Chapter Text
Darkness consumed everything.
It had no beginning, no end; it simply was, and if there had been a time before it she couldn't recall. Nor did she care. There was peace here, after all, in the silence and the shadows, and her conscious mind had long since given way to something else. Something simpler. Quieter.
It couldn't last, though. Bit by bit, things began to penetrate her soundless, sightless cocoon. Voices first, speaking things she couldn't discern in her hazy state. If she could have thought clearly enough to do so, she would have compared it to being deep in the water, with voices calling from the surface.
Slowly—oh so slowly—she began to float towards them, in mind if not in body. Two words spoken: wake up. Like a child being roused by their parent, she resisted at first. But then a third word gave her pause.
No, not a word.
A name.
Mipha.
Conscious thought began to spark, a fire sputtering and struggling to start. Is that... me? Is that my name?
Light pierced the darkness behind her eyelids, warm and golden. She couldn't say why, but in its glow she felt safe. Protected. Somewhere deep down she was certain it was a dream, yet doubt curled around her nevertheless. Someone was here with her, in the dark. If not physically, then... then in some other way she could not think to identify, to name. She was not alone.
The voice spoke again. Louder this time. “Mipha. Open your eyes.”
Soft, gentle, with no hint of danger; and again, that feeling of safety from the light. She couldn't imagine why she shouldn't do as the mystery speaker asked.
So Mipha opened her eyes.
The first thing she took note of, as her eyes adjusted and her mind cleared, was that the golden light was gone. A blue one had replaced it, hovering over her from somewhere directly above. When she could see clearly, it became obvious that the light was not natural, but instead came from some sort of... device that hung down from the ceiling. There was almost a flower shape to the thing, the light coming from indents in it; and as she stared blankly up at it, the light faded, becoming much dimmer.
Her awareness then extended to the water she lay submerged in, her back against a hard surface. It drained away, however, in tandem with the fading of the light. Something about the receding of the water left her feeling colder and more awake, as if something had been yanked away from her. Frowning, Mipha sat up and shook her head.
Water droplets flew from her tail, into the blue mist that cloaked this entire small room, but Mipha found herself more concerned with examining herself. She did indeed have a tail extending from the back of her head, and her body was covered with scales of bright red and shimmering white. Multicolored fins extended from her forearms, as well as at her shoulders and hips, and there was webbing between her fingers and toes, gills on both sides of her chest. The word for what she was eluded her, though it also hovered at the back of her mind, taunting her. She spent a few minutes chasing it, but when frustration rose too high she shook her head again and stood. Self-examination over, she turned her attention now to her surroundings.
As she'd subconsciously noted moments ago, it was a small room. Small and dark, and blanketed with mist that looked almost blue, thanks to the light from that device. Overcome with curiosity, she turned and looked at it. It stared silently back at her, cerulean lights flickering steadily in the gloom. Above the flower shape she'd seen as she awoke it grew large and bulbous, with what looked like myriad veins extending into the ceiling. Watching it, a thought drifted into Mipha's mind—the shape wasn't exact, but it still reminded her of a heart. Even the constant cycle of dimming and brightening reminded her of the pulsing of a heartbeat, though slower. And beneath it sat the dais she had found herself on. They weren't connected in any way she could see, but it was obvious they were both part of the same machine. A symbol resembling an eye marked the stone near her feet, but none of it gave her any answers as to what this was. Where she was.
Who she was. All she had was a name, spoken in the darkness, that seemed to belong to her. Nothing else seemed to, not yet. Perhaps in time it would come.
Turning from the machine, she examined the rest of the room. It was empty, save for a small pedestal at the far end, beside what looked like it might be a door. The door—if it was one—bore carvings of various symbols, perhaps a language she couldn't read? In the center was a larger version of the eye she'd seen on the dais behind her. Orange lights embedded in the walls helped her see, as did the blue light in the pedestal's surface. It was the same shade as that from the machine she'd been in, but didn't flicker or fade. Instead it shone steady, and beckoned her over.
As she drew near, though, it flashed, and then its center rose up, just a few inches. Something set into it rotated over, and then moved to stand upward. Blue and orange lights, identical to those around her, glowed in its rectangular surface, in that same eye symbol. And as she examined it, the voice from before spoke again.
“That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it—it will help guide you after your long slumber.”
A woman's voice. Mipha's lips pursed in a frown. Hadn't she heard someone else speaking to her as well, in that hazy liminality between sleeping and waking? A man's voice, soft and full of sorrow and care as it spoke her name. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember. It eluded her, though, just as the name of what she was had done, and she gave up. Gave up and gave in, and reached for the Sheikah Slate. What a Sheikah was, she didn't know, nor did she know how this thing was supposed to guide her, but she trusted the voice somehow, instinctively. And anyway, she needed all the help she could get.
… My long slumber? How... how long have I been here? What happened to me?
Taking the slate from the pedestal, Mipha gingerly held it in both hands. She turned it over, and was almost immediately startled by the darkened screen flaring to life. Blue light flashed, and that eye reappeared. It seemed like a safe bet that it was a symbol of the Sheikah, who or whatever that was. As she examined it, the pedestal's surface lowered itself again, even as the door rose, disappearing into the wall piece by rectangular piece. Mipha watched it, and then walked through the door.
A slender, sloping hallway greeted her, filled with more of that strange mist and littered with junk. Mostly decaying and broken barrels and crates, but also an old stone chest, with a lock so battered and rusty that it crumbled under her fingers when she touched it. Shaking the dust off her fingers—and noticing for the first time that she had small claws on the tips of them—she lifted the lid. Inside sat a lengthy white scarf, soft and stretchy and silent, without a single rustle of the cloth. Interesting. In contrast, the tarnished silver jewelry that sat beside it clicked and jangled as she lifted it out. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but trying to think too hard made her head ache, so Mipha simply went about adorning herself. She put on the bangles and the necklace, and fastened what looked like a belt around her hips, finishing with the anklets. The design of the anklets called to mind water splashing up, while heart shapes had been worked into the bangles and necklace, and crescents at the belt. Dusty cyan gems, some of them bearing hairline cracks, had been set into each piece as well, and seemed to glow faintly from within. The scarf she wound around her neck, letting some of it drape down over her chest. Removing these items revealed one last thing at the bottom of the box: a simple leather strap, with hooks and clasps on it, perhaps for holding weapons. This she put on diagonally across her body, secured firmly at her shoulder.
More or less clothed, Mipha moved on. Another pedestal, this one with orange lights, awaited her beside another one of those strange doors. The voice came again as she approached it: “Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way.”
Mipha obeyed. She held the slate over the pedestal as instructed, and as they made contact the lights turned blue and a more mechanical voice spoke. “Authenticating...” A pause, and then it spoke again. “Sheikah Slate confirmed.”
The eye on the door flared to life, and a more complicated system of bars undid itself and disappeared into the walls. Light, paler and brighter than the golden one that had woken her, poured in, and Mipha raised a hand to protect her eyes. Once they'd adjusted, she could see a staircase just ahead. She started for it, only to stop under the doorway as the voice spoke again.
“Mipha... you are the light—our light—that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now, go...”
Despite the pleading in the woman's voice, Mipha remained rooted where she was. None of what she'd said made any sense, but it had her pulse spiking all the same. Hyrule's light? Her? What... what in the world was she talking about? What was Hyrule? What could have happened to make someone like her something like that, for a place she didn't even know anything about?
Just... just who am I?
