The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild- Ch. 9

Ch. 9- Journey to Kakariko Village
Part 1

 Link stood at the northeastern edge of the Great Plateau, staring out towards the horizon. The sun shined bright as it rose higher and higher into the sky, revealing the land below: grassy knolls and plains with dirt roads ahead...and ruins of old buildings abound, moss-ridden and decayed...and beyond that were the two mountains: the Dueling Peaks. Somewhere beyond those peaks lied Kakariko Village, as the ghost of King Rhoam had said...and now, Link, as well as his wolf companion, had to head there to find the answers he sought.

 Taking a few steps back, Link grunted as he began to run towards the edge before he pushed off with his foot, then, just as he was beginning to fall, he quickly unfolded the paraglider and held it up above his head...and soon, he began to slowly descend towards the ground. Link gasped at the feeling of floating...and yet he couldn't help but feel at awe. It was almost as if he were weightless, the wind carrying him like a tiny leaf from a branch.

 He almost felt...free.

 Before too long, he landed upon the dirt, folding the paraglider away for the time being. As soon as he was about to walk, he turned and, sure enough, the wolf had appeared at his side within a moment's notice. Link smiled as he pet the lupine on the head, causing him to pant happily as he wagged his tail. Soon, the two proceeded ahead, focused on the task that had been set before them. However, as they continued walking, they almost forgot the one crucial rule when it came to exploring this wilderness: watch your surroundings.

 The wolf suddenly growled, alerting Link to nearby danger, and sure enough, there it was. It looked like a Bokoblin, but it was rather tall and lanky in stature, and it was holding a large, wooden club in its hand.

 A Moblin. Surely, it was stronger and more resilient than your ordinary run of the mill Bokoblin. It lumbered Link and his companion, growling as its tongue lulled out of its long maw. Link gritted his teeth as he brandished his spear and pointed at the Moblin, who raised the giant club in its hand and prepared to swing, but then, the wolf leapt up and buried his claws into its shoulder, snapping his fangs at the jugular vein while the large goblin tried to pry him off. Seizing an opportunity to attack, Link thrust the spear into the monster's front, causing him to bellow in pain as it felt the spearhead piercing its flesh. However, it proved to be a much stronger threat, for it soon kicked Link away, knocking the young warrior to the ground. Then, the Moblin grabbed the wolf and tossed him to the ground, as well, causing him to yelp in pain, but as he got back to his feet, he gasped as he the Moblin tried to bludgeon him with its club, again, but Link quickly jumped to his companion's defense, stabbing the monster right in the back with his Throwing Spear, the head of which pierced right out through the Moblin's chest, causing it to gurgle in pain as purple blood bubbled from its throat, then it fell down to the ground before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only its horn, a few fangs, and its club.

 Link sighed in relief as he wiped his forehead, then looked over to the wolf, who approached him while wagging his tail, no worse for wear. A few small scratches, but nothing a little time couldn't heal.

 Just as it seemed like they were safe, though, they heard a deep growling sound behind them, causing them to turn see two more Moblins. Link gasped as he began to back away, as did the wolf. It wasn't because of fear or lack of confidence, but rather because taking on two Moblins seemed to be biting off more than both Link and the wolf could chew, especially in Link's current state. With that, they turned and ran, but the Moblins gave chase, growling and waving their clubs around as they continued to flee. Thankfully, though, it didn't seem that these monsters were very fast. After the duo got a good distance away from them, the Moblins just stopped, panting heavily before they waved them off and turned to leave, giving up on the chase.

 Link heaved a sigh of relief as he and the wolf hid behind a stone wall, peeking around the corner to check if they were still being followed. Once they had assured themselves that everything was all clear, they came out of their hiding spot. They then looked at each other, as if to give each other a quick once-over, before they nodded and turned to continue down the road. As they continued onward, Link began to see more and more of the devastation that littered Hyrule field. Wagons, shattered and rotted from rain and time itself, the stone bricks that were once sturdy that housed people, and he could even make destroyed furniture, like chairs, tables, and even beds. What really made Link's heart sink, though, was the sight of old toys, such as a horse figurine, carved out of wood, and a doll in the shape of a knight wearing wearing armor.

