Chapter One
A Breath of Fresh Air
Open your eyes.
A fair voice pierced the darkness. Its tender call persuaded the young man’s eyes to open. Blue light blinded his sight as the voice continued its prodding.
Open your eyes. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the light until he could faintly make out the source.
Open your eyes. He could feel that his body was submerged in a sort of liquid with only his head breaking the surface.
Wake up, Link. The voice sounded stronger this time, almost desperate to wake him up. It was then that Link realized the voice was talking to him. “Whose voice is that?” he wondered. “Where is it coming from?” The cold liquid began to drain from the place where he was lying. As strength returned to his body, Link sat up and looked around for the source of the voice. The darkness made it difficult to make out any shapes; the blue light that shone from a light fixture over Link’s head dimly lit his surroundings. Orange dots connected by lines were spaced across the walls like constellations in the night sky. Aside from the altar where he slept, the only other object he could see was a small pedestal that seem to jut out of the ground. A similar blue light glowed from the top of it.
Unable to find any sign of life, Link climbed off the altar and walked over to the pedestal, his legs wobbling with each step. How long had he been asleep for? Maybe a better question is why was he asleep? His mind became fuzzy when he tried to think of a reason.
As soon as he stopped in front of it, the statue activated. The blue light glowed stronger and the middle piece rose a few inches from the pedestal. It turned clockwise, unlatching a sort of stone tile with a blue eye in the middle. Orange lines, similar to the ones on the wall, decorated the front.
That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber. Link looked around but no one was in sight. “Well, might as well take it”, he reasoned with himself. The slate felt cool to the touch, and he wondered if it had been here as long as he had. He turned the slate over to the opposite side to find his reflection looking back at him. How could a mirror guide him? Suddenly, the same eye on the other side of the slate appeared on the glass. Even though this was the first time he had seen the slate, there was something familiar about it. Once again his mind went blank.
After a few moments, the pedestal returned back to its former position and the wall behind it started to open, revealing another room. This room seemed to be a storage place, with old boxes and broken barrels. Two chests stood in the middle of the room; behind it, a descending staircase led to a large wall like door. The room felt similar to the previous one because of the same blue light illuminating the room. Link walked up to the two chests, which were placed in front of the staircase as if to make sure he saw them. Curiosity nagged at him, and he thought he might as well take a peek. In the left one, he found an old shirt coming apart at the seams, and on the right, a pair of well-worn pants and boots. As he pulled the pieces of clothing out of the chests, Link realized that aside from his skin-tight shorts, he was naked. He quickly put on the pants and shirt, grateful that from what he could tell no one was around to see him. The shirt smelt like a musty swamp, and the legs of the pants barely covered his calves, but at least he had some protection. He put on the leather boots easily and proceeded to walk down the stairs.
Another pedestal, almost identical to the one in the previous room, stood at the bottom of the stairs. His strength returning as he walked towards the pedestal, Link hoped the voice would come back and give him a little more guidance. As if on cue, the voice pierced the dull ambience of the room.
Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way. Seeing as there was no reason to doubt the instruction, Link grabbed the slate from his hip and tapped it on the pedestal. The lights on the pedestal switched from orange to blue, and another voice spoke out of it; however, compared to the first voice, this one sounded unnatural and monotonic. “Authenticating…” There was a slight pause. “Sheikah Slate confirmed.”
The same blue light flashed on the wall in front of Link, taking the shape of a crying eye; the same eye that was on the Sheikah Slate. Seven pillars separated from the wall and started to rise up through the ceiling. Sunlight barged into the room nearly blinding Link. He placed his hand over his eyes in hopes of seeing what he presumed to be the outside.
Link… You are the light —our light—that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now, go…
Another staircase lay before him; this time going up towards the source of the light. With a renewed sense of energy and excitement, Link ran up the broken stairs, jumping over any hazardous steps. Long patches of grass covered the opening, tickling his exposed calves as he ran out of the cave, past the trees, over the bushes, and into the warmth of the sun. Singing birds and chirping bugs greeted him as he ran further away from the exit. Link finally stopped to catch his breath on top of a high cliff, soaking in all the sights and sounds around. Lush, green trees dotted the land, patches of untouched grass flowed with the movement of the wind, and towering mountains watched over the rivers and plains. In the middle of his view, a castle stood tall and proud, a symbol of the people who built it.