Questions. So many questions, enough that her mind burned with them. Worse, her mind still felt so blank, so fragile, that the fire easily consumed what little there was to scorch. Something like panic rose up in her, her body overwhelmed by the weight of all she didn't know, what someone was hoping she would do. Which she also didn't know the slightest thing about. It buzzed and screamed in her head, until all she wanted to do was collapse to her knees and let out a scream of her own.
She didn't, though.
Instead, Mipha forced herself to take calming breaths, pressing a hand to her hammering heart as she tried to soothe its frantic pace. Mist dissipated around her, its veil parted by the light pouring in, and she slowly relaxed. A more rational voice from within took over, reminding her that she didn't need to rush to answer everything. That nothing would be accomplished by staying here in this strange place and panicking. No, the best thing to do was move forward and take things slowly. One step at a time.
So she did.
Mipha walked forward, ascending the stairs before her. The floor still felt cold beneath her feet, but the stagnant air became fresher as she moved forward, away from the small chamber she'd awoken in. At the top of the stairs, the smooth surface gave way to rough stones, and then to a shallow pool of water. It splashed under her feet, and from beyond the open doorway she could see above, insects called and cried. Velvety green moss lay in a thin layer on the rocks on the other side of the water, and a larger boulder blocked her way just past it. It was at least three times her own diminutive height, but Mipha was not to be deterred. Using her claws to gain purchase on its uneven surface, she scrabbled her way up, and was rewarded with another staircase at the top. Deep green and pale blue beckoned her, and Mipha made her way the last few steps to where they awaited her.
The smell of tall grass and even taller trees hit her first, followed by the faint warmth of the sun as it shone down from aquamarine skies littered with wispy white clouds moving slowly, in a northwest direction. Feeling lost in a dream, Mipha walked through the nearly waist-high undergrowth, past towering pine trees and squat bushes, around gray rocks and flowers that bloomed in white, yellow, and palest blue-violet. Her pace increased slightly as she went, until she found herself all but teetering at the edge of a cliff. Once her dizziness resolved itself, Mipha set her attention on taking in all that she saw below.
A vast land spread out before her, as far as her eyes could see, and likely even further than that. Forest blanketed the space under the cliff, before giving way to what looked like ruined walls, with open countryside beyond. And rising up from the barren landscape, a castle with a pointed spire atop it and black pillars surrounding it. Even it was dwarfed by the massive mountain further in the distance, smoke rising from its apex and glowing veins of orange running down its sides. Birds flew in formation high above, and the sounds of insects grew louder. A breeze stirred the fins that hung beside her face, and Mipha took a long, deep breath of the fresh, wild air as she gazed out at the world she'd found herself in.
Motion in her peripheral vision caught her eye, and she turned. Down below, past the path that led away from the cave she'd emerged from, a large, dark figure stood. The person seemed to watch her, and then turned and walked away. Behind them she could also see a large building with a tall tower, blocking her view of the mountains. Curiosity sparked again, and Mipha turned from the cliff and began to descend the path.
It had been stone once, undoubtedly lovely and well-made. Only fragments of it remained now, however, pieces left scattered in the dirt and grass. Mipha kept her gaze on it, not wanting to trip and fall over an uneven bit of footing, and thus she easily saw the branch lying across the path, that might have brought her to injury otherwise. It was long and thick, with green leaves sprouting from skinny appendages that extended from it, and one end was jagged and sharp from where it'd broken off from its parent. Instinct told her to take it, and she attached it to one of the clasps on the leather strap she'd found.
I have no knowledge of this land, after all, including whatever dangers may lurk in it. It is not much of a weapon, but it is better than having nothing with which to defend myself, should something seek to harm me.
The branch secured, she kept moving down the slope. Though trepidation kept her pace slow, something inside her couldn't help but loosen as she walked, just a little bit. It truly was beautiful here, in a way she couldn't deny. Until she'd stepped out of it, she hadn't realized just how stale and stagnant it'd been in that cave. Here, everything was so bright and vivid it almost hurt to look at. Nothing was just one shade, not even the sky above her head. Mipha couldn't help but slow even more, just to look at the myriad gradations of green in the grass, gray in the stones, brown in the tree bark, even the fluffy white clouds high, high up where she could never dream of touching them. Cool air and gentle breezes seemed to swirl around her scales, easing her breathing and the tightness in her chest that had lingered after her moment of panic at the woman's words. Birds and insects spoke out in their secret languages, and a squirrel bearing an acorn in its paws skittered up a tree. Everything was so... alive, and part of her wanted to just keep basking in it, to forget the burden she was apparently carrying in her bones.
Whatever awaited her in this strange, lush land couldn't be delayed forever, though. So, with a sigh, Mipha forced herself to start walking again, after having interrupted her own descent to watch a blue-shelled beetle of some kind wriggle about on a tree trunk. The slope grew a little steeper after that, but not by much. Rounding a slight curve brought her within easy sight of the building, as well as an outcropping of rock beneath which a campfire burned. The dark figure from before was visible on its other side, and now, closer, she could see that the person had a truly massive white beard. An old man, then, most likely. Something about seeing another person here felt... odd in a way she couldn't explain to herself. Despite all the noises of nature, there was a sense of quiet here that spread out for some ways, she wasn't sure how far. Until she'd seen him, she'd had the feeling that there wasn't anyone around for miles.
But that is probably just my imagination.
The ground leveled out somewhat as she got closer to the fire, close enough to hear it crackling. The old man didn't seem to notice her, his hooded head bowed as he poked at the burning wood with the end of his staff, the lantern attached to said staff clanking slightly. Mipha took a deep breath. It felt awkward to interrupt him, but she wasn't going to have a choice, apparently.
Before she could speak, though, her toes collided with something soft and warm. Mipha halted. Bending, she leaned down and picked up the object. It was an apple, its red skin darkened and wrinkled, and a sweet, sugary scent wafted up from it. Tilting her head, she leaned in to more closely inspect it.
“I beg your pardon!” Mipha's head whipped up to see that the old man had finally taken notice of her, and looked affronted. “Young lady, where are your manners? Didn't anyone ever teach you not to steal food just because it's lying around?”
“I—I...” Mipha stammered. “I am sorry, I...” She paused for a moment, struck by the sound of her own voice; it was soft and somewhat hoarse, and she cleared her throat. “I was not stealing, I promise... I only wished to see what I had stubbed my toe on, I...” Mipha held out the apple. “Here...”
“No, no...” His disapproving look faded into one of gentle amusement, and he laughed. “Take it, it's yours. Forgive me, I couldn't resist teasing you a little. It's no feast, but it will provide you with some sustenance if your belly is empty.”
Mipha started to say something, but her thoughts derailed as she realized that her stomach was, indeed, empty. As if for extra emphasis, it made a plaintive noise at her; the old man got a knowing look on his face. “It... would seem that it is,” she said, her cheeks burning. “Would you mind if I joined you?”
“Not at all.”
Mipha settled herself on the other side of the fire, and then took her first bite. It was warm and soft and a little sticky, brimming with juices altered by the application of heat to flesh. The fire continued to crackle and dance, and the sound, along with its heat, further soothed her nerves. On the other side, the old man finished tending to another baked apple, and bit into his as well, the juices running down over his beard. Mipha took the chance to observe him discreetly; he looked as if he would be extremely tall when he stood, with a sturdy, generous build. His dark, plain clothes were shabby, and had been visibly mended in a few places, and his lined face was browned from the sun. The hands that stoked the fire and tossed a couple more apples onto the flames were large and strong-looking, and marked with wrinkles and age spots.
