Post by Stoney on May 5, 2008 20:08:34 GMT -5
Deep within the peaceful woodlands of Serenus Forest, there was a man.
He sat on a stump, old and hardened, in a small clearing that had been made when the stump's former life as a tree had ended. Sunlight streamed around him, setting his body aglow as he lifted a small object up for inspection with both hands.
It was ovular, and round, with holes placed along its length at even intervals. At the top was a triangular protrusion with a hole in the middle of its tip, to allow for the passage of air through the object's hollow cavity.
The man inspected this object for several seconds before placing the triangular protrusion in his mouth. His fingers covered the holes , and he took a deep breath through his teeth.
The screechy note he blew caused countless birds roosting around him to take flight. Its grating nose echoed out over the hills, disturbing other animals for miles around.
Link sighed and let his hands drop into his lap. He stared at the ocarina he held accusingly, as if everything was its fault.
For the life of him, he could not understand why this particular wind instrument always gave him trouble. He was able to create beautiful whistles out of everything from flutes to grass, yet the ocarina remained stubbornly difficult to master.
There was a quiet rustling next to him as the shadow he cast did something shadows were never supposed to do; it moved on its own, surging upwards to form a shape --
"That was terrible."
So spokee the small impish creature that had formed out of the man's shadow, looking at him with an expression somewhere between amusement and disgust.
Link arched an eyebrow at the creature. "Think you could do better?"
His voice was a light tenor, still carrying the vitality of youth and a subtle strain that suggested he did not use it often. He offered the instrument to the imp creature with one hand. "Go on Midna, if you're so eager to hear good music then make some yourself."
"Um...no thanks." Midna gave the ocarina a look of distain, as if such an act were beneath her. "I much prefer the instruments of my own realm."
Link stared at her for a moment before retracting his hand. "Fine, then."
He blew another note on the ocarina, this one so high and piercing as to invoke cries of pain from distant animals. Link removed the instrument from his mouth and growled at it.
Midna winced, cleaning out one of her ears with a single tiny finger. "Perhaps you should stick to the stuff you're good at," She suggested. "Y'know, don't quit your day job and all that."
"I hardly consider 'whacking things with a big sword' to be an occupation."
He sighed. "But maybe you're right. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this thing."
Placing the ocarina in a pouch on his belt, Link stood up and stretched, feeling his arm muscles creak. Letting out a grunt of satisfaction, he took a deep breath of the wood-scented air and let it out again. "Mmm, this place is nice."
Midna glanced around with a somewhat bored expression. "I like the Sacred Grove better."
"Bah, you're such a critic." Link began walking, moving through brush and thicket with the ease of someone who'd lived close to woods his whole life. "I like it here. It's nice and quiet, way better than the city. I can actually hear myself think."
"You, thinking? I'm amazed." Midna floated after the man with a grin. "I guess this place is okay, but I'm not exactly comfortable with it. The Twilight Realm doesn't have forests like this."
"Yeah, it didn't look like it had much of anything from what I saw of it." Link's head followed a small movement in the bushes to his side; after determining it was likely a small animal, he continued his walk. "I wonder if that Yoshi is still around here..."
"What, that lizard thing you told me about?" Midna looked slightly disgusted as she recalled his description of it. "The one that eats people?"
"Yeah, this is where I met him a year ago. He was a big help during the war." Link glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "And he only eats in self-defense. He's really friendly to most people."
"He turns people into eggs after eating them. Do you even realize what that means?"
"I try not to think about it."
The ground had been gradually sloping upwards for a while now; Link climbed it, finally reaching the top of a large hill. Between the trees in front of him he could see a grand vista of the rest of the forest, and in the distance, the massive skyline of Smash City.
"Wow, what a view." Link smiled, glancing around at what he could see of the forest. In the wooded valley below them there was a clear space near a river; he pointed at it. "Why don't we camp there for tonight?"
"Ugh, I still don't see why you like doing this. I'll take a hot bath and room service over swatting bugs in the woods any day."
She shifted slightly in the air, an oddly uncomfortable gesture. "And why did I have to carry all the bags?!"
"Hey, it's not like they're any burden on you," Link rolled his eyes. "At least, not in whatever magical space you keep them."
"That's not the point," Midna snapped. "It's the principle of it; I'm a lady and -- hey, where are you going?! Get back here!"
Link looked back at her over his shoulder as he descended the hill. "We don't have much daylight left, Midna. If you want to complain, do it while moving."
Making an indignant little noise, Midna zipped through the air after her partner while pushing up invisible sleeves around her arms. He was in for it now!
