Chapter 8- Preperations

A Chapter by Miles W.

Chapter 8 of Vector of the Heavens

Link was annoyed out of his mind. He was planning on returning home since he had already helped Riku get to where he needed to go, but Riku insisted that Link stay. Link didn’t really understand Riku’s position of keeping Link here when he should be back at Feather Falls helping his wife and family. He decided that he couldn’t wait any longer. He had already spent about a week here in the city, and he was longing for the ranch life again. Link went to the stables, got Epona ready for travel, made sure he had plenty of provisions, and saddled up. He was about to leave when a voice said,
“A chance for grand adventure and you are letting it get away from you?” Link turned and saw Eraqus dressed in common clothes walking towards him.
“Those clothes don’t look like those of a high elf my lord.”
“Please son. Just call me Eraqus. You are my pupil’s descendant after all.”
“Yeah, I am the descendant of a guy who just came back from the dead after thousands of years. This is totally normal.”
“I know this is tough for you young one. Please, I know you want to return home but won’t you join me in a stroll around the marketplace first?”
“Won’t you be mobbed by commoners my lo-, I mean, Eraqus?”
“That is why I am wearing these clothes young one.” He said this with a chuckle, then motioned him to come. Link shrugged, dismounted Epona, put everything away, then followed Eraqus. They walked around town and the market, talking to shop owners, purchasing simple foods and trinkets. There was one point where a child ran into Eraqus spilling her small drink on his pants. Link was afraid that he would blow up, but Eraqus got down on one knee, rubbed the child’s head, and gave her the money she would need to buy a new drink. After a while, they sat down at one of the benches in the town square. They had a small lunch made up of the things they had bought in the market. Link was confused about several things. Mainly revolving around the origin of the friendship of Riku and Eraqus. When Link asked this, Eraqus just simply stated that if Riku hadn’t told Link about his past, then he wouldn’t tell him about it either. Eraqus did tell Link that Riku was sent to Eraqus for training just as the thousand year war with Xelador and Hylia reached year 526. About thirty or so years before he went off and founded the country of Galor. Eraqus went on to share some of their great battle memories which made Link kind of queasy. He was fine with chopping up monsters, but fellow mortals with sentiment thought always upset him. Eraqus sensed this in Link and started to laugh. They started going back and forth about small things such as food and merchandise. After a while, Eraqus looked up and asked,
“Why do you wish to return home Link? Chances like this are only offered once a millennium.”
“I just don’t think this type of life suits me Eraqus. I always just enjoy doing things like helping with my family ranch back home. I have a wife to take care of, and probably children as well soon. I just don’t think that I should go with Riku on this journey of his.” Eraqus contemplated this for a second, then said,
“If you don’t venture outside the walls of your home, you will never know what it is like to be outside.” Link seemed slightly confused by this statement. “Look at me Link. I am the ruler of a country. I have the highest respect from the world leaders across the globe. I could have just about anything I wanted. Food prepared by magnificent chefs, beds prepared to a comfort level never before dreamed by man, and magical shows that would leave a person breathless every day. But then I would forget what it is like outside my palace walls. I want to remember what it was like. I want to taste the food that my brothers and sisters of this country cooked. I want to hear the music played by simple men with simple instruments. I want to see the stars the way the people see it. I want to live life wherever I can, or else I would be a prisoner in a prison of my own design. For you Link, I think the big step for you to take is the step towards not just simply going back and hiding behind your work on the ranch, but rather, go out into the world, and see how your fellow mortals see things. See how other nations react to your ideas. See how you react to their food and music. See how they react to you. See how your react to them. Try to see the world.” Link pondered this for a good few minutes, then made up his mind.

Malon was cleaning up the stables after another hard day’s work. She felt more exhausted than usual even though she had been doing less around the two ranches ever since the family offered to do her chores in light of her circumstances. She was about to retire when she saw a horse riding up to the ranch off in the distance. Malon couldn’t tell who the rider was, but whoever he was, he had traveled through the mountain pass to the capital city. The rider came up to the gate, dismounted then walked over to her. She could now tell that he was one of the royal messengers of Eraqus and the high council. He looked at Malon and asked,
“What family does this ranch belong to?” Malon was slightly confused.”
“The house of Riku sir.”
“Excellent. I am looking for a woman named Malon. Do you know her?” Malon laughed a little bit than said,
“I hope I know her. She’s me.” The guard seemed slightly confused for a second, but got the joke and laughed a bit as well.
“I have a letter for you. It is from your husband.” Malon was excited. She quickly opened the letter and began reading.
“Malon,
I hope you can forgive your husband for doing this. But I am going to be gone for a little while longer. By the time that you will likely get this letter, me and Riku will have already begun to make our way to the city of Winds Breath, where we will take a boat gifted to us by Eraqus to travel the world and try to find out how to get Riku back to the land of the Guardians (it’s a long story, I’ll tell you when I get home). I don’t know how long this quest will take, but I hope to be back with you before you give birth to our child (if you are carrying our child, I don’t know. I haven’t seen you in weeks). I hope you can forgive me. I know that words are no good, but I give you this, I will return to you at one point or another. I will not stay away forever. Tell everybody I said hi.

Love always,

Link.

P.S., If you are with child and I don’t get back in time for the birth, I have a few name suggestions.

Boy: Riku

Girl: Cremia”

Malon was filled with tears. She always knew that Link wanted to travel the world, and now he had that chance. She immediately ran back in the house and told the family the news. And before the messenger left, she asked him to stay the night, then the next day, he started his journey back home with another letter in his parcel.

Demise loomed over a large map of the world, contemplating many different things. He looked over at Elitran and said,
“Have you located all the lost Guardians yet my apprentice?”
“We have located a few my lord. It would seem that of the ones we have found, they are searching for one thing in particular.” With this, he swiped his hand over the map, and several dots appeared before them.
“The gates to the heavens. I thought I destroyed all of them.”
“It would seem not master. Perhaps the goddesses sensed your plans and acted to make sure that they were activated for this moment to defeat the prophecy.”
“Perhaps. Whatever the case, they can be destroyed, and they can also be guarded. Wake the eight Gatekeepers. Assign each one of them a gate for them to guard.”
“What of the ninth gate my lord?”
“You will guard that gate yourself Elitran.”
“As you command sire.”