The eyes that met hers from beneath his thick hood were sharp and probing, however, and he spoke again before she could. “Pardon me if I'm being rude... but what brings a Zora like yourself to such an isolated place?”
“A...” Mipha's throat closed up around a sudden lump there, as the word clicked into place in her brain. Yes... that is what I am... a Zora... “Ah... that is... I...” She coughed, and tried to shake away the sudden wave of emotion that had swept over her. “Forgive me, I know this will sound odd, but... I am not entirely sure where we are, or... or indeed how I came to be here.”
“I see.” He nodded. “Odd it might be, that I'll give you... but this is a land where strange things happen from time to time, so I am more prepared to accept it than you might think.” The old man chuckled, as if at some private joke she didn't quite understand. “To answer your question, we are on the Great Plateau. According to legend, it was the birthplace of the Kingdom of Hyrule.”
Mipha's stomach dropped. “The... Kingdom of Hyrule?”
“Indeed.” He nodded again. “An ancient land with a storied history... far too much of it for a weathered old man like myself to tell.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I assume you saw that structure on your way down here?”
Mipha nodded back, trying to ignore the increased pace of her heart. “Yes... do you know anything about it?”
“You might say that.” He took a bite of his apple and chewed it, not speaking again until he'd swallowed. “In days long past, it was called the Temple of Time, and was an important place for the faithful of Hyrule. Many sacred ceremonies were conducted there, and people made pilgrimages from all across the land to visit it. But those days have passed beyond most recollection.” He sighed, a shadow seeming to pass over his aged face. “Now it's just another ruin, waiting for the slow march of time to finish the process of decay.”
Despite the anxiety curling in her gut, Mipha couldn't help but feel a sweep of sorrow at his words, at the quiet pain in his voice. “Have you... been inside it?”
Another nod, and a grunt. “There is... not much to see. Not the way there used to be.”
“I see.” Regret spiked in her, and she hastened to change the subject. “You... said that this place is isolated? Do you mean where we are now, or the Plateau itself?”
“I suppose both, since where we are now is the Plateau.” He laughed slightly, seeming to regain some of his earlier mirth. “I have been here for many a long and lonely year... you are the first living soul I've met in ages.”
… Living? Mipha swallowed. “I see, I... oh, forgive me!” She wrung her hands. “Here we are talking, and I have yet to introduce myself.” She bowed her head. “My name is Mipha.” So it would seem, anyway.
“Heh.” The old man smiled, though something about it didn't quite reach his eyes. Sorrow seemed to still be lingering there from their conversation about the Temple. “It is nice to meet you, Mipha.”
“Yes, I am pleased to make your acquaintance as well.” Her brow knit. “What should I call you, then?”
“Me?” His expression grew thoughtful. “Call me... Gustaf. It's as fine a name as any, thought I suspect that not many youngsters these days would be keen to bear it.”
A pang went through her, even as she shrugged. “Perhaps…I cannot say either way.”
Gustaf frowned. “I suppose not... forgive me if I've poked at a wound.”
“It is quite alright.” Mipha smiled. “Fret not over it, I know you meant no harm.”
“If you insist.” He glanced around, and then returned his gaze to her. “I don't mean to pry, but... what is it that you intend to do next?”
“I...” Mipha fell silent for a moment, her own gaze roaming around what she could see of this Great Plateau. “I suppose... I suppose I should look around a bit, and get my bearings...”
“Not a bad idea.” His lantern rattled as he poked at the fire again. “However, I must advise you that even on an isolated plateau such as this, there are still Bokoblins about, making solitary travel quite dangerous indeed.”
Mipha blinked. “Bo... koblins?”
“Monsters. About this high.” Gustaf lifted one hand and held it up, at a height that Mipha estimated would be roughly half that of her own, perhaps slightly more. “Red-skinned, usually. Not the most intelligent of beasts, but no less a threat for that fact. You would do well to arm yourself before traveling much further.” He gestured over his shoulder, at some spot further down the road. “There is an ax there, that I will not mind giving to you. Take it—it will be of more use to you in a fight than that stick on your back.”
“Thank you.” Mipha rose. “I take you intend to stay here for now?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “These old bones require a bit more rest before I move on, I'm afraid.” His expression grew more serious. “Take care out there.”
“Thank you, you as well.” Mipha bowed, and then continued on.
The sound of flowing water reached her ears just beyond the outcropping, and true to Gustaf's word she could see an old ax, embedded in a tree stump next to the remnants of an old campfire. Birds squawked and flew out of a nearby tree whose branches were laden with apples, and then a short, squat, red-skinned monster launched itself out from behind the tree.
It was the exact size Gustaf had estimated, with enormous ears, whitish-blue eyes, and a mouth less full of chipped, uneven teeth than she would've expected. A small horn protruded from the top of its head, a tiny skull dangled from around its thick neck, and it breathed in deeply from the huge nose that took up most of its face before letting out a high-pitched cry and swinging its crude club at her.
Without much time to react, or a better plan, Mipha acted on instinct. She pulled the branch from her back and swung it right back at the bokoblin. Their weapons clashed with a loud thunk, sending minor vibrations through her wrist. The monster snarled, drool dripping from those ragged, sun-bleached teeth, and swung again. Mipha dodged out of the way.
Mostly. The end of the club connected with her thigh, and though its rough wooden surface couldn't break her scales, the blunt blow still hurt. Fear climbed up her throat, attached to her racing heart, and her thoughts whirled—if this beast could score a hard enough hit, she would be in real danger. She needed to get out of this, and fast.
As it lifted its arm to swing again, Mipha acted quickly. She swung her branch at its wrist as hard as she could, and it was so unprepared for the attack that it connected just as hard. Bones snapped, and the bokoblin screamed, its fingers going limp around the club. The crude weapon clattered onto the remnants of the stone path, right as Mipha jabbed the pointy end of her stick right into one of its mad, rolling eyes. Ichor burst out, as did another scream, and then she brought the branch down on its head. Both stick and skull broke under the impact, and its body went limp, collapsing in a heap and sliding down a few steps before dissolving into a puff of violet smoke.
Mipha's own fingers went limp as well, releasing the broken branch as she stood there breathing hard, her heart about to burst from her heaving chest. It was all she could do not to crumple to the ground in a puddle as the adrenaline of the brief but no less frightening battle wore off.
The worst part, I suppose, was the surprise of it all. She turned her back on where the pieces of her stick had fallen and walked the short distance over to the ax. It freed itself from the stump more easily than she'd expected, and she secured it to the strap as she had the tree branch. Gustaf was kind enough to warn me, but I still did not expect to be attacked so soon after, before I could make it very far. I am grateful that I had that branch with me to defend myself, otherwise that might have gone very poorly indeed.
Once her heart had slowed and she'd stopped trembling so badly Mipha resumed her downhill trek. The ground leveled out again soon enough, and she found herself at a crossroads of sorts. Ahead of her sat the remnants of a shattered fountain now filled with dirt instead of water, and some sort of small hill beyond it; to her left the road led off into the woods, and to her right it led up towards the Temple of Time. Mipha hesitated.
Seemingly to save her from having to make the choice for herself, the voice spoke again. “Head to the point marked on your Sheikah Slate. That will show you the way.”
