."
   "Um, ok, but what do we do?" Zalie asked quietly.
   "Not sure yet." Link looked at the torch to the side. "You said you got lost in that thick fog too right?"
   "Yeah, why?"
   Link didn't answer but started walking directly to the other flame. He reached it no trouble but he felt the wind change directions suddenly. He frowned and looked at the fire. Its sparks were following the wind. Link walked back to the other torch but the sparks were flying towards the other torch. Link walked back again and saw the sparks aiming towards another torch in front.
   "I think we follow the torches. They are aiming at each other. C'mon," Link said.  
   Zalie followed him as he walked towards the next few torches. They reached the last one and Link looked around. Link grabbed the torch on his back and stared at it.
   "Link, I don't see another torch. What do we do? Should we find the others?" Zalie asked.
   Link didn't answer. He looked at the last torch. Its sparks still seemed to be going in a specific direction.
   "I think we have to find our own way from here. With our own torch," Link answered finally.
   "Just wander aimlessly until we find your sword? Link, we don't even know where we're going in here," Zalie said.
   "No, we don't, it's true." Link paused. "But I know my sword is here. I can...hear it. Calling. It's been waiting for 100 years for me to come back."
   "If you say so. I trust you," Zalie said, still looking worried. "But, how will we meet up with the others?"
   "I don't know. Maybe they'll figure the puzzle out," Link replied.
   "Link, if the puzzle were easy to figure out, a bunch of people would have done it already," Zalie said flatly.
   "Well, you can go back by yourself to where we both ended up after getting lost and wait for them," Link said, lighting his torch and walking forward. Zalie looked indecisive. "Come with till we find it and then you'll know how to get back in and you can go get them." Zalie hesitated but finally nodded.
   They walked forward, Link leading. He stopped and looked at where the sparks were flying from the wind. He went the direction it flew and they didn't walk into any dense pink fog. They hadn't walked far when they heard more yells.
   "Zalie! Zalie?! Link?! Where are you?" Kenton's voice called.
   Zalie turned towards the sound but suddenly screamed. Link whirled around to see what was there and jumped.
   It was a tree that looked carved into a terrifying and creepy distorted face. It didn't looked carved by any Hylian or any race for that matter. The scream did set off panicked yells.
   "Zalie! Zalie are you ok?!" came Kenton's cries.
   Yep. He definitely liked her.
   "Kenton! We're ok! Zalie is fine! Find a torch and follow the trail of sparks!" Link yelled. Zalie was shaking and staring at the tree. She latched onto Link's arm. Link wanted to calm her down but they needed to keep going.
   Still, he let her hold onto him and he followed the sparks of the torch's flame. They passed more of those freaky trees and Link eventually saw a pass between a rocky, steep, hill. The wind and sparks were pointing him there.
   Link walked into the pass and the fog dissipated quickly and the scenery went from dead and barren to a burst of life and green and light. Link had forgotten it was the middle of the day. He put out his torch and walked through a hollow, fallen stump and what he saw dazzled him.
   The light was streaming through the trees perfectly onto a triangular pedestal with a brilliant sword rammed into the stone. Link looked around and saw a lot of koroks. He looked back at the sword and grinned. He found it. He walked towards it and stepped onto the stone in front of it and reached to grab it when a rumbling, ancient voice spoke.
   "Who is that...? Did I doze off again?"
   Link looked up and saw an enormous tree that had a face. It was moving which was bizarre in its own right. But it was also the biggest tree that must have ever existed. It didn't appear to have eyes but it seemed to see him anyway.
   "Hrm? Well, well...it's you. You finally decided to return," the big tree said. It had a slow and tired way of speaking. "Better late than never. After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even my patience has its limits, you know...."
   At this, Link saw a bunch of little koroks peek out and look at him.
   "The look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however," the tree went on. Link said nothing but glanced down. He really wanted to remember but that never worked out for him. "I have watched over Hyrule for time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree. That is the weapon created by the Goddess. The sword that seals the darkness—that only the chosen knight can wield against the Calamity Ganon. Believe it or not...it was actually you who wielded that sword 100 years ago. But I must warn you to take extreme caution.
   "The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it," the Deku Tree warned. "As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not..." Link looked at two little koroks who ran out and attempted to pull a stick out of the ground as if it were the sword. "If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." One of the koroks pretended to die by trying to pull out the sword. Link looked back at the Deku tree. "Best of luck, young one... If you hope to pull the sword from its resting place, you must use your true strength. Let us see whether or not you currently possess said power."
   Link looked down at the sword and hesitated. Could he do it? Did he have the true strength? 
   "You can do it, Link. We know you can," Zalie said.
   "We?" Link turned around and found all the others had made it. Elijah gave him a fist and nodded. Kenton nodded. Elyza smiled and mouthed, "Go for it."
   Link smiled and turned back to the sword. He reached out and grasped the handle of the sword with both his hands.
   Link immediately felt as if his strength was being drained. Like it was being tested all on its own. As if the sword was inspecting every inch of his soul. His knees nearly buckled and he felt weak. He kept hold of the sword and this test seemed to last forever as it stole his very life.
   Link could only focus on the sword. He was determined to get it. All of Hyrule depended on it. Zelda was depending on him. She couldn't defeat the Calamity without him. She'd already been fighting it for 100 years by herself. While he'd been asleep. He kept pulling on the sword, trying to withdraw it from its resting place to prove his worthiness. He. Would. Succeed.
   When the sword finally gave and Link pulled it out, it was surprisingly easy. It was a perfectly balanced sword as if it had been made by a divine power. Which it, of course, had. He swung it around, feeling it and held it up in the sunlight, feeling his strength return.
  The sword held memories he could feel now and saw. Zelda had placed it here to heal as he had. She had known Link would come for it even though he had lost his memories. Zelda learned from the sword that she had a role to finish. She wanted to tell him something. But she didn't say. It seemed that leaving the sword here was the last thing she did before she went to face Ganon all by herself.
   Link lowered the sword.
   "What you just saw happened where you stand 100 years ago...after you were separated from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here where she knew that it would be safe under my watch," the Deku Tree said. "She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. She has a smile like the sun...I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again."
   Link nodded and wiped his face. "I will save her."
   "That blade has a name...it is the Master Sword. When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his Malice, it will become suffused with holy light...at such times, the true power of the sword will manifest...but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. If you wield it without need, its power will be exhausted and will no longer be of use to you. ...Should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover. It would be rash to rely on this sword alone to defeat Ganon...I suggest you free all the Divine Beasts before facing him," the Deku Tree said.
   Link nodded and held the sword before him. "I will. I won't fail. I can't."
   "Then go. She has been waiting for too long already," the Deku Tree said.
  Link nodded once more and turned to his friends who were grinning broadly. Their happiness was infectious and Link found himself smiling as well. "We've got work to do then."

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Sorry for the gap in posting these. I just forget. Good thing I post multiple at a time.