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Could it be? Is it beta-reading time?
Oh look, something I haven't made progress on for like five four years. At least this time I managed to get a section finished! Critique on writing technique before this gets posted to FF.net is always good although you guys hardly ever do it. :P
Though she had expected to spend much of her time missing Link's presence, Zelda found herself all too well-distracted by her increasing load of responsibilities. The King had largely recovered from his wounds since Ganondorf's thwarted coup, though he still tired easily and often called on his daughter to manage minor court duties, saying that she needed the practice sooner than later. In addition to her usual lessons of history, letters, and geography, Impa had insisted that Zelda begin studying philosophy and diplomatic tactics to prepare for her new burdens. It was fascinating but difficult material to digest, and even when Zelda dozed off to half-conscious dreams at night, her mind was left cluttered with baited words and delicate courtesies to unravel like some great mess of a Skulltula web.
On the eve of her eleventh birthday, Impa brought up the topic of yet another field of study, though this one was rather more exciting. "It's time for you to begin your magical training," she said, in the middle of brushing Zelda's hair.
"Really? Already?"
"It is usually customary for women in the royal family to train in magic starting at the age of thirteen, after their Unveiling Ceremony. However, in your case..." Impa shot her a meaningful glance, and Zelda self-consciously clenched her right hand. "Your father has agreed that it would be prudent to familiarize you with the arts as early as possible."
Zelda beamed, feeling smug about having explored the library on her own time. "Impa, I already know how to use magic."
"Hmph. Hardly." The Sheikah woman shook her head with amused exasperation. "Your short-range force affect is crude but passable, and you can hold a rudimentary flame. Mere parlor tricks for any competent student of magic. Do you expect to command the responsibility of the Triforce's power with these amusements?"
"I can do message spells too," Zelda started to say, but Impa pressed on unheeding. "You are talented, child, but the enchantments you've scrabbled together are barely scratches on the surface of magical discipline. Through a combination of precocious aptitude and luck you've managed to kick up a few embers, but I think you will discover that method will soon run you into a wall."
It was true - Zelda had selected to practice only the few spells she could get working; most she could not even achieve a spark in reaction, though of course she never let on any of this. "Well... What am I supposed to do, then?"
The reflection of Impa in the mirror smiled knowingly. "It is not a question of what, but *how*."
"Impa! Stop being so cryptic and just tell me!"
"Hrm." Impa set down the hairbrush, and looked her over with a critical eye. "First, we will have to open your mind."
That was how Zelda found herself on an early-morning excursion up the pebbly trails of Death Mountain. She had managed to nod off for the first leg of the trip, but now as the sun finally rose high enough to warm her face over the mountain peaks, the strange rock formations and etched cliff faces - images she had only before known from book illustrations - captured her wide-eyed attention. Impa told her that she had visited the summit once prior, when the King brought the young Princess to establish kinship bonds with the Goron tribe leader, but that was so many years ago it may as well have never happened. Now for the first time she can remember, she was traveling a significant distance beyond the city walls, where paths are unpaved and the air free from the dust and smoke of civilization. Curiosity piqued, Zelda stared out at the massive layered rocks that swept past her view, wishing she could hop off the caravan and go climbing.
A thudding, rumbling sound alerted her into turning her gaze up the mountain trail. A boulder nearly twice her size was tumbling down from the path, kicking up a vicious trail of dust in its wake. "Impa," Zelda began in alarm, but the Sheikah woman merely held out her arm to signal a stop for the caravan.
Zelda winced in preparation for the impact, but the boulder crashed to an abrupt stop at Impa's feet, wobbled, and suddenly unfolded itself into a stocky, sandy figure. "Visitors, goro," it said. "Should I report to Big Brother Darunia? Goro."
"The Royal Family wishes to visit the mountain summit," Impa informed the rocky creature. "Please give Darunia our regards, and tell him we shall meet with him shortly."
"Will do, goro." The Goron curled himself once more into a ball, swung a half-circle around the wagon to pick up speed, and zoomed back up the path.
"That was a real Goron!" Zelda exclaimed to Impa in a hushed voice as the creature rolled away. "I've never seen one in the flesh before! He had rocks on his back and everything--"
"Do not be uncouth, Zelda," the disapproval in Impa's voice came as a surprise. "Peoples of foreign race may be novel to you, but they need not be treated as an oddity. How would it appear to you if a Goron visitor remarked at every Hylian trait you consider common?"
"Sorry Impa," Zelda tried her best to look penitent, thinking that she might in fact find the situation rather funny.
Impa gave her a sidelong glance as their pace picked up again. "Besides," she added with a slight smile, "seeing how Gorons aren't a fleshy race, perhaps you should say 'in the stone' instead."