“The... what...?” Mipha said aloud, slowly. When the voice didn't answer, she sighed and unclipped the slate from her belt. A blue and black swirling pattern marked with thin, curving lines was now visible, as well as three other items. One was a small blue icon labeled as the “Shrine of Regeneration”; perhaps the cave she'd woken up in? Something about the name sent a chill down her spine. Why would I have been in a place like that?
The other two things were simpler: a yellow arrow that represented her current location, and a pulsing yellow dot that was... straight ahead of her, somewhere, past the broken fountain. Well. That made it easy. Slate in hand, she wound her way around the fountain's remains and onto the continuation of the ruined road.
It widened itself before she'd gone too far, and she soon began to see all manner of broken pillars and rubble on either side and ahead of her. Glancing at the slate again, she could see that the yellow dot she was meant to make her way to was over to the right, but she couldn't help but wander over to where the road ended rather abruptly, as if something had literally broken it.
And in a way, it had. Mipha's breath caught as she found herself staring down at a scene she could barely comprehend. Some kind of machine, its body and spindly legs overgrown with moss, sat forgotten several feet away from her, looking as though it had gotten stuck in something on its way up the hill. Past it, she could see the head of another one poking out from an area that had become flooded, the broken pillars lining it partly submerged. The water ended at a crumbling stone wall with what looked like winged statues atop it, though its wings were broken. On the banks of the water sat another machine, this one missing its legs. Water lapped at stone, and a fish leapt up before diving down again, yet despite this display of ongoing life Mipha felt cold all over. What on earth had happened in this place? It was painfully obvious that the Plateau had been visited by more than just the ravages of time—something truly horrible had occurred here. And she had a sinking feeling it was connected somehow to whatever it was the voice expected her to do as Hyrule's “light”.
Just what have I awoken to? And what am I meant to do about it?
Whoever had been speaking to her either wasn't inclined to answer her silent questions, or wasn't a mind-reader. Though that was reassuring in its way; she didn't feel particularly enthused about having her thoughts peered into. Either way, it was nothing short of bizarre to be spoken to and guided by a disembodied voice, and she wasn't sure that that could be taken in stride by Gustaf, regardless of what he said about this being a land where strange things were known to happen sometimes. Sighing and shrugging, Mipha turned away from the flooded area.
As it turned out, the point on the map—if it could be called that—and the small hill she'd seen from a distance were one and the same. Up close, it looked more like earth and rocks piled up into two heaps, one smaller than the other. Between them sat what looked like the ruins of a building that resembled the inside of the shrine, with a pedestal exactly like one of the ones in there. It glowed orange beneath some sort of protrusion from above.
There was room for the slate to be put in, just like the one where she'd originally retrieved it from. Mipha hesitated, and then set the slate in the pedestal. It flipped itself over, sank a little in, and then rotated. “Sheikah Tower activated,” said the same mechanical voice as earlier. “Please watch for falling rocks.”
That was all the warning she had, before the floor—the tower, apparently—began shaking violently under her feet. Mipha tried to stay standing, but she found herself flung down, right as the tower burst upwards in a shower of earth and stone that went flying off onto the ground that she was rapidly rising above. She couldn't help it: she shrieked and curled into a ball, trying to protect herself from being hit by any rocks, her stomach in free-fall as the tower continued ascending up, up up.
When it finally came to a stop after giving off one last little rumble, Mipha at first stayed where she was. Her heart was hammering again, the apple she'd eaten threatening to come back up as her head spun from the speed of the ascent. Was it her imagination, or did the air feel thinner up here? Perhaps it was just that her fright had made it difficult to breathe.
Just then, the mechanical voice continued. “Distilling local information...” Lifting her head, she saw that the black protrusion from the ceiling had started glowing blue, with the same symbols—letters?— moving down over it. Rising on shaky limbs, Mipha staggered the few steps to the pedestal, right as something blue seemed to drip down onto the slate's screen, and be absorbed by it; she blinked. The next second, the screen brightened, and when the light faded an actual map had appeared in the center. “Regional map extracted,” continued the voice. The slate then spun around and rose again, and Mipha gingerly took it.
She'd no sooner turned away from the pedestal when the woman's voice spoke again, sounding weaker, more far away this time. “Remember,” she seemed to whisper, her voice growing louder on the last syllable. “Try to remember...”
A light caught Mipha's eye—was it that same golden one she'd seen before waking? This time, it too was much farther away, seeming to come from that distant castle. She started towards the edge of the tower, ignoring the frisson of fear that being so close to the treacherous drop sent racing through her as she tried to better see what it was that had caught her attention.
“You have been asleep for the past one hundred years...”
Mipha froze. Her brain locked up and her vision blurred as the words sank in. A century... an entire century lost to slumber, in a cave on an isolated plateau in a kingdom she didn't recall? How could that be? It is impossible... right? It must be... such a thing cannot really be true...
… can it?
“The beast...” Fear and mourning blended in the woman's voice, and Mipha had no time to wonder why when the ground began to shake again. In the distance, the castle itself seemed to tremble, and—
—what is that?
Something had begun to swirl around the castle. Something dark. Something foul-feeling, even from so far away. Something that made Mipha's stomach clench and her heart thump. She stumbled closer to the edge of the tower, clinging to the railing for support, and—
—and saw it. The monstrous, horned head that the energy wrapping itself around the castle had coalesced into. The sulfurous yellow eyes, visible even from here. Mipha stumbled back, one hand pressed to her chest, the other clutching at her stomach. Nausea roiled through her.
“When the beast regains its true power, it will swallow this land in a second calamity.” The woman's voice shook. “There is not much time before that happens... I do not know how long my power will hold. So please... hurry, Mipha. Hurry to the castle, and destroy it.
“Before it's too late...”
Her voice faded away into nothingness, and when it stopped, Mipha knew. Knew somehow, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she was truly alone now. Whatever had enabled the mystery woman to speak to her, she would no longer be doing so anymore.
Perhaps she is in there? Mipha cast her gaze out at the castle, at the black and magenta swirls that cloaked its towers and spires and those strange pillars. She must be the one holding it back, and it must have cost her to speak to me. A toll she can no longer afford to pay.
“Who are you?” she wondered aloud, her own voice trembling. “And why me? Why am I the one upon whom your hopes rest?”
Silence.
But then, she hadn't truly expected an answer. Now that it was gone, she realized that she had felt the woman's presence from the time she woke up, even when she wasn't speaking. Right now, however, she only felt the absence of it. That she didn't know her identity didn't matter—it had simply been nicer than she realized to have something of a companion. In the end, though, it mattered far more that she reserve her dwindling energies for holding back the beast until someone could vanquish it.
And I am expected to be that someone. A chill went down her spine. The mere sight of that thing orbiting around the castle filled her with unimaginable dread. To think of fighting it? She couldn't. It was unthinkable. How could anyone go about such a thing?
Someone must, though. Mipha swallowed. Whatever that thing is, it cannot be allowed to run free. I know nothing of this land, but... I do know that it must be protected. I do not know what I can do, but... there must be something, even if it does not involve slaying that beast. There must be countless innocents out there where I cannot see them... I will not stand by and allow them to be slaughtered. There must be something I can do. There must.
First, however, she had to find a way down from this tower. Which was going to be easier said than done—two of the three openings were impassably blocked up by rubble, and moving to the third showed her only a sheer drop down to a small platform. Luckily, the wall here looked as if it could be used as a ladder of sorts. Sighing heavily, Mipha began the climb down.
