Legend of Zelda: Curse of the Zonai - Chapter 7

Chapter 7
 

“My scouts have found the statue of courage. Curiously, it is nestled in the maw of a stone dragon. This is not the work of a Hylian, but what know others of Hylia? A most confusing discovery. Could it be that these ancient people could feel the Goddess’s power emanating from the spring there?”

-Personal diary of King Aldert Coen Hyrule

 

Danue scowled at High Scholar, Geth Donshem. 

“You’re young and while it seems exciting to imagine that this race of barbarians may have had something to do with a magic and some great evil, you’re looking too closely at things that just aren’t there.” The scholar advised, closing Danue’s journal and handing it back to him.

“I’ve been studying these glyphs my whole life.” Danue countered. “There’s more here than just a barbaric race of hunters.” He flipped to a specific page and held it up, pointing to the image. “See, this is found only on the tablet in the Dragon’s Maw. It’s unique and the symbols placed together show the connection between magic and warrior and sealing. Do you see in the middle?” He pointed to the center of the page. “That’s the symbol for darkness and an open door combined in one. These people found something, but it’s not here.”

The scholar shook his head. “The symbols are for water and the door is the dragon, that is where we are now.”

The argument ended when a guard came to inform the head scholar that he was needed back at the cathedral project. The guard turned to Danue.

“We can escort you back to the stable as well, you’d probably want to get proper treatment for your injury.” He offered. Danue shook his head. He had waited a long time to have the chance to come this deep into the jungle to study the ruins. He wasn’t giving it up. 

Luro entered the makeshift tent just as the scholar and guard were leaving. His whole body was covered in sweat and he looked exhausted. 

“How’s the training?” Danue asked.

“It’s more work than I ever wanted to all my days combined.” Luro scoffed. Danue grinned. He looked as if he took personal pleasure in watching someone become as obsessed with something as he was. It was even better that it had something to do with the Zonai. Danue believed as Luro did, that the inhabitants of Lurelin were connected to the Zonai. 

“You look like you’re taking this seriously.”

“Dying while pretending to be a warrior. What a way to go.” Luro joked.

“It won’t kill you, Luro. But maybe it’s a good to be doing something that you think might kill you.”

“How so?” 

“It means it’s worth something to you.” 

Luro shrugged. He’d spent his whole life trying not to have any ambition so that he’d never have to work for anything and thus not fail in doing so. 

Danue had gone back to his journal. Luro had finished recording everything that had been inscribed in the area. It had taken days of work and culminated in Danue’s journal having only a few pages left blank at the back. 

“There’s another reference to the darkness.” He pointed out. Danue was sure now that the place referenced in the hieroglyphs was not in the jungle.

“They moved specifically to some place with powerful energies to perform their rituals.”

“But isn’t this a holy place? There’s a statue to the goddess just beyond the dragon. I would think that they could use magic here.”

“Yes, but she represents light. This was another power, darkness.” Danue tapped the page rhythmically as he thought. “I need to go to Castle Town.” He stated. Luro’s head popped up. How long had it been? Just a week or more, but it felt longer. He’d missed the relaxed days of setting stone, watching the sunset, and getting a meal at the tent with Mie. “I want to see if I can get access to the library there. I think if the people of the past found spiritual places to build, then there may be a record of this place as well.” 

“I think it’s time I get back, too.” Luro added, then cracked a grin. “Besides, I don’t think you’d make it without me.”

“You’d be better company that that stuffy old scholar.” Danue agreed, glad that he wouldn’t have to endure the old man alone. 

 

Mie tried keeping her eyes on the road ahead, but she couldn’t take her gaze off the overhanging cliffs covering up the skies above. Sand-colored overhangs blocked out the sun in patches, creating patterns of light across the dusty trail ahead. Dead trees and dry brush spotted the cave-like path and shallow pools of water filled depressions near the cliff walls. They were at the Breach of Demise, as Rem called it. Everything danced in the light and shadows cast by the jutting cliffs above that seemed to surround them as if they were in the skeletal rib cage of a leviathan. Hawks soared and dove across the patches of sky above. As they rode, Mie saw evidence of monster camps along the roads. She stared at the piles of bones and sooty fire rings.

“Don’t worry.” Cade spoke up from behind. He pulled up closer to talk. “All these sites were deserted after the beast was slain at the castle. All roads are now in the care of the crown and camps have been cleared. Remaining monsters retreated into the wilds far from the influx of armed travelers and soldiers.”

Almost without warning the sky turned dark and Mie heard the first clap of thunder. Beneath her Nayra shuddered. 

