NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Water
Once Link was satisfied with the amount of fruit, he stepped out of the pantry to reunite with his friends. Fortunately, Paya had taken the reins of the conversation in a way that kept them entertained while he discussed things with Purah.
"Hey, Link!" Paya said, pointing at the overflowing bowl of fruit. "I see you still have your insatiable appetite!"
Laughter soon erupted; everyone knew Link's famous penchant for food, as well as his passion for cooking, which he had perfected during his travels after waking from his hundred-year slumber.
"I actually brought it to share," Link said, smiling as he placed the bowl in the center. "Take whatever you want."
"How kind, Link!" they said in unison as they moved in to serve themselves, except for Yunobo, who pulled out a rock roast from his backpack.
"Thank you, Link, you're very generous," Paya added, slightly blushing.
"Well, now that you're here, Link," announced Sidon, "I think we can continue with our story about the Water Temple. I apologize for starting without you, but don't worry, I was just explaining the troubles caused by the Demon King's creature in the region."
"Yes, the problems plaguing the Domain were terrible," Link nodded. "According to what Sidon told me, a waterfall of contaminated water began to pour down from a sky island, dragging a kind of black, sticky substance that resembled mud. I had never seen anything like it; it was oily and had a strange smell. I'm sure it wasn't ordinary mud."
"I share your impression," Sidon said. "It was affecting the aquatic wildlife terribly. We're still cleaning up the remnants in various areas."
"Getting back to the story," Link continued, "as soon as I arrived in the region, I went straight to the tower to activate the fast travel. What I saw shocked me: the ground around the tower was covered in that substance, and a Zora guard had been affected. I improvised with what I had on hand: I threw a splash fruit, and to my surprise, the substance partially dissolved. I activated the tower and headed to the Domain, not only out of curiosity about what was happening but also because I remembered that my scale armor was still there for repairs. I thought I'd take the opportunity to retrieve it since I would need it to swim through the waterfalls of the sky islands."
"It was at that moment when we met," Yona said with her characteristic soft voice and a gentle smile. "I didn't know who he was at that time. I was chatting with my ladies-in-waiting when I saw him staring at the statue in the center of the city, completely covered in mud. Without saying a word, he threw something at the statue. At first, I thought he was damaging it, but as soon as the object hit, the mud vanished. That was when I knew who the person before me was."
"I was stunned," Link added. "I expected to find the statue of Mipha, but I was surprised to see one of Sidon and me, in the midst of battle against Ruta."
"A statue of Link!" Paya exclaimed, amazed. "What an honor!"
The others nodded, sharing compliments and a few envious glances. Link, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, scratched the back of his neck, a gesture everyone knew well.
"Yes, I remember you were completely overwhelmed, dear Link," Yona said with a tender smile. "You could barely articulate a word. When I finally introduced myself, you insisted you didn't deserve such an honor, thanking me over and over again. That humility only reinforced what I had already sensed: besides being a brave hero, you have a noble and generous heart. I saw that again when you helped us in so many ways before meeting Sidon in the Mipha Park. And, of course, I couldn't let you leave without giving you your scale armor, shining like the first day."
"Thank you for your kind words, Yona," Link said, though his cheeks, already flushed from the queen's praises, only burned brighter.
Sidon, observing the moment, laughed with his usual joviality and decided to step in to give his friend a breather.
"It seems our dear hero is temporarily incapacitated," he joked, "so I'll continue the story."
"Please!" the others urged, eager to hear more.
Sidon nodded in appreciation and picked up the tale.
"As my wife has mentioned," he said, turning to Yona, "when Link arrived in the Domain, I was by the Mipha Court, a place where the Zora keep our water reservoir. I was desperate because, despite my efforts to clean the mud that had covered the pond, it would accumulate again almost immediately. On top of that, I had another concern; I was quite distressed because my father, King Dorephan, had to take refuge inside his secret hideout, the Pristine Sanctum due to the pollution affecting him."