It wasn't all that far, all things considered, but all the same her fingers were aching by the time she let go and dropped the last couple feet onto the platform. The next one, curiously, looked close enough to jump down onto, and she did. They continued on like that, which made it easier, if also a bit scarier. So on and so forth she went, lowering herself carefully from one platform to the next and the next, until at last her feet touched solid ground once more. Mipha sagged in relief, but had no time to think about her next step before her attention was redirected by a shout from above. Turning, she saw Gustaf descending from the sky, borne on some sort of contraption he held in his hands. Her eyes widened.
What on earth is that... and where did he come from?
“Now, isn't this interesting?” He chuckled as he landed, folding up whatever it was that had allowed him to soar down. As she'd expected, he towered over her, and she had to crane her neck back to look him in the eyes. “Imagine my surprise when I finally manage to drag myself away from the fire, and everything starts shaking... and then that tower erupts from the ground!” Gustaf pointed at the tower behind her. “And not just this one, either... there seem to be many more scattered around the land as well.” He fixed her with his probing gaze. “Might you know a little something about it?”
“I... well...” Mipha gulped. “It... was not my intent, but... I investigated a pedestal, you see, and without having done anything but put this slate upon it, the tower rose up... I am sorry...”
“Don't be!” His laughter boomed out, shaking his rotund belly. “No harm done, so nothing to forgive...” He cast his gaze upwards. “Besides... something tells me that this may yet be of help to you. Perhaps I'm going senile in my old age, but it feels as though you've awoken some long-dormant power. Who can say what will come of it?”
“A long-dormant power?” Mipha followed his gaze up to the top of the tower. “Yes... perhaps...”
“If you do not mind me asking...” She turned back to see him giving her that probing look again. “Did anything... odd occur up there?”
“I...” To tell him that she had heard a mysterious, disembodied voice seemed to her, still, to invite accusations of madness. Yet something in his manner made her feel like he might believe her. “I... heard a voice...”
“Oh ho! A voice, you say?” His bushy eyebrows went up, yet it was genuine curiosity that shone in his eyes, as far as she could tell. “That is interesting, indeed. Did you happen to recognize the voice?”
Mipha shook her head. “I am afraid not. It seemed vaguely familiar to me... but I could not tell you the person's name or indeed, anything else.”
“I see.” Something flickered in his eyes. “How unfortunate. In any case...” Gustaf turned. “I assume that you also caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle.” He gestured with his lantern.
“Yes.” Despite her better instincts, Mipha cast her gaze out to it again. “She—the voice—called it the beast, and said that when it regains its true power it will swallow the land in a second calamity.”
“She spoke true.” Gustaf sighed heavily, suddenly seeming far older than he looked. “For that beast, as you put it, is called Calamity Ganon. A century ago, it brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It awoke suddenly, and laid waste to everything in its path, snuffing out countless innocent lives.” A thread of grief ran thick through his voice. “In the time since that disaster, it has been contained within Hyrule Castle, but just barely. Confined within its walls, it festers like an infected wound, biding its time and building its strength for the day when it will unleash its malice upon the land once again.”
“She...” Mipha struggled to swallow, her throat dry as dust. “She told me... she told me also that she does not know how much longer her power will hold it back, and that there isn't much time. She also begged me to hurry to the castle and destroy it.”
“Is that so?” Interest sharpened again in his eyes, blending with the sorrow there. “And do you intend to?”
“I suppose I must.” Mipha glanced at the castle again. “I confess that I am frightened, but... I also know, deep in my heart, that I cannot allow such a tragedy to unfold again.”
“An admirable sentiment.” He smiled. “I had a feeling, somehow, that you might express it. However, you should know that it will be more difficult than you might think. I told you that this plateau is isolated, correct? Well, I do not use such words lightly. It is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. Once there was an entrance through which flowed many pilgrims... but as I also said, those days have passed. You might have seen it on your way here—flooded and stopped up, with no way of passing beyond to the larger kingdom. And jumping down from the walls would only bring you to a certain and foolish death. Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, it would be quite simple to escape this place.”
“Oh.” Mipha's heart sank. “There is no other way? You are certain?”
“As sure as I have ever been.” Gustaf's eyes twinkled, and he laughed. “Now now, don't look so upset! I could be persuaded to trade you my paraglider... for the right price, of course.”
“Oh?” A tentative hope rose up. “And what sort of price might that be?”
“A bit of treasure, perhaps.” He chuckled. “Come, I'll show you where to begin.”
Mipha followed. “Begin?”
“Oh, yes. After all, if you are to leave me stranded here, the price must be well worth it.” He winked. “Don't you think?”
Mipha flushed. “I—I—yes, I... forgive me, I... it would be terrible to leave you without a way off here... I cannot—”
“It would be far more terrible to condemn the rest of Hyrule to death, wouldn't it?” Gustaf interrupted gently. He turned to face her as they reached a little ridge not far from the tower, his expression both warm and sad somehow. “Do not call yourself selfish—your determination to reach the castle despite your fears and lack of knowledge speak well of you. And besides, I am content to remain here. As with that ax, this paraglider will do more good in your hands than mine.”
“I... thank you.” Mipha nodded, her stinging eyes dropping to the ground. “You are most kind...”
“Nonsense.” An undercurrent of something—regret, perhaps, or self-loathing—seemed to tinge his voice. “Now then...” He tapped the ground with his staff, and Mipha looked up. “Do you see that structure there, the one shining with a strange light?”
Mipha followed his gaze—there, visible on the other side of the flooded entrance, indeed stood a strange black structure, lit with the same orange light she had seen in the shrine and at the tower. “Yes.”
“Until a short while ago, it too laid dormant.” He stroked his beard. “However, the moment you activated that tower it began to glow.”
“What exactly is it?” Mipha asked, peering at it.
“I believe the ancient Sheikah referred to them as shrines.”
Her head whipped around. “Sheikah?”
“Yes. A highly advanced tribe that once inhabited these lands. Their wisdom is legendary; indeed, it is said that it saved this kingdom time and time again. These shrines and those towers were constructed by them... as I believe was the slate you carry?” His piercing gaze fell to the slate at her hip. “That is a Sheikah Slate, is it not?”
“It is.” Mipha nodded. “The woman who spoke to me atop the tower—she called it that, and said it would guide me.”
“I see.” Gustaf cast a thoughtful look at it. “It has been ages since I've seen one... yet I believe she spoke true about it. It is also said that the Sheikah's ancient technology disappeared long ago, but traces of it still abound throughout the land. Such as these structures and that slate.” He turned to face the shrine again. “I should think a place like that would contain some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? Therefore, your task is this: bring me what you find from inside this shrine and the three others that rest upon this plateau, and I will give you the paraglider in exchange.”
“Three others?” Mipha frowned. “Where might they be?”
“Ah, now, where would the fun be in hunting treasure if I told you where to find them?” Gustaf's beard quivered as he laughed. “But I will give you a hint. If you return to a high place—such as the top of that tower, for instance—you may find it easier to survey the land, and mark interesting places on your map.”
“All... the way back up there?” Mipha's head spun and her stomach churned just thinking about it. To say nothing of looking at that tower, let alone climbing. “Um...”
“Oho! I can see your thoughts, and let me set your mind at ease: it will not be as difficult as you think.” Gustaf gestured to the slate. “Take a look at the map for a moment.” When she'd done as he asked, he continued. “There should be some blue icons on there, that you will recognize as the cave where you woke, and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those places with the Sheikah Slate. Or so I heard long ago.” He paused, and then shook his head. “In any case, you should be able to easily return to the top of the tower that way, and then back to solid ground without having to make another frightening descent.” He winked. “Does that sound more palatable?”