It wasn't long before the mountain path flattened out before them, and the signs of cavernous Goron dwellings became more and more frequent. The caravan stopped before a broad doorway strung with banners Zelda couldn't read, where Impa scooped her from her carriage and led her down a seemingly endless spiral into the heart of Goron City. Zelda tried to count the number of levels they had descended, but the winding path looped her in so many circles that she lost track of passing landmarks and Gorons that all looked too much the same.
It was dizzying at the bottom of the deep excavation, oddly akin to if she had just climbed up as much of a height and were now standing at the tip of a precarious tower. Then Zelda realized it wasn't just her legs that were trembling, for a massive, burly Goron strode forth toward them with thundering footsteps that loosened clattering pebbles from the soil-packed walls. "Sister Impa!" the great Goron bellowed, spreading wide arms as thick as pillars and sweeping the Sheikah woman into an alarmingly tight hug.
Amazingly, Impa did not appear the least bit distressed as she returned the mighty embrace, clapping the Goron leader on his broad back. "It has been a while, old friend."
"A while indeed!" The barrel-like arms released Impa with surprising grace, and Zelda let out a breath she'd unintentionally been holding. "You are never in the neighborhood any more! Have you been neglecting your own village?"
"It turns out that raising a girl-child consumes rather much of one's time," Impa quipped with a smile.
"Oho!" Darunia's great maned head turned to loom down at her, and Zelda took an involuntary step backwards. "Well, and what have we here?"
"Surely you remember the Princess Zelda. Held her yourself ten years ago, did you not? Be gentle, she is still delicate."
"You've grown, Little Sister!" Darunia grinned toothily and laid a hand very carefully on Zelda's head, though the weight of it was already enough to make her knees wobble. "Last time I saw you, you were hardly bigger than a Tektite mite!" He guffawed heartily, rumbling the room with his mighty voice.
"More grown than you might think," Impa remarked. "She is here to receive her first dose of magic."
"Well, don't you Royals grow fast these days," Darunia said, sizing Zelda up and down. "You think you are ready, Little Sister?"
"Um..."
"You will be, don't worry," said Darunia. "The Great Fairy will do you right. Either that or she'll spit you right back out, eh?" The mountain shook again with his uproarious laughter.
The next chapter is almost done too but it has a bit more work to go. Which hopefully means it'll be ready in like two weeks and not two years. ._.
Though she had expected to spend much of her time missing Link's presence, Zelda found herself all too well-distracted by her increasing load of responsibilities. The King had largely recovered from his wounds since Ganondorf's thwarted coup, though he still tired easily and often called on his daughter to manage minor court duties, saying that she needed the practice sooner than later. In addition to her usual lessons of history, letters, and geography, Impa had insisted that Zelda begin studying philosophy and diplomatic tactics to prepare for her new burdens. It was fascinating but difficult material to digest, and even when Zelda dozed off to half-conscious dreams at night, her mind was left cluttered with baited words and delicate courtesies to unravel like some great mess of a Skulltula web.
On the eve of her eleventh birthday, Impa brought up the topic of yet another field of study, though this one was rather more exciting. "It's time for you to begin your magical training," she said, in the middle of brushing Zelda's hair.
"Really? Already?"
"It is usually customary for women in the royal family to train in magic starting at the age of thirteen, after their Unveiling Ceremony. However, in your case..." Impa shot her a meaningful glance, and Zelda self-consciously clenched her right hand. "Your father has agreed that it would be prudent to familiarize you with the arts as early as possible."
Zelda beamed, feeling smug about having explored the library on her own time. "Impa, I already know how to use magic."
"Hmph. Hardly." The Sheikah woman shook her head with amused exasperation. "Your short-range force affect is crude but passable, and you can hold a rudimentary flame. Mere parlor tricks for any competent student of magic. Do you expect to command the responsibility of the Triforce's power with these amusements?"
"I can do message spells too," Zelda started to say, but Impa pressed on unheeding. "You are talented, child, but the enchantments you've scrabbled together are barely scratches on the surface of magical discipline. Through a combination of precocious aptitude and luck you've managed to kick up a few embers, but I think you will discover that method will soon run you into a wall."
It was true - Zelda had selected to practice only the few spells she could get working; most she could not even achieve a spark in reaction, though of course she never let on any of this. "Well... What am I supposed to do, then?"
The reflection of Impa in the mirror smiled knowingly. "It is not a question of what, but *how*."
"Impa! Stop being so cryptic and just tell me!"
"Hrm." Impa set down the hairbrush, and looked her over with a critical eye. "First, we will have to open your mind."