Link continued to enjoy the view, breathing in the fresh air. Everything around him felt refreshing and alive, filling his heart with hope. Yet, the longer he looked at the landscape, the more he felt like he had seen this place before. A nagging feeling of deja vu occupied his mind, trying to tell him something… But what was it? He could only remember waking up from the cave and nothing past that. He ignored the annoying feeling and went back to admiring the view.
Another building caught his attention; however, holes plagued the rooftop, and parts of the outside structure were missing. Weeds and grass surrounded the courtyard as if no person had entered the building in sometime. In fact, there were no signs of any sort of recent Hylian activity anywhere. No houses with chimney smoke, no farmers attending their flocks, and no townsfolk selling their goods to each other. Link expected to at least meet the source of the voice, but that too was invisible.
Just as he decided to at least get a better look at the worn down building closest to him, Link spotted a figure standing in front of a small cave looking his way. “Could that be the voice?” Excited, Link sprinted down the hillside.
The smell of baked apples arose as he grew closer to the cave, making his stomach growl. It seemed filling his belly was something he neglected to do while asleep. Inside the cave, a fire burned brightly, lighting up the inside and revealing what appeared to be a small home. A straw bed with a blanket covering lay against the cave wall; seven pots of different shapes and sizes sat next to the bed. A pelt of a giant beast covered the cave floor, perhaps the previous owner of the cave. Unfortunately, the person Link saw from the cliff was not inside or anywhere near the cave. “They probably ran off when they saw me coming,” he thought, “Might as well wait here.” He sat beside the fire warming his hands and feet, wondering what he would say to the person when they returned. For some reason or another, Link thought waking up from a closed off cave would be considered far from normal and not the most appropriate detail to bring up with a stranger.
He gazed into the fire trying to think of a good conversation starter, when he noticed the source of the cooked apple smell roasting in the fire. Once again, Link’s stomach growled in discomfort. Unable to handle the pain anymore, he grabbed a nearby stick and stabbed the apple. The apple looked soft and juicy; in other words, a perfectly cooked apple ready to eat. After letting the apple cool a little, he took a bite. Warm, sweet juices burst in his mouth as he bit into it, and the soft flesh tasted like warm applesauce. Pleased with his first bite of food in a long time, Link proceeded to eat the rest.
“I BEG YOUR PARDON! I do believe that is my baked apple!” Link nearly jumped into the fire. He turned around to face a tall, bearded man glaring at him. A hood hid the old man’s face except for his deep blue eyes and long white beard. He held a walking stick with an oil lantern attached in one hand, and a stuffed sack in the other. “You can’t just go about taking whatever you please! I expect more manners from a Hylian! The nerve!”
Link frantically tried to apologize, “I-I am so sorry! If I had known you were saving the apple, I wouldn't have eaten it, I swear! I can find you a another apple.” The old man continued to glare at him, making Link feel horribly guilty.
Suddenly, the old man’s stern face cracked and the cave echoed with his boisterous laughter. “Har har har! Forgive me, I couldn’t help myself. I merely jest. Your reaction made it more than worth it. Har har har!” The old man tossed the sack next to the fire causing apples to roll out of it. “Please, enjoy! There is plenty of food to share.”
Bewildered, Link laughed anxiously, slowly picking up the closest apple. The old man looked at him as if expecting Link to say something, but he didn’t know exactly how to react to the strange man. A little disappointed, the old man grabbed a couple of apples, tossed them into the fire, and sat on the opposite side . They watched the flames dance around the fruit as the smokey aroma sweetened.
“How about some meat?” The old man walked over to one of the pots and pulled out slabs of raw meat covered in salt. He placed them into a well-used pot and hung it over the fire. As the meat started to sizzle, he threw in some mushrooms and added seasoning, the smell of which made Link’s mouth water. While tending to the cooking, the old man tried again to make conversation. “It is a bit of a surprise to see a fellow traveller these days. Where do you hail from?”
Link continued to stare at the food. He didn’t bother trying to remember; all of his memories prior to his time in the cave were gone. Any attempts to think back brought more confusion than clarity. At the moment, the identity of the stranger bothered him more than his amnesia.
“Who are you?” he questioned.