“Much.” Mipha sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Thank you, I would not have thought of that.”
“It may be to your benefit, then, to take a moment to examine the slate and see what functions it has.” His eyes fell to it. “I am no expert, I'm afraid, and I was never terribly adept with such things to begin with, so there is little else I can tell you about it. You would be better off seeing it for yourself.”
“I shall, then.” Mipha replaced the slate at her hip. “Is there anything else I should know? Before I begin this treasure hunt, as you put it?”
“Not that I can think of.” The twinkle reappeared in his eye. “I shall be off with myself for now, I think—good luck!”
Mipha wished him luck too and bade him to take care, and then headed off in the direction of the shrine. As there was no bridge, she had to circle around the flooded entryway once again. She supposed she could have swam across, but something about going into that water, with those strange things in it, made her scales crawl. So even though it made her legs ache a bit she opted to walk to the shrine.
It does not look big enough to hold treasure, Mipha found herself thinking as she approached it. It might barely be a closet. Though if the Sheikah were able to create towers capable of rising out of the ground of their own accord, I suppose they might have employed some trick here.
Unlike the other pedestals, the one on the shrine's raised platform was completely flat and smooth. Its orange lights indicated that something was working, though, so after a moment of consideration Mipha laid the slate atop it. A beep sounded. “Travel Gate registered to map,” spoke the voice; a glance over her shoulder revealed that the glyph on the platform had lit up in blue. “Access granted.”
As with the doors in the other shrine, the bars in front of her swung back and nestled themselves into the side of the building. To her surprise, though, they revealed only an alcove of sorts, with a smaller platform lit by blue lights. She tentatively stepped on, and heard the slate beep; Mipha looked down to see a message on it with two choices. “Descend?” Nodding to herself, she selected yes.
With a little jolt, the platform began to move. Something opened beneath it as its lights flared, and then it started its descent. Glowing cyan light surrounded her, blurring the inky-black world beyond. To say it felt bizarre would be an understatement; Mipha wished she had something to hold onto to steady herself.
It landed smoothly, however, and beyond the curtain of light she could see a strange room, far larger than the one inside the cave. Mipha took a deep breath and stepped off the small platform.
And gaped.
By all rights, such a room shouldn't have been possible. Not here. Mipha's mind whirled, trying to think of how far down she'd traveled. Could it really have been far enough for something like this, with ceilings so cavernously high? It stretched the boundaries of logic.
Yet here it was. Here she she stood, in a place that shouldn't have existed the way it did. Light poured down from glowing white panels set into the impossibly high ceilings, illuminating the room brighter than daylight with the help of cyan lamps set into the walls and beside the tunnel she'd ridden down through. On those smooth black walls shone more orange orbs, arranged in what resembled constellations; the floors bore the same swirling patterns she'd seen on the slate's screen, and felt cold beneath her feet. What looked like fallen doors had been neatly laid out in the center, and bars blocked the way to the next chamber. Luckily, there was another pedestal with a device protruding from the ceiling.
Like the one on the tower, this contained a depression for her slate. Shrugging, Mipha inserted it, and waited for the mechanical voice. Perhaps this will open the way?
“Sheikah Slate authenticated.” A beep. “Distilling rune...”
“Rune?” Mipha stared as the machinery above lit up and dropped energy onto the slate, much like it had when giving her the map of the plateau. The slate spun around again, and the screen lit up, displaying a new option.
“Rune extracted,” the voice said. The slate rose up, and Mipha retrieved it.
“... Magnesis?” According to the description, this rune would emit magnetic energy from the slate that would allow her to pick up metallic objects and move them around freely. An unexpected gift, but surely one that would prove useful? At least, whoever had designed this seemed to think so.
Before she could do anything, though, a hollow, papery voice that reminded her of the rustling of dead leaves resounded through the shrine; the high ceilings made it echo faintly. “To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Oman Au. In the name of the Goddesses, I offer this trial.”
Well. It seems there is more to do here than receive a rune, then. Swiping at the screen, Mipha looked at the map, and found that this shrine was labeled as being the Magnesis Trial. Nodding to herself, she returned to the rune screen, making a mental note to take Gustaf's advice later and find out what else this mysterious device had to offer her.
First things first, though. Mipha walked over to the metallic panels and activated the rune. Sure enough, she was able to capture one with the magnetic energy the slate emitted. Working carefully, she moved the panel aside, revealing a ladder down to a lower level. Water flowed past down there, through one set of bars and into another. There didn't seem to be much reason for that, as far as she could tell, but who knew what the ancients had been thinking?
Perhaps it is a power source, somehow? Mipha shrugged and continued on. Such advanced technology felt so at odds with the quiet ruins above ground, as if she had descended into another world entirely. That it was purportedly older than what she had seen up there made it even more bizarre. How could such technology have been lost? Had a calamity struck in ancient times as well, casting down what was once a facet of everyday life into the realm of myth and legend? That seemed like the only explanation, though a sad one. This Hyrule Kingdom seemed to be one marked by tragedy, judging by what little she knew about it so far.
A short staircase awaited her at the end of the passage, and at the top a wall of stone blocks. Those would have been impossible for her to move, if not for the sole metal one set into the second row. Activating Magnesis again, Mipha easily toppled them, careful not to bring any crashing down on her head.
An unpleasant surprise stood just beyond the mess she'd made, though: a small automaton that looked like a miniature version of the ones outside. It seemed to be dormant at first, but as she drew closer it lit up and began moving. Fumbling with the slate, Mipha managed to activate Magnesis again just in time, using the metal box to block an energy blast from the small construct. It skittered around to the side with its spidery legs, and she moved the box again, trying to both block it and smash it with the weight.
She once again managed to evade the blast, but the next one came past the side of the box and grazed her leg, sending searing pain shooting through her thigh. Mipha cried out, and nearly lost her grip on the slate and thus the box. She managed to hold on, though, and swung the box at the automaton. It connected right as it readied another shot, sending the energy ricocheting off and into the wall behind her. Mipha swung again. It missed as the thing skittered around once more, but she repeated the swing when it paused to charge up again. This time, it hit hard enough to send the little thing flying off the platform and into the shallow water below. Sparks flew, and then she heard the sound of it shorting out and breaking apart.
Breathing hard, Mipha deactivated Magnesis, sending the box falling into the water with a splash. A look at her thigh revealed some scorch marks on her scales, but nothing too terrible. It stung, though, and made walking slightly painful. She frowned. What on earth am I supposed to do about such a wound in a place like this? I know not how to treat them... but surely Gustaf must. I will ask him when next I see him. In the meantime, I must be more cautious.
Limping slightly, she continued on. Another metal panel bridged the gap between where she stood and the next platform, but first she leaned over the edge and inspected her fallen foe. It really had crumpled to pieces in the water, leaving behind a few parts floating there. Satisfied that it wouldn't be bothering her anymore, she crossed the panel and then used Magnesis to carry it over so it could bridge the next gap.
Two large metal doors stood at the end of the path, but just before she reached them something caught her eye: a metal box lit with orange light, on a small shelf high above her on the left wall. The treasure! It had to be—there was no way to give Gustaf the rune, after all. Heart racing, she activated Magnesis again and used it to bring down the box, careful to let it down gently lest she damage its contents. Who knew how old it truly was, after all?
