From what Link heard of Hyrule in all of the stories, he never would have guessed the size of it. He only wished Andim or anybody would be able to see it with him. As Epona walked over the field with him, he looked at the never ending landscape.
The past hours of sightseeing for him only seemed like ten minutes. Around the time where he got used to it, he finally remembered why he was there in the first place. It was getting late and he had been blindly moving nowhere, that he knew of at least.
As the sun set on the horizon, Link looked for a place to stay the night. He thought that Epona had walked enough for the day anyway. Around a few trees and a small river, Link got off Epona and started a small fire.
Around the weak flame, Link could barely see the map. He saw his home town, Toaru, where he began, and Hyrule City. He looked around at his surroundings and then at the map that symbolized his surroundings.
He realized that he went in the wrong direction for at least half of his trip. And to make matters worse, he was in demon territory. He had to keep a sharp eye as the words of Mayor Doran echoed in his mind, “Many demons and monsters will be after this. It must be delivered safely.”
He looked on the map in hopes that he would find the river he was sitting next to. He scanned the map until he found a small river that seemed reasonable to where he was at. “Hylia River,” Link said to himself. “We didn’t go too far away off track. We should be back on the right path by midday tomorrow,” he said to Epona.
Epona looked rather tired and fatigued. Link noted her tired look and said to her, “Yeah, I’m hungry too.” He stood up and checked Epona for food supplies. He pulled out a juicy apple for himself and one for Epona as well.
He sat up against Epona and looked up at the stars in the moonless night. “I wonder how Andim and all of the villagers are doing,” Link thought as he took a bite from his apple.
“I think it’s time we go to bed,” Link said to Epona. “We still have a long way until we reach Hyrule City.” Link took out a blanket and rested up against Epona. He let the fire burn in hopes that it would ward off demons.
Link fell asleep a lot easier than he expected to out in the wild. He slept soundly and dreamt about his home village of Toaru. All the people doing their work. And Andim helping him at his job. He hoped that Andim wasn’t worrying about him, and vice-versa.
Link awoke the next morning to the slight smell of burning grass. He opened his eyes immediately, recognizing the smell. He bolted upright and saw that some of the fire had caught on the surrounding glass.
It didn’t take Link long to put it out, but his heart was still pounding as he did. He was reminded of a certain “accident” that happened in his home which drove him to keep a bucket of water by his bedside at all times.
Link looked up at the sky and noticed that it was still early. The sun was barely up at all. The festival wasn’t until a few days, but Link was always testy when it came to a time limit. He saddled up Epona, packed all of the things he had out for that night, and set off.
As he rode off to Hyrule city, he held the artifact in his left hand and held Epona’s reins in the other. His entire body ached to uncover the piece of cloth and see what Mayor Doran didn’t want him to see. But every time his hand reached for it, he stopped and remembered to stay loyal to his duties.
After another uneventful day of riding across Hyrule, Link began to feel the effects of loneliness. He was so bored all the time because he had seen no demons after the artifact. He began to wonder if all of that was just a lie to keep him more focused and alert.
Link resorted to talking to Epona and, unintentionally, to himself. Answering his own questions, having conversations with himself or just talking to the birds that flew overhead.
He nearly cursed Mayor Doran’s name for trying to scare him like that. Link was now craving action and battles, but of course, there was none. He began to wonder if anyone would want to have the thing. That is, until one day.
The next day began with an unwelcoming rainstorm. It poured hard down on Link and Epona. Link’s poncho wasn’t doing much good for him, and Epona was soaking wet, even from under Link.
Epona walked slowly and Link didn’t mind at all. He wouldn’t be moving so fast if he were her either. Link sneezed. Was he coming down with a cold? He hoped not. Hyrule City wasn’t too far away now. And how bad would it be if you were sneezing in front of the Royal Family?
For the first time during the whole trip, he was glad that there really were no monsters after the artifact. But the one good thing about that day was soon shattered when he felt that something big was galloping up behind him. He turned around, scared.
There, behind him, was a huge ogre with a club, twice the size as him. He was charging at Link. Link whipped Epona with her reins and made her charge forward, away from the monster.
“I’m beginning to think that Mayor Doran wasn’t lying about the monsters,” Link said to Epona. Each second of riding away, Link looked behind him and how far away the ogre was from him. Each time he turned around, he saw that it was getting closer.
The ogre was going pretty fast for being really big and riding a boar. Link soon realized that the ogre was being followed by his team. They were smaller than the leader, but still big enough to flatten him if he didn’t fight back.
