Chapter Text
The next morning I am still full of restless energy. I know this is it, the day I will leave the relative sanctuary of this plateau and properly head out into the world. I now have two proper teleportation under my belt a day. I want to get a good head start so I think teleporting to the tower and then gliding down towards the dueling peaks is probably the best course of action. There are shrines out there. If I can find one and activate a travel gate by nightfall, I can return home and rest comfortably. I'm not sure the likelyhood of that but the shrines can't be to far apart from each other especially this close the the start of the training ground for these disciples. So reasonably they would get more difficult to find the farther away from the plateau that they get. So I am decently hopeful. I make sure that the inventory is all set up and everything working properly. I store everything I can except a few snacks and my weapon of choice today, a sword, and my shield. The lighter I travel the better most likely and since I have access to the inventory there was absolutly no need to push myself that hard and potentially weigh myself down. Once I feel ready, I teleport out to the tower.
It's beautiful of course and I stand there for a few minutes enjoying the morning air and staring off in the distance towards the duelling peaks mountains. I will glide down directly in that direction. I wish that I had a better idea about where to start looking for these shrines. They are obviously my best bet to get strong enough to save Zelda. I also don't want to wander to far out of my path though so I use my scope to look towards the peaks and search for those orange glowing that were probably freaking out the people who were living their lives out there. I am excited to meet them but also very nervous about it still not sure how I will make myself understood. I know I'm not a huge sociable person I know this but I still want to see how these people live and communicate. I want to be involved in life as well. Though I know I will always be different. Through the scope I spot the tower but not any shrines. I guess I will just have to hope for the best. It's a heavily wooded area so worst comes to worst I can park myself up a tree. Taking a deep breath, I glide.
As soon as I jump I am filled with anxiety I don't want to leave the safety of my home. The plateau is my home is so many ways. I know I can always just teleport back but not every night. My safe haven will become something that I can rarely use. If I could guarentee frequent locating of the shrines... my sheikah slate is supposed to give me hints, and apparently in olden days there were also guides who aided the disciples in their journeys but I don't have that ability. When I had been with the king he had cryptically told me that the Goddess would make sure that I knew how to find shrines that were hidden. That she would speak to others to guide me if needed. But for now I have nothing to go on and I look down the scenery is still stunning. It looks like an old road leading to a set of ruined buildings. My mind tells me it's an old military barrack. Right, I was a knight. I wonder if I had stayed here before. It feels a bit familiar. A moment later I spot the creatures. Bokoblins. But also a bigger creature, my research tells me that they are Moblins. Bigger, stronger. Tougher opponents. I quickly hide myself and notch my bow. If I can stay hidden long enough, I can hopefully kill the moblins with head shots. I wait, and wait. Archery is about patience.
My patience pays off and I get a perfect shot in killing one of the moblins in their center camp. I quickly duck back behind the wall I was using for cover and hold my breath hoping they are still to stupid to realize where it came from. After a bit they stop shouting and hollering so I sit back up and eventually take my second shot. My adrenaline is screaming at me to run out and finish the rest of them off. But real life isn't all about epic battles. Throwing myself in the middle of them could very much result in my death. So many people had worked to aid and preserve me, I can't waste it just because my blood trills for some action. Now that the two big ones are taken care of though, I do take a few extra shots not being as careful of my location. I kill three more and only two bokoblins are left. These two definitely know where I am so I decide to try one of my abilities, I grab the sheikah slate and quickly press the onscreen shortcut for a bomb and generate one of the explosives before tossing it over the wall and ducking quickly detonating it. I hear them screaming long after the detonation. I look back over and see that they are not quite dead, but they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't what I wanted for them. They could clearly still feel pain and they were suffering because my bomb didn't fully kill them. I venture out my guilt growing as I notch my bow once more. This has become a mercy kill. I quickly do what I must the guilt slowly eating at me. That wasn't as clean cut as I had hoped. I'm not sure I will use those again on a living being. Maybe just for rocks or the mechanical gaurdians. I sigh deeply and start collecting what I can use from the camp. I toss aside broken weapons and shields and practice putting the ones I think are useful into my inventory there are some rushrooms not far under a small overhang and I collect those. Then I'm on my way. The forest is encroaching on the side of the road as I head out. There are more building that could be hiding enemies so I am diligent and that's good because I have to fight several more before I clear this military outpost.
As I continue on my way I come across a wagon. Its destroyed and the canvas torn off. I wonder when it is from, and what happened to the people who used it. I can't dwell on it for long. I need to keep going. It will be getting dark soon. I can see a large body of water ahead. And a bridge. I think I will camp on the bridge tonight. The undead don't seem to be able to spawn out of the concrete structures like bridges. Only from the dirt. So in theory I should be safe. They seem to only spawn if I cross over their burial places after dark. So if I settle on the bridge before dark, problem solved. I probably still won't sleep but I will build a fire. I had spent a good amount of time chopping wood before I headed out.
