Child Of The Forest - Judy Colella (popular e readers .TXT) 📗

thought, groggy, and turned, stepping on one in his flight toward the nearest wall.

“Fruit, Link! Cut a plant and get some fruit!”

“Huh?”

She flew to the nearest clump of grass, illuminating it for him with her small light.

“I – ouch!” Another spider-child had reached him, burying its needle-sharp fangs in almost the same spot as the first.

Link fell to one knee, and the creature immediately bit his hand.

“Nav…”

“Pull on the blades, Link! Eat one!”

He managed put the sling-shot away, grabbing grass with his uninjured hand, which gave him enough energy to stand once more. Slashing weakly at the spiderling, he killed one while managing to slice into the plant at the same time. A heart-shaped fruit tumbled out, he grabbed it, and shoved it into his mouth.

“Now run, Link!” the fairy screamed.

He obeyed, feeling himself grow stronger, but still not quite right. Another clump of grasses was right in front of him how, and he quickly cut into them, retrieved two more pieces of fruit, and ate them.

That did it, and not a second too soon – Gohma, sensing the boy’s failing strength, had dropped from the ceiling once more, shaking the ground with her landing.

Strategy. Wado had told him something about strategy, how it sometimes was as essential as good swordsmanship. He swallowed hard, but kept his back to the monstrosity until it was almost upon him. When he felt its heat against his back, he gripped the sword with both hands and spun towards it.

“Die!” he shouted as the blade found its mark – plainly, Gohma had been taken by surprise. He continued to hack and stab, slash and slice, whacking at the eye with such a flurry of terror-fueled energy that the spider was unable to get away.

She suddenly emitted an ear-splitting screech and reared up on her four back legs, her eyeball a dripping ruin.

Link backed away, breathing hard. He’d been so engrossed in the battle, he hadn’t felt the multitude of stinging bites being administered by the remaining spiderlings. Now, the pain beginning to register, he nearly collapsed.

Above him, Gohma thrashed, her massive head swinging from side to side, her front four legs flailing.

“She’s dying, Link!”

So am I, Navi…

Another moment, and then it was over. The armored arachnid, the nightmare injecting its cursed poison into the very roots of the Great Deku Tree, fell to the ground and lay still, dead, defeated by a ten-year-old boy. Around her, the spiderlings faded and disappeared, and then her entire being disintegrated, falling into blackened chunks, while the center of where she’d been was engulfed in a strange blue light.

At its center, something red sparkled.

“Link! You must go into the blue light!”

He could barely move – what was she talking about? Light?

For the first time, Navi seemed to realize how badly injured the boy was. “No, Link! Don’t give in to the poison! Go into the blue light and take what you find there into yourself!”

Enough of his mind was still functioning that he realized she was right – if he didn’t do as she said, he would die, and soon, too. Mustering all the strength he had left, he dragged himself through the debris that had once been Gohma, and with his final ounce of energy, flung himself into the center of the brilliance. He landed on something even brighter, something that had no actual substance, yet was unmistakably there. As he fell, he could feel it pass through his tunic, the skin beneath it, and finally into his very heart.

A sense of euphoria filled him; he felt like he was floating…he looked down and – he was floating! Somehow, he was encased in a giant blue diamond made of light, and it was carrying him out of this dark place, up through the tree, and then…

The Meadow. He was in the Meadow. The light placed him gently on the ground, on his feet, facing the Great Deku Tree.

Then it was gone.

“Link, you did it! You did it! And you lived!”

Still somewhat dazed, although feeling better than he had in his entire life, he gave Navi a vague kind of smile and put away the Sword.

“Well done, Link!” intoned a voice so vast it could only have come from the Deku Tree.

“Thank you.”

“I knew thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes, dear boy,” the Tree continued, but now it sounded…old. Worn out. “Please – I have yet more to tell. Wouldst thou listen?”

“Y­­-yes! Of course, Great Deku Tree!”

“Ah, then listen carefully, boy. This dreadful curse was cast upon me by a wicked man, a man of the desert. Evil he is, and he uses is vile, sorcerous powers in his unending search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule.”

The Sacred Realm? Link thought he’d heard of it once, a very long time ago, but –

“It is in that Sacred Realm, you see, that one shall find the divine relic, the Triforce,” the Tree continued.

Ah, thought Link. Of course he knew of the Triforce – everyone did.

The Tree had paused, its voice sounding oddly weaker, but then it went on in a more energetic tone, “The Triforce, as surely you know, contains the essence of the Three Golden Goddesses. Hast thou heard this ancient tale of Hyrule’s beginnings, Link?”

“Not all of it.” His own voice sounded small, but the Tree apparently could hear him.

“Then I shall recount it to you. Sit, Link, and learn.”

The boy nodded and lowered himself to the soft grass.