Now the band of ogres surrounded him. One from the side of him knocked him off and sent him flying many feet in front of Epona. Link clenched the object in his hand and accidentally let it go a few feet before him. Link landed on his face. He looked up, wiped the mud off of his face and saw that the object was uncovered slightly. He lay there for a long moment and just stared at the flash of green that he saw. He shook his head, knowing that he wasn’t supposed to look at it.
He jumped up, ran over to pick the object up and started running. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled for Epona to come up to him. She did as she ran by his side until Link was able to jump up on her from the side.
As soon as Link found his balance, he started to run from the ogres again. But he knew now that he couldn’t outrun them. He stopped Epona and turned her around.
“Let’s go Epona. I’m tired of playing defense,” said Link.
Epona didn’t seem to argue. Link unsheathed his sword and charged at the smaller ogres. He went for the one that was closest to him. He slashed his sword at him, knocking him off. Not paying attention to him, he focused on the next two that were a little in front of him.
His pushed one off with his right hand and whacked the other one’s face with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. The other one fell off. Now there were three left on their boars, including the leader.
Link set the artifact down the tight part of his tunic, to keep it in place. He was now closest to the leader. He slashed at his back, but his sword bounced back and vibrated rapidly, causing Link to squiggle around some.
When Link regained focus, he saw that the three ogres had gotten back on their rides. Link felt a little discouraged at that moment. Then, through the rain, he remembered his training back at Toaru. His master told him: “Whenever you are outnumbered in a battle, always take the leader down. The rest will follow.”
Link quietly thanked the old man, even though he couldn’t hear him, for helping him out. Even if he wasn’t there.
“Ok, I just have to get the leader…..but how?” Link thought to himself. “My sword will just ricochet off his armor. I have to take him down in one powerful shot.”
Link studied him as he rode in circles around him. “What it I slash him in the eye? Then he’ll blind, right? Oh damn he’s got two eyes!”
Link looked at his armor. It was held together by string. All he had to do was cut the string and all his armor would fall off and he would be wide open. Link put his plan to work.
He rode up as close to the leader as he could. Then felt a shower of arrows pelt his back. He was lucky that he had his shield on. As soon as Link was close enough, he sliced cleanly through string, sending the thin metal flying. Then Link blindly slashed at the ogre as best as he could.
He felt his sword tear through the ogre’s tough flesh. Now the grass, and most of Link’s face, was stained with odd-colored blood. The leader, wounded and disoriented, called a retreat and rode off into the thunderous clouds on the horizon.
Link let out a huge sigh of relief and exhaustion. He knew now that Mayor Doran wasn’t lying about the demons and monsters after the artifact. Link wanted more than ever to see what they were after so badly.
But Link, again, remembered to stay with why he was there in the first place. He glanced up at the sky and let the rain cleanse his face of blood. He felt a wonderful feeling on victory. He was happy that now he can fight more and feel that wonderful feeling more. But at the same time was afraid. Afraid that he would have the thirst for blood and wind up hurting the ones he loved.
Link mounted Epona and rode onward to Hyrule City. After a while of riding, the rain had stopped pouring and the sun came out. It dried Link and Epona off. Then, off in the distance, Link saw a beautiful, huge and tremendous white castle coming into view.
For that brief moment, Link felt that that view made the entire trip worthwhile. It took a few more hours to arrive at the castle. Each step making it seem bigger and bigger.
As the sun went down, candles were being lit. People were gathering around the castle for the festival. Link dismounted Epona and tied her up the a post.
The whole place looked like a orange colored painting. People wore masks and celebrated time. Link held the object with both his hands. He looked around at all of the strange people. But then again, he wasn’t a very common person either.
This place, he soon learned, was the town market. Then he set his eyes in the castle. Some people were being escorted there already. Link knew that that was where he needed to be. He walked up to the castle, eyes fixed, not looking at anything else.
“That is where I need to be….” Link said to himself.
He walked up to one of the guards. “Excuse me,” Link said nervously.
“Yes sir?” the guard politely replied.
“I’m from Toaru, I have something to give to the Royal Family.”
“Ah yes, Toaru Village. How come Mayor Doran didn’t come this time?”
“I’m not sure. He just asked me to deliver this.” Link held up the object for the guard to see. The man’s eyes went blank.
“Yes, of course. We knew this day would come….Please follow me to the Royal Family’s chamber…..”
Link hesitantly followed him, not knowing what to expect next…..