The old man smiled and answered calmly, “I need not be a concern of yours. I’m just a strange old man, that’s all. One who has lived, alone, for quite some time now. But enough of that. What about you, young one? What are you doing here?”
Another probing question. Link felt uncomfortable sharing his lost of memory and ignored the question entirely. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to know where are we?”
“Answering a question with a question. Fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence… I shall tell you.” He gave Link a plate of meat, mushrooms, and baked apples, which Link accepted graciously. Although he was wary of the old man, his hunger wouldn’t allow him to pass on food. They enjoyed their meal as the sun passed high noon. After finishing off one more apple, Link felt rejuvenated and full of energy, but more importantly, he could focus on the old man’s words. The old man pulled out a pipe from his tunic pocket, and proceeded to blow smoke rings above the fire, each one twirling around the fire smoke until disappearing in the air.
“This is the Great Plateau,” he said. “According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule, an empire that spanned the entire land. I’m sure your parents read stories to you about it when you were a small child. Stories about brave heroes,wise princesses, and a powerful darkness. It’s nothing more than a legend these days, passed down from generation to generation, and many find it hard to believe that a kingdom as grand as Hyrule’s existed. Yet, there is proof. It is here on the Great Plateau where that evidence of the kingdom of Hyrule resides.”
“What proof is there?” Link asked intrigued.
“The ruins, my boy! The ruins.” Hoisting himself from the ground with his walking stick, the old man walked over to the entrance of the cave, beckoning Link to follow. Link quickly sprung up and jogged towards the old man who pointed away from the cave with his staff. “That temple there…” To the right of the cave stood the old, crumbling building that Link noticed up on the cliff top; the overgrown plants were more visible than before.
“Long ago, that was the site of many sacred ceremonies to the Goddesses. Since the decline of the kingdom, it now sits abandoned, in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity; a mere ghost of its former self. A relic of the proud history of Hyrule. Below the courtyard of the temple, lay a large town, which I imagine served as a marketplace for villagers across the land. What I would give to see that town during the busiest of times, packed with travellers and merchants…” His voice trailed off, overcome with thought.
Link, too, looked at the temple and the area below it. He imagined hundreds of Hylians gathered around a tall fountain located in the middle of a town. He could see merchants arguing with customers over fair pricing, farmers selling the harvest of their crops to city folk, and traveling troupes entertaining crowds with magic tricks. The image seemed so clear in his mind, as if it were a memory.
“It’s hard to argue these ruins could be anything else,” reasoned Link. “But why are people so convinced it’s a legend, and not history?”
The old man smiled at Link. “As I mentioned previously, I don’t see many travelers around these parts. Most Hylians avoid traveling near the Great Plateau due to superstition. Such things don’t bother me, so here I stay, lost in the past. That is why seeing you here surprised me.”
Unsure if he could trust the old man, Link decided to change the subject. “Well, I believe you’re on to something. It must take a lot of courage to go against the words of others.”
“You are too kind, young one.”
“No, I mean it. Looking around myself, I think there has to be someone who built the temple and the castle north of here.”
“That castle is different,” The smile on the old man’s face vanished. “It no longer represents the past of Hyrule, but the unfortunate present.
Before Link could ask for clarification, the old man walked back inside the cave, gathered the uncooked apples, and proceeded to place them in another pot. Surprised by the old man’s sudden seriousness, Link leaned against the mouth of the cave staring at the temple in the distant. He felt a mysterious aura surrounding the ancient building, as if it concealed an ancient secret. He wondered if that could be where the voice in his cave came from. Obviously, the fair voice did not belong to a tall, aged man, and since he knew of nobody else to talk to, Link decided the best course of action would be to explore the abandoned temple.
“Well, stranger, I must be on my way,” said the old man, interrupting Link’s train of thought. “You are free to stay here as long as you desire, but do not let that stop you from continuing your journey. I will not mind either way.”
“After hearing your talk about the temple over there, I thought about heading in that direction and exploring the site.”
The old man beamed at him. “A fellow explorer, I see? Excellent! I am sure it will be a life-changing adventure. Now, before you go, I want to give you something.” He ran to the back of the cave where the fire barely lit the walls, and started rummaging through a few number of items. When he returned, he held a dented, rusty sword in his hands and offered it to Link.
“Hyrule is not the safe haven it used to be, and it would be unwise to travel unarmed. It’s dangerous to go alone, take this.”
