Father Time | Legend of Zelda

Chapter 8 - Hyrule Historia

Hyrule felt bad for saying it, but sometimes he found himself missing the old days.

The times when he could wander free throughout his land, practicing the little magic he had been granted through his heritage and communing with the nature all around him. He wasn't made for Castletowns or Castles, or even villages like Hateno or Ordon. He didn't belong with Hylians, he belonged out there, in the great wide unknown.

And luckily for him, that's right where they were now. Wild had wanted to make a stop at the Akkala Lab to visit one of his old friends, and now they were trekking down the hill towards the East Akkala Stable. Wild had assured them it would be safe to spend the night there, and with some arrangements, they would be able to sleep in a bed each - which is long overdue, according to Legend.

On the way down, taking up the rear of the group, Hyrule had the chance to appreciate the world around them. Thie region could easily be the most beautiful part of Wild's Hyrule. Red and golden trees littered the hillside, spreading out across the lush countryside. It reminded him of his own Hyrule; the danger and the beauty mixed so perfectly, like the sweetest fruit steeped in poison.

As they came up the stable, Hyrule's eyes wandered towards Death Mountain, the burning abyss marking the western skyline. He followed the ridges in the stone down to the grassy verge and the... crater? Wild hadn't mentioned anything about a crater like that.

"Hey!" Wild smiled as he approached the front desk of the stable, waving as the owner looked up at the commotion.

"Ah, Link!" Rudi returned the smile, leaning against the counter. "What can I do for you?" Hyrule watched as Rudi's eyes edged over Wild's shoulder towards the rest of them, eyeing them up warily. Hyrule doesn't blame him, a clan of knights like them were a usual sight.

"You don't happen to have room for nine, do you?"

Rudi's eyebrows rose. "Nine, you say? Well, I suppose we can sort something out. I should have a few extra beds packed away in storage, I can fetch them and set them all up-"

"Nonsense." Time stepped in with a wave of his hand. "We have nine strong men here with nothing better to do. We can sort all that out."

Warriors groaned, earning an elbow in the ribs from Legend.

Rudi nodded. "Alright then, that'll be a total of one-hundred and eighty rupees, if you would be so kind."

Hyrule zoned out as the prospect of payment was brought up. He was never good with handling money. He never had much need for it before he started journeying with the boys. The others were always planning which town they could stock up in next, always on top of their finances and letting Wild pay for most of their stuff. Honestly, Hyrule was still baffled by their reaction to -learning Wild's rupee balance. Was a couple hundred thousand really that much?

He let his gaze wander around the inside of the stable. It was... cosy. He could imagine why it would be a popular stop with the travellers as well as those who had chosen to set up a more permanent residence there. He imagined it would look nice in the evening, what with the little lights and gentle atmosphere.

But even so, it felt like the walls were closing in, the tarp roof sagging until they became so trapped that they couldn't breathe.

Hyrule tried to shake the idea from his mind. Hylia, he needed some air.

So, as the others began to set down their belongings, collapsing onto the beds with a sigh of relief for their poor feet, Hyrule wandered outside. It was late afternoon, but he still had a couple hours before Wild would light the cooking pot, and the world was just so tempting.