 Link stared sadly at the ruins of Hyrule. To think, this Calamity Ganon was so powerful that it completely devastated the entire kingdom...and he was once in the middle of it all...yet he could nothing to save the innocent lives that had been lost. What made it worse was the fact that he couldn't even remember most of what happened. For all he knew, a good friend of his could've lived in this very house, and yet he might not even remember who that person might've been.

 Just then, the wolf approached Link and nudged at his hand, causing him to look down at him and smile fondly before he pet him on the head before they continued onward. As they did, though, the wolf once again growled viciously as he sensed something nearby, and Link gasped as he saw a Blue Bokoblin come out from around the corner, its head turned away from them while holding a rusty broadsword in its three-fingered hand. Seizing an opportunity to attack, Link charged and stabbed the monster with his spear. It didn't do much but knock it off its feet, but it quickly got back up and growled as it prepared to swing its rusty weapon at the boy, who ducked down on instinct as the wolf jumped onto his back, using him as extra leverage, before he jumped at the Blue Bokoblin and sank his fangs into its throat, causing it to screech in pain as it fell down before it breathed its last breath. Then, it disappeared in a puff of smoke, once again leaving behind some fangs and its horn, which Link promptly.

 He had quite the collection of monster parts, now. Perhaps he could use them to make some sort of necklace or maybe some new earrings.

 ...No, that would probably be silly, not to mention wasteful. Who knows what these could be useful for?

 As they kept walking, Link suddenly spotted something out of the corner of his eye, and at first, he couldn't really believe it, but it was right there: yet another shrine. Link blinked a bit surprise, initially thinking that those 4 shrines on the Great Plateau were the only ones, but now he finds there's more of them?

 Well...maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a look inside. After all, there always seem to be something useful, hidden within these shrines.

 Link glanced over at the wolf, who nodded his head at him in understanding, before they went off in the direction of the shrine, still remaining cautious the whole way over, knowing that any monsters could come out and jump at them at any given moment. Sure enough, something leapt out from beneath the soil: three blue, blob-like creatures about half his height, staring at the duo with these bulging yellow eyes, slithering towards Link and making this squelching, hissing sound. Link grimaced at the sight of them before he grabbed his Traveler's Claymore and swung, and in a single instant, they seemed to explode, leaving behind these gobs of jelly.

 If memory served him correctly, these creatures Link faced were called ChuChus: blob-like monsters that were generally weak on their own, but they often vary in size and will sometimes gang up in groups to smother unsuspecting prey. Link got lucky that there were only three of them, and these were only the small ones, which would easily die in a single hit. If the bigger ones came out, well...he'd be having more of a difficult time.

 On that, he and the wolf continued onward, keeping a lookout for any more enemies, the wind whistling in their ears as it blew softly. As they neared another part of the ruins, they were suddenly jumped by not one, but two Blue Bokoblins, both of which armed with rusty halberds. Link growled as he grabbed his Throwing Spear and stabbed the first Blue Bokoblin, who got knocked back, but then screeched as it tried to swing its weapon at the boy, but as if by instinct, Link leaped backwards, performing a back-flip maneuver, and it almost seemed that all of time came to a snail's pace. Then, Link made several quick thrusts with his spear, hitting the Blue Bokoblin in the face, neck, and chest, before the imp got knocked back, dropping its weapon in the process. However, it didn't go down, so easily, for it jumped right back up again and tried to make a grab for its halberd, but Link positioned his spear along his neck and then threw it, causing it to skewer the monster right through the chest, causing it screech in pain before it finally disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind its fangs, its horn, and- Link grimaced- its still-pulsating heart.

 Link gathered the monster parts and put them in his satchel before he glanced over at the wolf, who panted as he wagged his tail, having already disposed of his foe. Once giving the wolf a quick once-over to make sure he didn't suffer any injuries, Link nodded his head before they continued on towards the shrine. Before long, they made it to the entrance, and Link, knowing the routine by now, placed the Sheikah Slate on the pedestal, which caused the lights on it to turn blue and the door to open up. Link looked back at the wolf, who nodded his head in understanding before he turned and sat down on his haunches, guarding the entrance. Soon, Link stepped inside, and the platform took him down below.