As I near the bridge and the end of the ruins, I am ambushed by some more bokoblins. These creatures are everywhere ugh. I am startled but regain my ability decently quickly. After a few minutes of furious fighting I am once again alone. I collect what is useful before moving on again. The sun is starting to set and I need to settle down on the bridge. I step onto the bridge and breath a sigh of relief, and then there is a man jumping out from behind some wooden crates his spear out and shouting at me, I stumble backwards out of reach and I raise my hands in the air shaking my head so as not to appear a threat. It is a Hylian! My first person to meet outside of the platuea! I thought I would have to wait until Kakariko to meet anyone. Hopefully he doesn't try to fight me. He is dressed in makeshift armor and has gear consistant with a traveling soldier. He relaxes after a moment and doesn't attack me.
"Oh, you are just a traveler. I'm sorry. My name is Brigo." He pauses and waits for me to respond as he puts his spear down and steps back allowing me to step onto the bridge. My muteness is thrown into the spotlight as I try to figure out how to communicate with this man. I decide direct action so I start to sign to him. I know he won't understand but I hope it gets my point across. I start by tapping my throat and then shrugging before signing my sign name and telling him how happy I am to meet him.
Brigo looks at me with wide eyes. He clearly has no idea how to handle the fact that I cannot speak with him. "I've never met anyone who talked like that. Though Lady Impa tells stories of a Knight appointed to the princess who used hand signs like that. Can you not talk? You can hear me though right?"
I smile a little bit. Lady Impa seems to be going strong then. That is good for me. I was worried after 100 years she might not actually be there despite king Rhoam saying she would be. After all she had to be ridiculously old now. I wonder what this man would think if I could tell him that I was that knight. He would probably think that I was crazy honestly. So I tap my ears and nod before tapping my throat again and shaking my head.
"Okay so you just can't speak, well that's alright. I'm sure we can figure it out. Come on a bit closer. I have a camp set up about the middle of the bridge."
I follow him glad to be off the plain dirt of the earth. Brigo continues to talk as we walk. "This bridge, the Proxim Bridge, is an important route for trading and just generally travelling. I patrol the bridge. I keep really busy making sure monsters don't nest here by chasing them off the bridge and stuff. I also keep travellers company here since alot of them stop on the bridge to avoid the odd creatures that pop up in the earth at night. The more people and light the better the chase them away. I can also give directions! I frequently help people make it to the stable right on the other side of the mountian pass."
I lean forward interested. I can see he has a tent propped up on the bridge with a fire. I am impressed that he is able to keep those set up here and that he takes his job so seriously. Hearing about the stable is also excellent news!
"I switch out with another patroller every two weeks or so. Then I head home to Kakariko to see my family for a bit before coming back. We have to keep this route clear for the supply train for the village. I really enjoy my job. I get to meet interesting people. I just wish I knew your name!" He grins back at me and I smile back warmly as well. He has nice warm brown eyes though I think his haircut is a little silly looking. But he does spend most of his time out here patrolling a bridge so maybe he does it all himself. It is awkwardly adorable. We make it to the camp and I peer out over the edge of the bridge. I can see another bridge in the distance, I also see an enemy camp not far. I want to see further so I pull myself up onto the ledge and lean out peering over towards Hyrule castle. Suddenly I feel something grab me from the back and pull me off the ledge. I fall to the ground in a dangerous heap and look up at Brigo who looks terrified,
"NKw you just wait a minute! Dont be rash okay? You really need to think about this for a moment! You can't change the world by jumping to your doom you know! That would only do one thing! And that would be to drive me batty! Seriously! Think of the shock that I would suffer seeing something like that! I'm young but you are even younger okay? I'm trying my best out here but I get the feeling that you are going to end up trying even harder. Don't throw it away here!"
I stand quickly reaching out to take his hand rapidly shaking my head. I pat his hand and then wildly gesture towards the sky and the world before placing my hand over my eyes and making an exaggerated sightseeing motion with my head and body.
"Oh! Don't worry me like that! And you probably still shouldn't climb up there it could crumble and you could just fall! But if you want to see some interesting things I can tell you! Look over there!" He points out near where I had been looking at a small patch of land that extends into the river on the other side of the bridge I can see. To get to it I would have to cross that bridge. There is a dead gaurdian. Tilted over and seemingly partly buried in the river it's long legs extended. I shiver. "I may be somewhat used to seeing bad omens by now, but that... well let's just say its badder than most."
I glance at him raising an eyebrow. It doesn't seem all that bad to me actually. It's dead after all and not chasing us. "Did you see those strange things that popped out of the ground... did you see them?" Brigo turns to me earnestly. I nod my head quickly. The towers I assume? "I'm not talking about mushrooms here! I'm talking about those towers!" He points at the blue one in the distance. "That one has even changed colors! They seem to have popped up all over the place! And that's not the only strange thing that's happened!"