Inside it sat—well. Mipha wasn't sure what she'd expected, exactly, but a simple bow made of wood, with slightly tarnished metal reinforcements, didn't fall into those expectations. A frown creased her face. To be honest, it didn't seem like much of a treasure to bring back to him, certainly not worth the promised paraglider.
Oh well. It is something, after all, and surely there will be something better in the other ones. Mipha shook her head, and strapped the bow to her back. For now, I will finish this and hope for better elsewhere.
Past the metal doors, more of those strange lamps stood arranged around a square dais with a few steps leading up to it. On it, caged inside shimmering curtains of cyan energy, sat a most curious thing: what looked to be a shriveled corpse with long white hair, posed cross-legged and clad only in simple brown pants and gold jewelry around its wrists and neck. A large hat had been strapped to its back, its hands posed to form a triangle with its fingers and thumbs, and the eye symbol of the Sheikah stood out in chalky white on its near-black forehead, above closed eyes. The head was little more than a skull with a thin layer of skin clinging to it, and she could clearly see each rib in its chest, as well as the sternum.
It feels a bit... grotesque, I must admit. But perhaps that is unfair—I know little of the Sheikah's traditions and beliefs, and should not judge.
Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and touched the energy curtain. It rippled like water, the Sheikah eye symbol appearing briefly before it all burst into thin tubes of light that dissipated as they flew through the air with a sound like a ringing bell.
And then that same papery voice spoke again. “You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial.”
Was—was the corpse speaking? Eyes wide, Mipha leaned closer, trying to see if the lips were moving.
He—for the voice sounded male—wasn't moving at all, however. “I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddesses, allow me to bestow this gift upon you...”
Gift? Mipha's pulse spiked. Perhaps this was the treasure Gustaf sought! At the very least, it had to be better than that bow.
“Please accept this Spirit Orb.”
Wisps of light materialized between Oman Au's hands, and coalesced into a translucent violet orb bearing a new symbol: a sword between two outstretched wings. Mipha only had just enough time to register that the wings reminded her of the broken statues at the Plateau's gates before the orb flew forward and disappeared into her chest with another flare of light. Her eyes bulged with shock, and she clasped a hand to her chest as if to feel for it. She could only feel her own heartbeat, however, and the odd—but not painful—sensation of the orb sinking into her scales soon faded.
“May the Goddess smile upon you.”
And with that, the monk crumbled into blue light and vanished.
Teleportation, Mipha decided, actually was a nice way of getting around.
It was more than a little disorienting at first, and had made her a bit dizzy on that first trip, but the convenience more than outweighed those drawbacks. Simply being able to move to the top of the tower as Gustaf had suggested and then back down to the Oman Au shrine when she was done, all within seconds, was much better than having to climb all the way back up and down. Especially when her leg was still sore from where that blast had grazed her.
It was mostly feeling better, though; at the top of the tower she'd taken a break to simply sit and go through the slate's functions, and the rest had benefited her. In the process she'd found the ability to mark her map with stamps and pins, which came in handy as she used the scope to locate the other three shrines. They'd all been visible, and now had pins marking where they sat waiting for her. She hadn't been able to resist taking a look at what she could see of the rest of Hyrule as well. The view was stunning, if a bit lonely, and she'd even spotted what looked like other shrines out there, not to mention other towers.
Mipha had stopped, though, when she'd seen something huge and lizard-like crawling around on the distant, flaming mountain. Something about it had struck dread into her heart and chilled her blood, and she'd had to look away. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so, but it did.
Teleportation, though... what a wonder! Really, the only actual downside to it was that she couldn't teleport to somewhere she hadn't already been. Which made sense, of course, but did make having to walk all the way to the next shrine from Oman Au more annoying than it would've been already.
She took it slowly, though, pausing often for rest or to pick apples. Her leg still ached where the blast had gotten her, but she made sure not to put too much weight on it. And as she made her way down a slope just before the Eastern Abbey she was heading towards, she saw a pool of water beside the ruins. Mipha gratefully lowered herself into it, letting the cool waters soothe her burn and quench her thirst. Under cover of fallen leaves, a fish swam lazily about; on impulse Mipha slipped beneath the surface and swam towards it.
She moved soundlessly through the water with an ease that felt more natural than anything else she'd done so far since waking, and an almost primal sort of joy bubbled up in her. Once the fish had been caught and placed into the slate's storage—another function she'd found while puttering around atop the tower—she dove back in and allowed herself to swim around some more. Only when she'd had her fill did she reluctantly surface and climb back onto the shore.
While swimming she'd seen a chest at the bottom of the pond, but before she could pull it up she found herself struck by her own reflection in waters that had gone still in the wake of her exit. This was the first time she'd seen herself, and it was an odd feeling. Golden eyes peered back at her, from beneath a crested red forehead; her face, like that of her torso and the tops of her thighs, was pure white, as was the underside of her crimson tail. No nose like the one Gustaf possessed, though she'd already known that just by feel, and delicate, rosy-pink lips, along with those long fins on either side of her face, hanging down to brush her collarbone. There was no sign whatsoever of the orb that had been absorbed into her body, and she wondered again at what she was meant to—or could do—with it.
It was such a strange thing, Mipha thought, to have forgotten your own face. Seeing it now, it felt like regaining a part of herself that she hadn't even realized she'd lost until now. She touched her cheeks, blinked her eyes, and poked her forehead. It was surprisingly squishy, and gave way easily under her questing fingers. Something about it made her want to giggle, the soft laughter escaping her before she'd realized it. Not because she was ticklish there, but because—what? Something about the way it felt? Or... had someone else done this, long ago, and giggled just like that, shared laughter with her? An unexplainable ache settled itself in her chest and throat, melancholy puddling behind suddenly stinging eyes.
What have I lost? Who have I forgotten? A hundred years of sleep... what has become of my home, my family? Will anyone even remember me? Or have I been forgotten too?
Wiping at her eyes, Mipha stood and fumbled for the slate at her hip. Using Magnesis, she easily brought the chest onto the ground and opened it. A smooth and asymmetrically shaped yellow stone was all it held; yet it was beautiful, and Mipha gazed down at it for a moment. Amber. That was what it was called, wasn't it? The color, in the right light, almost reminded her of her own eyes, if the reflection in the shimmering waters had been accurate. A whisper skated across the surface of her mind—had someone else made that comparison, calling it to her thoughts now? It felt familiar, but as with her laughter a few moments ago, could not be tugged out of the murky depths.
Mipha sighed. As frustrating as this was, she couldn't sit here all day and wallow in it, any more than she could spend hours swimming about in this little pool. There was treasure that needed to be found, and, eventually, a calamity to be averted. Self-pity was a luxury this fallen kingdom could ill afford. So she took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and walked more steadily back onto her path.
The top of the next shrine, glowing orange, could be seen above the crumbling walls when she headed back to the left of the pool. A moss-laden automaton, apparently having been in the process of climbing over a wall, gave her a start as it passed, and she took a moment to soothe her thudding heart and stolen breath. Here and there patches of brick floors peeked out amid the grass and dirt, but for the most part nature seemed to be slowly reclaiming this place. An abbey, the slate's map called it; some distant part of her brain connected the term with that of religion. Another place of worship smashed by the calamity Gustaf had spoken of? Even sacred places had not been safe, and Mipha's stomach twisted as she imagined against her will the people who would have tried to take cover in their sanctuaries, but were slaughtered all the same. That she could see scorch marks and barren earth everywhere didn't help. Nor did the stains that she suspected might be blood. Death had forever profaned this sacred site.