“Time to take a break I’d say.” Rem called from the front. He led the other two to a spot beneath one of the over-handing cliffs. As if from nowhere the storm was upon them. Rain crashed from above and created small streams weaving their way down the cliff and into ever-expanding pools of rainwater. The harsh jutting cliffs above were silhouetted by frequent clashes of lightning. 

“This place is said to have been carved out by a giant demon digging its way out of the underground.” Rem said, gesturing to the cave-like valley. “Although I’m not inclined to believe in such things.” He stroked his beard as he peered out through the rain.

Cade pulled the contents of a meal from his pack and distributed the food stuffs to Mie and Rem. “It’s my first time here.” He said, joining in on the conversation. The group sat on a few scattered rocks, watching the rain fall. 

“I’ve been as far as Tabantha, but I don’t think we came this way. I was very young at time and I don’t remember much.” Mie offered. “I may have even slept through much of the trip.”

“The princess’s attendant said that you know how to heal the land.” Cade commented.

“I wouldn’t go that far. I won’t know until we find the plant I’m looking for.” Mie replied quickly.

“I left Kakariko when I heard that the princess had been released. Many of our people did. I took courage when the hero arrived in Kakariko and I began training twice as hard. I had faith just as our elder, Lady Impa, did that the hero would set things right.” Mie realized that Cade was actually younger than she’d initially thought. He had been wearing a mask before, and while it was obvious that he was younger than Rem, now that she could see his face. She noticed that he was just older than she was. 

“So you’ve trained to be a fighter?” Mie asked.

“My great-grandfather was a Sheikah warrior who served the royal family. He was helping re-activate the guardians when they attacked. Although they destroyed everything around them, my great-grandfather escaped. He ran to warn his wife and their new son. Together they helped a lot of people escape. They got as far as Hateno Fort before the guardians caught up to them. My great-grandfather stayed behind to fight them, giving everyone else time to escape. He didn’t make it back though, he died honorably. After that, my great-grandmother raised my grandfather alone in Kakariko. My great-grandfather is my inspiration. I want to do all that I can to live up to his courage.” Cade finished his story. Both Rem and Mie were listening intently. 

“That’s really amazing.” Mie said finally. “I’m from Hateno.”

“You may very well be here today thanks to that man’s efforts.” Rem reasoned.

“I hope that I can do something great like that someday.” She said slowly. 

“You are!” Cade replied. “You’re helping. We all are. Together we can restore the land and people. We can have peace again.”

“Fighting and protecting is only one way of re-building.” Rem cut in. “You’re doing something just as important.”

Mie bit her lip and nodded. She knew that cleansing the land of its malice was very important, but it wasn’t quite as intriguing as Cade’s story. The thunder had stopped by then and the rain was dissipating. The trio continued their journey west.

In just a few short minutes sunlight trickled down though gaps in the overhangs. An hour later the cave-like cliffs of the breach dissolved into wide open plains. Mie saw in the distance tall tower-like formations. 

“The scablands” Rem informed. 

The tall cap-topped pillars looked like giant shriveled mushrooms with flat tops. Although they were a peculiar rock formation, the moss that grew on the underside made them look green, like they were trees of some sort. The sun was beginning to fall lower in front of them and finally after another hour, they could see the stable in the distance.

They made it to the stable just after sundown. Mie spoke with the locals to find that there was an abundance of Mountain Down near Strock Lake. That would have to wait for the morning. 

 

 

The royal library was on open to the public on escort or by personal invitation. With a letter from the head scholar, Danue and Luro could be admitted to the massive library. 

“It can’t be helped then.” Danue sighed. The two of them stood outside the official office of the kingdom’s head scholar, Geth Donsham.

“It could, but then you’d pester me to death.” Luro groaned. 

 

Although he’d given them a hard time, Geth had finally given written a letter of invitation for the young researcher and his body guard. Geth watched the muscled fisherman cart the lad away in a rolling chair. He shook his head. That boy was on a fool’s quest, but it was best that he let them find that out for themselves. Geth, unlike most, had deep knowledge of the histories of Hyrule. His father and he had snuck into the castle many times in his youth, rescuing books from the derelict library. They’d chosen damaged books mostly, dodging monsters of all sorts that roamed the forbidden castle. He’d restored the books as best he could and as a gift of good will, he’d presented them to Princess Zelda. In all of his studies never had there been a mention of these Zonai barbarians capable of summoning light or dark magic. His specialty was that of the history of Hylians themselves, the children of Hylia. They were the key to civilization. Anything good could only come from such beings as were named after the great Goddess herself. He would see that they flourished again. He knew it was his burden to restore true culture and civilization. 

He folded his hands on his table, the pen he’d used for the boy’s letter still resting on the writing pad. There was something driving that boy. There was no reason not to admit him to the library, yet there might be something to gain by keeping an eye on him.