The Tree spoke again, its voice resonant, rich. “Before time began, in fact, before either spirits or even life itself existed, the Three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that had once been Hyrule. These were Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage.

“With her strong, flaming arms, Din cultivated the land, creating the red earth. Wisdom was poured out upon the earth by Nayru, which gave the spirit of law to the world. Then, with her rich soul, Farore produced all forms of life, those that would uphold the law.

“Then, their labors complete, the Three departed for the heavens from whence they had come. At the point where they left the world, the Goddesses placed three golden Triangles, which have become the basis of our world’ providence. The resting place of these Sacred Triangles became known as the Sacred Realm.

“Link, thou must never allow that man of the desert, the evil man in black, to lay his hands on the Triforce! With his evil heart, he must not be permitted to enter the Sacred Realm! It was he who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power, and now, because of that curse, my end is nigh. You may have broken the curse itself through your valiant efforts, but I knew I was doomed before you started. I will pass away soon, Link, but do not grieve for me. I have been able to tell you of these important matters, of Hyrule’s final hope.

“Link…you must go to Hyrule Castle where…where thou wilt surely meet the Princess of Destiny. Please, Link…go, and take with you this stone. It was this, the Kokiri Emerald, that the evil man wanted so much that he cast the curse upon me for refusing to give it to him.”

Something fell from the tree, but it fell slowly, and sparkled green and gold. Navi gave Link a nudge and told him to catch it, so he got up and stood under the object as it made its way downward, revolving and catching the day’s dim light. He raised his arms, hands open, and a moment later, they held the most beautiful gem the boy had ever seen.

The Kokiri Emerald. It was crystal clear, larger than any gem like it, and wrapped around it was a lovely curve of polished gold. He stared at it in awe, and probably would have done so for a long time, had Navi not whispered that he should put it away and listen – the Deku Tree was speaking again.

“The…future depends on thee, Link…thou hast the courage needed…Navi! Navi, help Link to carry out my will…I entreat ye, Navi…Link…Good..bye…” The Great Deku Tree fell silent.

Stunned by this swift turn of events, Link could only watch as what looked like a shadow passed over the gigantic creature, and its leaves turned from vibrant green to rust.

One leaf fluttered to the ground, followed by another. The single leaf became a fluttering handful, which soon turned into a veritable torrent of dead foliage, exposing huge limbs to a grey sky.

The Great Deku Tree, the Protector and Life-Giver of the forest, was gone. In the thick silence of the dreadful event, Link got to his feet, deeply sorrowful, Navi silent by his left shoulder, and they left the Meadow.

There was nothing more to say.

EIGHT

 

Everyone seemed to have a connection with the Great Deku Tree that he didn’t. How else to explain that Mido knew what had happened? As far as Link was aware, no one had been in the Meadow except him and Navi. Yet as soon as he got to the opening back into Kokiri Village, Mido blocked him, hands on his hips, his complexion red with fury.

“What did you do?” he demanded, thrusting his face closer to Link’s. “You killed the Great Deku Tree – how could you!”

What?! “No I didn’t - ”

“Don’t lie, Link! You’re the only one who was there, so tell me – who else could have done it, eh? Who? Who?”

All his life Link had been dealing with Mido’s senseless verbal attacks, with his bullying. As far back as he could remember, the nasty little bugger had convinced others to pick on him, too, and he’d been the center of a lot of very mean-spirited treatment, mostly instigated by this red-haired pain-in-the-backside blocking his path. And right now, Link was devastated by the Tree’s death, exhausted from his battles, and quite frankly, still pretty freaked out by all those spiders and killer plants, and…

His eyes narrowing with an expression that neither Mido nor any other Kokiri had ever seen on Link’s face before, the boy stood straighter and slowly drew the Kokiri Sword from its scabbard. “Listen carefully, Mido,” he said in a harsh whisper, “I did not kill the Great Deku Tree. He was cursed. I’m more upset than you can possibly understand or know, and if you don’t get the hell out of my way, I’m going to hurt you. Do you understand that?”

Mido had gone dead white and started taking backward steps away from the boy who was suddenly a stranger – and a very dangerous one, too. “S-sure, Link, uh, uh…s-s-sorry…” He turned and ran off.

“Creep.”

“Yes, Navi, he is.”

“Now what, Link? We need to find Hyrule Castle.”

Link was very still for a few moments, but then he began walking forward, sheathing the Sword as he went. “I know, Navi. But not today. It’s almost nightfall. I’m very, very tired, really thirsty and hungry, and extremely unhappy. I want to go home and eat, and then I need to sleep for a while, okay? I promise we’ll start out early tomorrow morning.”

Something in his tone had obviously touched her, because her reply sounded almost motherly. “You’re right, Link. You’ve earned a good night’s rest.