If it is this bad here... what will I find when I enter the kingdom proper after receiving the paraglider? I shudder to think...
Moving past the shell of the machine, she came to a choice: a long, unbroken stretch of wall to her left, and an open archway just ahead. It seemed an easy decision; the burn on her leg, though feeling a bit better, still didn't seem to want to be subjected to a climb up that wall, and this archway would undoubtedly lead her to another through which she could reach that shrine. So Mipha shrugged and stepped through the archway. Two more automatons, one without legs and one with, rested on mounds of dirt to her left, and open archways indeed beckoned. One to the left, one straight ahead. Left was where the pin she'd put on her map was, so she headed that way.
The legless automaton moved.
Mipha froze. Had she imagined the motion? No—it was still moving, its oddly shaped head rotating. Metal scraped against rusted metal, and lights flared to life in its battered body, blue and then glaring pink. A low, unsettlingly deep sound that seemed to resonate through her chest and then from there to her limbs and head reverberated through the air. And then its—for lack of a better word—eye flared to cold blue life, staring right at her.
A vermilion beam appeared, starting at that mechanical eye and ending right on her body. Mipha recognized it in an instant: it was targeting her, much like the smaller one in the shrine had. The scorch marks on the walls suddenly made much more sense.
Mipha did the only thing she could think to do: she fled back through the arch, and pressed herself against the wall out of sight of the thing, heart hammering and breath short. She could hear it still moving. Still searching for her. Its mechanical whirs and beeps, the friction of metal on metal... her pounding blood ran cold, as cold as the ice skittering up her spine. One thing was clear: she could no longer trust that all of these wrecked and hobbled things were dormant.
Once she had enough strength in her limbs, Mipha peeled herself off the stone. The ruined wall had been warmed by the sun, but she still felt chilled to the bone. Burn be damned, she would much rather scale this wall than face one of those things. She forced herself to breathe, and headed left this time.
She'd almost reached the ideal spot for climbing over the wall when another one awoke. Mipha didn't waste any time—she turned and ran while it was still getting its bearings, and hid herself behind the wall she'd just passed. Hands shaking, she pulled out the slate and zoomed in on the map. A tiny dot blinked red and yellow at her where she'd just been; touching it revealed a name. A Guardian, the dot was labeled, giving her a proper name to call those things. Not that knowing it made them any less terrifying, of course. Her fingers still shaking, Mipha marked the map of the abbey with two skull-shaped stamps, to remind herself where they lurked.
This closer look at it did reveal an unfortunate truth, however: the next shrine appeared to be isolated within closed walls, forcing her to climb either way. Worse, she would have to take the long way around to reach a good spot to do so, one that wouldn't leave her open to attack. The only path there, though, would take her within the sights of the first Guardian she'd encountered. Mipha sighed again, more deeply this time. There was nothing for it, it seemed, but if she was fast enough it should hopefully turn out fine. Her Zora legs didn't seem to be made for long sprints, but she would have to push herself regardless.
Mipha put on a burst of speed after passing through a gap in the walls to the right, not stopping till she'd passed the outermost wall. From there she wove around the outer perimeter, dashing past an archway through which she could see that first Guardian. A couple others clung to the wall next to the arch, but to her infinite relief were dormant. Dead? Could such a word be used for such a thing? She didn't know.
Letting the Slate guide her while staying alert, she continued on that way. The shrine wasn't that far now—if she could just make over this wall and then the next, she'd be there. Her legs were starting to feel like jelly and her burn was aching again from the exertion, but she fought down the pain and pushed on. At least the walls weren't too high, and their rough surfaces made it easy for her to get her claws in.
There was just one problem: the live Guardian that woke just as she made it to the top of the wall, situated right in her path. Gasping in horror, Mipha flung herself down on the ground and landed in a heap in a patch of tall grass where butterflies with creamy white wings fluttered around the wildflowers. Exhausted and terrified, she allowed herself a few minutes of rest before getting to her feet.
Activating and entering the shrine proved to be identical to the last; the initial room looked much the same as well. This one, though, was smaller, with a short ramp leading down to where heavily cracked stone blocks barred the way. What sort of rune would assist her in clearing that?
The answer soon became clear as she took the slate to the pedestal and distilled the rune into it: remote bombs. Two types, one round, one cube-shaped. As in the other shrine, a hollow, papery voice spoke from somewhere else. “To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Ja Baij. In the name of the Goddesses, I offer this trial. ”
Another trial, this one to use the bombs she'd just acquired. Mipha found herself less than thrilled at the idea of setting off explosives, but what choice did she have? She threw a round one down at the blocks, hurried a good distance away, and then detonated it. Fragments of stone burst out and then swiftly disintegrated, leaving the path clear.
Two other such obstructions awaited her further in. One blocked the way to a chest containing a large, heavy sword that she'd have to wield with both hands, the other revealed the way to a short ladder. Ascending it brought her to a square platform lit with blue light, moving back and forth between where she stood and another large obstruction of cracked stone cubes. This time, a square bomb set on the outer edge of the moving platform did the trick: she returned to her starting point after setting the bomb and waited until it'd moved to the other side to detonate it, shattering the stone and clearing the way once more.
Past that was a larger room, with two apparatuses mirrored on either side. To the left, pillars pushed themselves out of the floor at steady intervals, tossing a large orb between them. Another one further left simply rose up in tandem; she let it toss her into the air, and landed on the otherwise unreachable platform where a chest containing another piece of amber awaited.
Two treasures here... and there is sure to be another spirit orb once I am done. I wonder which item Gustaf will prefer of the two I have found. At least, I hope it will be one of them. For I still cannot imagine how I would retrieve the orb from myself...
On the right side of the room, the answer seemed obvious: drop a round bomb into the chute, and when the pillar tossed it up—in a mimicry of the orb on the other side—detonate it when it fell onto the cracked blocks. It ended up taking two bombs to clear them all, but once that was done she was free to simply climb another ladder up and make her way to the monk that awaited her. Ja Baij greeted and praised her as Oman Au had and, after gifting her with another Spirit Orb, vanished just as he had.
Also like before, she found herself automatically teleported back outside, to the entrance to the shrine. The next one, according to her map, was away to the southwest. It made little sense to return to Oman Au and walk all the way back, though that did tempt her. It was at least less dangerous than braving this labyrinth of rubble and Guardians. On the other hand, if she could find her way around safely, she would be past this deathtrap and on her way much faster. Given that the sun had nearly finished setting, the latter idea ultimately held more appeal.
She started by bombing the blocked up archway ahead of her, clearing the rubble there. That opened the way, but she couldn't relax, for that first Guardian was in this area, still searching for her. Luckily, it seemed to have gone dormant again for the moment, as its prey had vanished. Holding her breath, Mipha crept out of its possible line of sight, behind the remnants of some kind of support or arch. The Guardian with the stretched out legs remained silent as well. She braced herself and then ran as fast as she could. The live one awoke as she rushed past, but she was already out of view. She darted into the dead end she'd come through to get here, and managed to avoid awakening the other nearby live Guardian.
Praying for the best, she scrabbled to the top of the wall, her legs on fire. The third Guardian was visible from here but fortunately couldn't see her, and still didn't reawaken. Sighing in relief, Mipha lowered herself down and, hugging the wall that encircled the Great Plateau itself, made for the slope that would finally take her away from this treacherous area.
May I never have to return...