He turns me back the way we came towards the military outpost pointing at a point that is perfectly visible from the bridge but from the road was a little bit back behind some of the hills, it's a shrine. I sigh. I could have activated a gate and traveled home tonight for a good night's rest. And a safe one. But then I wouldn't have met Brigo tonight so I suppose that it is okay.
"The shrines you see! They have been there for as long as anyone can remember! Everyone knows they were once shrines for the Goddess Hylia! They are everywhere! They are great landmarks because villages are always near them! So stables are built near them as well! But they have always just been there! But these long deserted shrines suddenly just started glowing! You know what this means, don't you? The end is near! So with all this craziness going on I have been keeping an eye on that thing. Just to see if it suddenly starts moving, you know?"
I am busy thinking about the shrine so this statement catches me off guard and I turn to him an eyebrow raised and a confused look on my face. "I'm talking about that gaurdian of course! Haven't you heard the old stories about Hyrule?" Oh I understand now, back to the gaurdian. I nod my head but he has looked away over the water again. "See that thing over there? The one shaped like an overturned urn? THAT is what I'm talking about. Did you know some of them can move? One of them once chased me down and tried to kill me!" I pull back in shock and pointed over at the one we were discussing. "Well no not this one, it was a different one. That one was closer to the castle but before the forest... when they spot you, they shoot blue beams of light at you! Man I was so sure that was the end for me. I was prepared for the worst. But I somehow managed to escape into the nearby woods. You think it was my lightning fast reflexes that saved me?" I quickly nod my head to affirm this for him. To escape a walking Gaurdian he had to have been fast. I've never even seen one but I know it will be awful when I do. "Ha. I wish. Truth is I just got lucky." I frown a bit wishing I had the words to comfort him. He seemed anxious and depressed despite the amazing job he seemed to be doing here. "Anyway I hear more gaurdians like that still wander around Hyrule castle. Be careful."
I nod my head. He seems satisfied with that. It is now almost fully dark. My stomach grumbles embarrassingly and I grimace and shrug. He just laughs and points over to the campfire. "If you have supplies you can cook there. If not I think I have a bit extra of my rations."
I shake my head at him again and I turn to sit beside the fire. He has a log set up and I am pleased with the situation. I pull out some of my food, enough for both of us. I don't use the inventory because I don't want to scare him. I cook us up a nice meal of mushrooms and eggs with some meat. I add a bit of the spicy pepper to give it an extra kick and a dash of the salt I had found in the woodcutter cabin back on the plateau. I use his cooking pot and utensils. He also has some wooden carved plates for us to eat off of. There are exactly two of them. One for him and one for his relief if they are here at the same time. He is grateful for me making him dinner with my own food.
"You are a really good cook! I am glad that you stopped here tonight. Most people aren't thrilled with camping on a bridge."
I smile at him glancing across the fire at him. He is a nice looking young man. Even in the fire light. He is older than me with some lines from stress on his face. I just shrug not having another way to tell him that I've never actually slept in a house so this is fine to me. He just smiles again and I like his smile. I really do think I like him. He is kind if a bit jumpy. He seems lonely as he doesn't really stop talking. About the food or asking me questions which I struggle to respond to. It is frustrating to not be able to tell him what I want to. But he doesn't really seem to mind and fills the silence. Eventually he notices that I am yawning. I don't actually intend to sleep but he points to the tent. "I have some bedding in there. Some furs. Not the softest like a real bed but it gets the job done and keeps me warm. You can rest in there if you want. I can stay up tonight. It's perfectly safe they never come onto the bridge. Not unless a traveler is out at night and then they follow them onto the bridge. I am perfectly capable of fighting them off."
I shake my head and point at him and fold my hands against the side of my face. The sign language for bed or sleep. I close my eyes and mimicking sleep breathing with my mouth. "Oh no no I am not tired! You should definitely get some rest."
I raise an eyebrow. I think that Brigo looks tired. I shake my head again. This goes on for a while before Brigo laughs and nods his head. "Okay okay! I will sleep in the tent! I hope you get some rest too!" I already know I can make it through the night without sleep. If I really feel tired I might prop myself up against the edge of the bridge and take a nap sitting up. Since it seems so safe. It is very dark now after all, the only light the fire and the moon and we haven't been attacked. The monster creatures sleep at night and the undead really dont pass onto the hard stone.
Brigo heads into the tent but comes out a moment later holding a Fur blanket. He heads over to me and drapes it around my shoulders. "Just so you are more comfortable. You sure are stubborn. I hope that I get to see you in the morning! Don't take off without saying goodbye alright?" I nod pulling the blanket around my body with a warm smile. He really was sweet. And adorable in an awkward way. He heads back in calling out goodnight and I can hear him getting ready for bed and falling asleep. I settle in for my own night smiling up at the stars.