XXX

 Now this was a little different. This time, there was no stone hanging over a pedestal, but instead, it was a giant room, filled with large, rotating fans that blew gusts of wind. Almost instantly, Link realized this kind of trial this might be.

 "To you who sets foot in this shrine...I am Bosh Kala. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial: The Wind Guides You."

 Link nodded his head before he got a look at his surroundings. He then climbed up some stairs that led to the first fan, and across the room was a treasure chest. Link smiled, knowing there must be something valuable inside, before he took a few steps back, then took a running start and jumped off the edge, pulling out the paraglider as he did. The wind from the fan propelled him forward, causing him to smile as he landed on the other side. Using his Sheikah Slate, Link unlocked the chest and reached inside to find yet another hunk of amber ore!

 Link beamed at his fortune, only imagining how many rupees he would get from selling this...that is, if he found someone to sell it to.

 Stashing the amber away for safekeeping, Link proceed to the middle staircase, where he found another set of fans waiting for him, one going forward, other going back. Easily seeing the path ahead, Link jumped off to his left, using the paraglider to glide safely to the wall before him before he dropped down the floor. Then, he ran over to another fan, and when he looked ahead, he found the monk inside his palaquin, waiting inside for him, but across from was another treasure chest. Link could only wonder what could be inside, but he knew the only way to find out was to reach it. Luckily, he already thought of a plan.

 Using the paraglider, Link glided towards the platform where the monk sat, then, once he landed, he positioned himself exactly parallel to where the chest was waiting. Then, he took a leap, brought out the paraglider again, and flew towards the chest again. He opened it, and he gasped when he found a huge Soldier's Claymore, sparkling and new! It definitely looked stronger than his Traveler's Claymore, which had actually gotten a bit brittle now. After taking it out of his pack, Link dropped the old blade in favor of this one. Once he gave it a quick look, just to see its sheen and sharpness. This certainly wasn't a dull blade.

 He put the weapon, then glided towards the platform below, since the monk's platform was a bit too high for him, but thankfully, he could just run back to the fan that blew him there, which he did. Once he made his landing, Link approached the palanquin and touched it with his hand, causing the shade to shatter and reveal the monk inside. The monk was holding a ring in his left hand while holding his head up with his right fist, almost as if he were in boredom.

 Perhaps he got so while waiting for Link to arrive.

 "Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero...in the name of Goddess Hylia, I give you this Spirit Orb."

 Just like before, a Spirit Orb flew out from the monk's chest and into Link's own, the boy feeling it being absorbed into his heart.

 "May the Goddess smile upon you."

 With that, Bosh Kala disappeared in an array of light, just like the monks before him while Link quietly stood, watching, taking a moment of silence before he turned and walked away to head back out.

XXX

 By the time Link came outside, he saw that it was already noontime, for the sun was already in the middle of the sky, and like always, the wolf was still here, waiting for him. Soon, the two went onward, crossing the bridge known as Proxim Bridge, which had moss and ivy growing through the cracks in the stone and the path was alight with torches to guide the way. As they walked, they saw a man up ahead with auburn hair, wearing a backpack and armed with a spear. Link felt somewhat relieved, actually, upon seeing that there were other people out here besides himself. He approached the man, and upon getting a closer look, he saw an expression of worry and tentativeness as he looked out towards the lake.

 "The end is near," he muttered, causing Link to blink at him in surprise. "I may be somewhat used to seeing bad omens, by now, but that...? Well, let's just say it's badder than most."

 "...Err..." Link mumbled, causing the man to jump slightly in surprise before he turned to look at him.

 "Oh! Sorry, there!" he apologized. "Didn't see you! ...Come to think of it, I don't think we've met."

 Link shook his head to affirm that.