Link, listening attentively, added, "Yes, when I arrived, Sidon and I barely exchanged a few words. I told him that I was in the region investigating the strange occurrences happening all over Hyrule, specifically to see if he had any idea about what was going on and where all this mud was coming from. In response, he asked me to visit Jaht, the Zora archaeologist, who was currently examining some ancient tablets. Meanwhile, Sidon continued his work, trying to clean the mud from the reservoir."
"That's right," Sidon nodded. "I thought his help would be valuable, so I asked you to go see Jaht. And I wasn't wrong; he soon came back with answers."
Link smiled, recalling the moment. "When I arrived, Jaht was studying a broken inscription. He explained that the alphabet of the inscription found was of Zonai origin, similar to what I had seen before in the ring ruins. When he translated it, he told me that to find the Water Temple, I needed to 'throw the king's shield through the tear of the Sky Fish.' I had no idea what that meant, so I decided to ask Sidon directly."
"I explained," Sidon continued, "that the 'king's shield' probably referred to one of my father's scales, and that the 'Sky Fish' could be some structure or island. I asked him to show me his map, and sure enough, there was an island in the sky above us that was shaped like a fish. With that, we had a starting point. I marked my father's palace on his map so he could request a scale in my name. Meanwhile, I had to keep working on cleaning the mud from the Domain."
"That's right," Link continued. "While Sidon kept cleaning, I headed to the Pristine Sanctum, where King Dorephan was recovering. Upon arrival, I could see he was visibly affected. I also encountered Muzu, his advisor, as dry as ever. After a brief chat, the king handed me five of his scales, assuring me that I could ask for more if necessary. Fortunately, it wasn't needed."
"I suppose at that moment it was inevitable to ascend to the Sky Fish Island to find the entrance to the Water Temple," Sidon commented, with a knowing smile.
Link nodded silently and began to recount how, thanks to the Zora armor, he had been able to ascend the powerful waterfall leading to the Sky Fish Island, which was actually known as the Floating Scales Island. Once on the island, he spent quite some time searching for the "drop" mentioned in the tablet, through which he was supposed to shoot an arrow with the king's scale. He looked over the landscape again and again until finally, changing his angle of view, he realized that the floating rocks rising above the Domain formed, from a certain perspective, the shape of a perfect tear.
"It was one of those moments when everything clicks into place!" Link said, laughing softly. "I got into the perfect position to see the drop and prepared the arrow. I made sure to combine it with one of King Dorephan's scales, and when I shot, the arrow flew through the air and sank into the bottom of the eastern reservoir."
Link paused, remembering the crucial moment. "Then, I saw a glow emerging from the water. The next thing that appeared was a pillar of light, rising from the depths. That was when I ran to talk to Sidon," Link continued. "I knew I had discovered something important, and I needed to tell him what I had seen."
"I remember it well," Sidon interjected, grinning from ear to ear. "It was at that moment when you dashed like a gust of wind to tell me what you had discovered."
"Of course!" Link replied with a laugh. "I knew you couldn't miss it. But just as I was telling you…"
"A monstrous worm appeared out of nowhere!" Sidon exclaimed, animated. "A Like-Like, but covered in a thick layer of mud."
"Yes, and I couldn't even scratch it," Link admitted, smiling with a touch of humility. "That mud layer was so thick that my weapons bounced off it. But then, there you were to help me."
Sidon, laughing, added, "I wasn't going to let my best friend get stuck. I used my power to shoot a good stream of water, and the mud began to peel off like wet paper."
Link nodded gratefully, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks to you, I was able to finish it off in a matter of seconds. You always show up right on time, Sidon."
"That's what friends are for!" Sidon replied, returning the gesture with a sincere smile. "You know I've always got your back, Link."
They both fell silent, catching their breath. This adventure had certainly been the longest by far, and there was still much left to finish it.