 

The Royal Library had been cleaned up, but still sported gaping ruptures in the second-floor walkways and a giant hole in the ceiling. Despite this, there were thousands of books that had remained perfectly on their shelves. Invading monsters and the filthy malice had no use for histories and journals. 

Luro pushed Danue across the swept floor on a chair with wheels. Danue wore a fresh bandage and frame for his foot. He winched every once in a while when his foot bumped things. Luro didn’t envy the man, the doctor at the clinic had to re-break one of Danue’s bones because it hadn’t been set correctly. They’d given him the use of the specialized chair for his errands, but he would have to return it. 

Luro practiced his forms he’d learned from Hoz in the jungle while Danue poured over the books he’d piled up on the reading desk for him. The sun tipped through the hole and lit the whole area in a brilliant light. There were crews working on removing the larger debris and Luro soon found himself helping with the restoration as the afternoon wound on.

“Looks like you kept yourself busy.” Danue commented when Luro returned to fetch him. 

“I find myself being more and more generous than is healthy.” Luro said with a grin. 

“I’ve found something. It’s from the journal of a king. The same king who built the goddess statues.” He paused to let his revelation sink in, but Luro’s expression didn’t change.

“There’s more than one statue?” Luro asked.

“There were six in total.”

“So does it speak of the dark lands?”

Danue shook his head. “No, not exactly, but the king was interested in the Zonai as well. He may have written more about them somewhere. I’ll just have to keep looking.” 

They spent the evening at an inn. The tent Luro had stayed in before was gone. In fact, most of tent town was gone. Castle Town could now support enough people that the tents were no longer needed. They ate a meal of bread, cheese, and vegetables in the common room of the inn. It was a nice atmosphere.

“Where would some place like that be? Something like a darkland would be pretty hard to miss.” Luro remembered Mie’s frustration at not being able to see dragons a the like. If the darkness was magical, it might be in plain sight and no one would see it.

“Maybe it’s not visible.” He suggested. “Maybe the darkness was something only certain people can see.”

“Good point.” Danue considered the possibility and others surrounding the mystery, but Luro’s mind was on another matter. They’d stopped by the cathedral on their way to the castle, but Mie hadn’t been there. He wondered where she was. He didn’t have time to go out looking for her. She could be next door for all he knew.  There would be time to catch up later, but the thought of looking for her remained at the back of his mind.  

“If we could just find someone who’s traveled a lot.” Danue was saying. Luro snapped back to attention, a something coming to mind.

“I think I might know someone.” 

“Good. Can we talk to them?”

“Yeah, sure.” Luro yawned. “Tomorrow.” When he looked back over at Danue, the young researcher had that blank stare on his face that he got when he was mulling something over in his head. Luro thought about asking him, but Danue spoke up first.

“Luro, I have a question for you, if you don’t mind.” Danue began. Luro shrugged. “What are your plans? I mean, if we find this place.” 

Luro was taken aback. “Well, I don’t know. I guess I’d want to check it out.”

“Sorry, but I’ve always been obsessed with the Zonai, ever since I was a child. I kind of envy how laid-back about the world you are.”

“Hey, being this lazy takes a lot of work!” Luro shot back in a mock-hurt tone. He shook his head and continued. “Actually, I used to be different. I love fishing, I used to always have the boats ready to go in the morning. I’d spend all day on the water. I taught the other children how to find the best fishing spots. Not only that, I was good at crafting. I repaired buildings and boats alike. I was usually up early enough to see my brother passed out on the beach.”

“What happened?”

“To my brother? He was just always drunk and broke. My father’s frustration and anger towards my brother grew. Then his anger turned on me. My brother was supposed to be a leader, but I was the one developing the qualities and the whole village knew it. After a while, I got sick of my father and just stopped. I stopped helping people. I stopped working. I just stopped. I thought if I made myself look worse than my brother, it would get my father off my back.”

Danue had seen how hard Luro trained with Hoz and the soldiers at the library. He knew at least some part of his lazy attitude had been an act. 

“I wasn’t ever planning on changing back to who I was before. I was just going to sleep my life away on a boat with a line in the water.” 

“But then you saw the glyphs on your pendant.” Danue filled in.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t the start of it. There was this girl I met.” Danue leaned in closer, now not wanting to miss anything. “The problem is, she’s a strong one. She came to Castle Town on her own to earn money for her family. She can work from the cucco’s first crow until the sun sets. She has hopes and dreams of finding something magical in the world and well, I’m pretty sure that doesn’t include me.”

“A dreamer and a hard worker. So if you find something magical, maybe she’ll like you?”

“Or I become an extreme Zonai warrior.”

“Or you die trying.” Danue smirked.

“Hey, don’t steal my lines.” Luro shot back cooly.