 "I thought so," the man said. "Not that it matters, anyway. I was getting pretty tired of talking to myself, so you more or less came at a good time. Speaking of strange encounters...you saw them, right? Those things popping out of the ground? And I don't mean mushrooms! I'm talking about those giant towers! A couple days back, they just popped up all over the place, and not long after that, those abandoned shrines started to light up, too! Do you realize what this means?! The end is coming!"

 Link chuckled sheepishly, not exactly knowing what to say. He even glanced back at the wolf for answers, but the lupine only seem to shrug and shake his head, as if to say "Don't look at me!"

 "You think old Brigo is crazy, don't you?" asked the man, known as Brigo. "I don't exactly blame you. Other folks have said the same thing, but I'm not taking chances! I've actually been out here, day and night, just to keep an eye on that...thing! You know, just to see if it starts moving!"

 Link and the wolf both cocked their heads in confusion.

 "You see that thing over there?" asked Brigo, pointing towards the lake, causing Link and the wolf to look out and see a rusty old Guardian, sitting on a small islet in the middle of the water. "That there's a Guardian. It was SUPPOSED to protect Hyrule from some kinda disaster, 1 century ago, but it, along with lots of others, ran amok and started attacking everybody! Just like this one that tried to kill me, one day!"

 Link blinked in surprise at Brigo before he pointed at the decayed old Guardian, as if to ask if that was the one that chased him.

 "Oh, no, not that one," Brigo answered. "There was another one like this, only it had all of its legs and it had these...evil-looking lights on it! It was a close to the castle, but before the forest. When I approached, it chased after me and tried to shoot me with these blue beams of light! I thought I was a goner for sure, but somehow, I managed to find a place to hide in the woods and escape by the seat of my pants!" He then heaved a deep sigh. "One might say it was my lightning-fast reflexes that saved me, but truth be told, I just got lucky!"

 Link glanced over at Hyrule Castle, which was still quite a distance away, but he could still see it in plain view. It was one thing when he found that this Calamity Ganon was inside the castle with Zelda trying her damnedest to keep him at bay...but there were Guardians patrolling the outside of the castle, as well? It seemed that this was going to be more difficult than he realized.

 "Hey, I know that look," said Brigo. "I hope you're not planning on heading there, boy. You look like somebody who's got lots of years ahead of him, and...well, I'd hate to see a sprightly young man like you meet his end at the hands of those monsters. If you are gonna head there, at least try and be careful, hear me?"

 Link nodded his head before he held up his Sheikah Slate and showed Brigo the map, pointing to the small yellow dot.

 "Hmm...well, I can't really tell what this is," said Brigo, "but unless I'm wrong, that little dot right there is the precise location of Kakariko Village. Is that where you and your wolf pal are planning on heading to, next?"

 Link nodded his head at this.

 "I see," Brigo nodded. "Well, Kakariko Village continues north. Just keep following the road."

 Link look towards the Dueling Peaks, where the road kept going.

 "Although, I gotta ask you," Brigo began, "are you actually walking the whole way there? Because if you are, it'll take a week at most for you to get there at the pace you're going. Even if you ran, you'd still take a long getting there!"

 Link's jaw dropped before he gave an exasperated sigh, and the wolf seemed to sympathize with him by putting a paw on his back in consolation.

 "Ah, don't be so glum, boy," Brigo said. "Listen, if you really wanna get to Kakariko Village faster, there's a way: you just gotta find yourself a horse!"

 Link blinked in surprise at this.

 "Well, these days, the best way to get around Hyrule is on horseback," said Brigo. "Ah...there's nothing like it! The feeling of the wind on your face as you ride along the fields is certainly something you'll enjoy!"

 A pause...but then Link seemed to smile, softly as Brigo said this. He didn't know why, but he felt that he spoke the truth: the feeling of riding on the back of a horse was certainly something special. The wolf seemed to smile, too, as if to join in the sentiment.

 "Well, don't let me keep you," said Brigo. "You and your friend there better get going, and good luck!"

 Link nodded his head before he and the wolf continued onward, heading down the road towards Kakariko Village, and hopefully to find a steed to ride on the way.