A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 52: Finding Enjoyment

This was where Link remembered the camp being. He walked down the path he had come from, passing by large hills of rock and past tall, winding palm trees before finally noticing a much larger tree actually sticking out of the shallow ocean waters right next to the land itself. Around the tree were makeshift wooden platforms and ramps, crudely designed and stuck together with rope and random pieces of cloth. And on the land the tree sat next to was, of course, the camp itself.

It had been quite some time since Link had seen a bokoblin, at least properly. The last time he had seen them was the brief glances he got of them as he passed by them on his divine beast as he headed to the castle a few days ago. Before then, it had actually been a few months. Even so, those faces were hard to forget, with their ugly hunched bodies, their large wide heads, and of course, the pig-like snouts and ears that made up their faces. Most of the monsters that sat around this camp were the usual red and blue, though one, in particular, was a bright white and silver, the only one Link actually considered dangerous.

Crouching in the tall grass to ensure he wasn't able to be seen, he crouched a bit closer. If he remembered correctly... it was there. Nearby, next to a wall made of stone from the hill that sat nearby, was a crudely made pen, and in that pen were the sheep that had been stolen. While it was nice that some sheep were still able to be saved, unfortunately, the campfire he saw the bokoblins dancing around had a nice, tender-looking piece of meat hovering above the flame, slowly cooking away. He looked around a bit more, making a note that one bokoblin sat up top on the tree fort's platforms with a bow and a tall, lanky creature near the back. A Moblin.

Still crouched in the grass, with a deep breath, he placed a hand on his stomach. Of course, he was still hurt. His wounds burned, for they hadn't properly healed yet, nor would they for some time. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, since he often had the Sheikah Slate with him, along with powerful weapons, healing items, and the champion's old abilities. This time though, it was back to his first starting point: weak, nothing much to fight with, against creatures who could just about kill him in a few hits.

It was all sorts of dangerous, and yet, it felt refreshing. Starting from square one, ready to take on a challenge out here in the wild. To take on a group of monsters, to observe and find different ways to come out on top. That was how he started in this new world, and it was nice to be reminded of that feeling; the feeling of adventure. It felt good.

Taking a moment to prepare himself, he looked down at the ground, noticing a decent-sized rock next to him. Deciding to take the rock into his hand. He looked around again before noticing a large stick in the grass. A makeshift spear.

Throw this in the water to distract them, crouch toward and behind the moblin, and then sneak strike him, Link thought as he grabbed the long stick. Once he's down, I can take his real spear. I'll throw this stick at the archer above, and then the rest is just careful basic combat. Alright...

He couldn't contain the tiny grin that had stretched across his face. It was exciting, something he couldn't help but admit to himself. Raising the rock high above his head, he threw it. It flew through the air before splashing in the water, causing all the monsters around the camp to jump. They all turned their attention to the ocean waters, ready for an attack to come from the sea, unaware that the real danger was silently moving behind them. Soon, Link was behind the moblin's long back and began readying his makeshift spear.

It all happened exactly as he planned. After only a few minutes, the beach was littered with monster organs, discarded bows, and spears, along with a few horns and trinkets the now nonexistent creatures had been carrying around. With the proper spear now in his hands, ripped from the moblin's dead hands, Link looked around, checking to see if there were any more monsters before placing the spear on his back. As if running on instinct, he picked up one of the bows and whatever arrows were on the ground. As much as he wanted to take the other weapons, without the Sheikah Slate, this just wasn't possible. Instead, he took whatever monster parts were on the ground and shoved as much of them into his pouch as he could before heading over to where the sheep were penned.