And so the day waned over Serenus Forest, as a young man's cry of pain floated up from the trees.
He sat on a stump, old and hardened, in a small clearing that had been made when the stump's former life as a tree had ended. Sunlight streamed around him, setting his body aglow as he lifted a small object up for inspection with both hands.
It was ovular, and round, with holes placed along its length at even intervals. At the top was a triangular protrusion with a hole in the middle of its tip, to allow for the passage of air through the object's hollow cavity.
The man inspected this object for several seconds before placing the triangular protrusion in his mouth. His fingers covered the holes , and he took a deep breath through his teeth.
The screechy note he blew caused countless birds roosting around him to take flight. Its grating nose echoed out over the hills, disturbing other animals for miles around.
Link sighed and let his hands drop into his lap. He stared at the ocarina he held accusingly, as if everything was its fault.
For the life of him, he could not understand why this particular wind instrument always gave him trouble. He was able to create beautiful whistles out of everything from flutes to grass, yet the ocarina remained stubbornly difficult to master.
There was a quiet rustling next to him as the shadow he cast did something shadows were never supposed to do; it moved on its own, surging upwards to form a shape --
"That was terrible."
So spokee the small impish creature that had formed out of the man's shadow, looking at him with an expression somewhere between amusement and disgust.
Link arched an eyebrow at the creature. "Think you could do better?"
His voice was a light tenor, still carrying the vitality of youth and a subtle strain that suggested he did not use it often. He offered the instrument to the imp creature with one hand. "Go on Midna, if you're so eager to hear good music then make some yourself."
"Um...no thanks." Midna gave the ocarina a look of distain, as if such an act were beneath her. "I much prefer the instruments of my own realm."
Link stared at her for a moment before retracting his hand. "Fine, then."
He blew another note on the ocarina, this one so high and piercing as to invoke cries of pain from distant animals. Link removed the instrument from his mouth and growled at it.
Midna winced, cleaning out one of her ears with a single tiny finger. "Perhaps you should stick to the stuff you're good at," She suggested. "Y'know, don't quit your day job and all that."
"I hardly consider 'whacking things with a big sword' to be an occupation."
He sighed. "But maybe you're right. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this thing."
Placing the ocarina in a pouch on his belt, Link stood up and stretched, feeling his arm muscles creak. Letting out a grunt of satisfaction, he took a deep breath of the wood-scented air and let it out again. "Mmm, this place is nice."
Midna glanced around with a somewhat bored expression. "I like the Sacred Grove better."
"Bah, you're such a critic." Link began walking, moving through brush and thicket with the ease of someone who'd lived close to woods his whole life. "I like it here. It's nice and quiet, way better than the city. I can actually hear myself think."
"You, thinking? I'm amazed." Midna floated after the man with a grin. "I guess this place is okay, but I'm not exactly comfortable with it. The Twilight Realm doesn't have forests like this."
"Yeah, it didn't look like it had much of anything from what I saw of it." Link's head followed a small movement in the bushes to his side; after determining it was likely a small animal, he continued his walk. "I wonder if that Yoshi is still around here..."
"What, that lizard thing you told me about?" Midna looked slightly disgusted as she recalled his description of it. "The one that eats people?"
"Yeah, this is where I met him a year ago. He was a big help during the war." Link glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "And he only eats in self-defense. He's really friendly to most people."
"He turns people into eggs after eating them. Do you even realize what that means?"
"I try not to think about it."
The ground had been gradually sloping upwards for a while now; Link climbed it, finally reaching the top of a large hill. Between the trees in front of him he could see a grand vista of the rest of the forest, and in the distance, the massive skyline of Smash City.
"Wow, what a view." Link smiled, glancing around at what he could see of the forest. In the wooded valley below them there was a clear space near a river; he pointed at it. "Why don't we camp there for tonight?"
"Ugh, I still don't see why you like doing this. I'll take a hot bath and room service over swatting bugs in the woods any day."
She shifted slightly in the air, an oddly uncomfortable gesture. "And why did I have to carry all the bags?!"
"Hey, it's not like they're any burden on you," Link rolled his eyes. "At least, not in whatever magical space you keep them."
"That's not the point," Midna snapped. "It's the principle of it; I'm a lady and -- hey, where are you going?! Get back here!"
Link looked back at her over his shoulder as he descended the hill. "We don't have much daylight left, Midna. If you want to complain, do it while moving."
Making an indignant little noise, Midna zipped through the air after her partner while pushing up invisible sleeves around her arms. He was in for it now!
And so the day waned over Serenus Forest, as a young man's cry of pain floated up from the trees.