That was how Zelda found herself on an early-morning excursion up the pebbly trails of Death Mountain. She had managed to nod off for the first leg of the trip, but now as the sun finally rose high enough to warm her face over the mountain peaks, the strange rock formations and etched cliff faces - images she had only before known from book illustrations - captured her wide-eyed attention. Impa told her that she had visited the summit once prior, when the King brought the young Princess to establish kinship bonds with the Goron tribe leader, but that was so many years ago it may as well have never happened. Now for the first time she can remember, she was traveling a significant distance beyond the city walls, where paths are unpaved and the air free from the dust and smoke of civilization. Curiosity piqued, Zelda stared out at the massive layered rocks that swept past her view, wishing she could hop off the caravan and go climbing.
A thudding, rumbling sound alerted her into turning her gaze up the mountain trail. A boulder nearly twice her size was tumbling down from the path, kicking up a vicious trail of dust in its wake. "Impa," Zelda began in alarm, but the Sheikah woman merely held out her arm to signal a stop for the caravan.
Zelda winced in preparation for the impact, but the boulder crashed to an abrupt stop at Impa's feet, wobbled, and suddenly unfolded itself into a stocky, sandy figure. "Visitors, goro," it said. "Should I report to Big Brother Darunia? Goro."
"The Royal Family wishes to visit the mountain summit," Impa informed the rocky creature. "Please give Darunia our regards, and tell him we shall meet with him shortly."
"Will do, goro." The Goron curled himself once more into a ball, swung a half-circle around the wagon to pick up speed, and zoomed back up the path.
"That was a real Goron!" Zelda exclaimed to Impa in a hushed voice as the creature rolled away. "I've never seen one in the flesh before! He had rocks on his back and everything--"
"Do not be uncouth, Zelda," the disapproval in Impa's voice came as a surprise. "Peoples of foreign race may be novel to you, but they need not be treated as an oddity. How would it appear to you if a Goron visitor remarked at every Hylian trait you consider common?"
"Sorry Impa," Zelda tried her best to look penitent, thinking that she might in fact find the situation rather funny.
Impa gave her a sidelong glance as their pace picked up again. "Besides," she added with a slight smile, "seeing how Gorons aren't a fleshy race, perhaps you should say 'in the stone' instead."
It wasn't long before the mountain path flattened out before them, and the signs of cavernous Goron dwellings became more and more frequent. The caravan stopped before a broad doorway strung with banners Zelda couldn't read, where Impa scooped her from her carriage and led her down a seemingly endless spiral into the heart of Goron City. Zelda tried to count the number of levels they had descended, but the winding path looped her in so many circles that she lost track of passing landmarks and Gorons that all looked too much the same.
It was dizzying at the bottom of the deep excavation, oddly akin to if she had just climbed up as much of a height and were now standing at the tip of a precarious tower. Then Zelda realized it wasn't just her legs that were trembling, for a massive, burly Goron strode forth toward them with thundering footsteps that loosened clattering pebbles from the soil-packed walls. "Sister Impa!" the great Goron bellowed, spreading wide arms as thick as pillars and sweeping the Sheikah woman into an alarmingly tight hug.
Amazingly, Impa did not appear the least bit distressed as she returned the mighty embrace, clapping the Goron leader on his broad back. "It has been a while, old friend."
"A while indeed!" The barrel-like arms released Impa with surprising grace, and Zelda let out a breath she'd unintentionally been holding. "You are never in the neighborhood any more! Have you been neglecting your own village?"
"It turns out that raising a girl-child consumes rather much of one's time," Impa quipped with a smile.
"Oho!" Darunia's great maned head turned to loom down at her, and Zelda took an involuntary step backwards. "Well, and what have we here?"
"Surely you remember the Princess Zelda. Held her yourself ten years ago, did you not? Be gentle, she is still delicate."
"You've grown, Little Sister!" Darunia grinned toothily and laid a hand very carefully on Zelda's head, though the weight of it was already enough to make her knees wobble. "Last time I saw you, you were hardly bigger than a Tektite mite!" He guffawed heartily, rumbling the room with his mighty voice.
"More grown than you might think," Impa remarked. "She is here to receive her first dose of magic."
"Well, don't you Royals grow fast these days," Darunia said, sizing Zelda up and down. "You think you are ready, Little Sister?"
"Um..."
"You will be, don't worry," said Darunia. "The Great Fairy will do you right. Either that or she'll spit you right back out, eh?" The mountain shook again with his uproarious laughter.
The next chapter is almost done too but it has a bit more work to go. Which hopefully means it'll be ready in like two weeks and not two years. ._.