Encounter

Roasted Apple

 Direct heat has softened and sweetened this apple. Eat it to restore three quarters of a heart. 

 I shot up. Breath short and sweat dripping from my chin. I clutched my chest to steady my breath. In and out. I hit the ground didn't I? Surely I did. My body sure ached like it. There was no possible way I could've survived a fall like that. The fear of death still shuddered throughout my body. That thing. What the hell was that? I…I-. 

 It was dark out. I guess I was unconscious for the entire day. What woke me up, that information. I looked down to see that my hand had touched an apple. A roasted apple. It's skin is browned and sagged. A fire lied right in front of me, crackling with fresh fire wood. It's heat adding to my sweating fit. I was lying directly against a cliff side. It seemed to scoop overhead, creating a natural shelter. The cliff wall couldn't have been too tall as vines hung directly overhead. The fire provided some light, but I couldn't tell exactly where I was in relation to the shrine. Just a few feet from where I sat was pitch black. I shuffled a bit away from the campfire to cool myself down.

 I didn't put too much thought into who could've started the flame.. Surely someone who lied me down in a shelter wouldn't have malicious intentions. Checking the corners of my vision, a few new things have appeared. Overall, I have a wheel depicting my stamina, and a thermometer for my body temperature; newly, I have a small sound graph showing the crackling of the fire. The wheel depletes when I exert my body. What's more interesting is that climbing seems to be second nature to me. That and my ability to process information about items. As well as being able to wear clothing instantaneously. I wonder how this all functions. This…Systema. The slate may provide- THE SLATE. I looked around and thankfully, it was to my left. I was sleeping on top of it. 

 Its entire embellished design still dark. I'm most surprised it wasn't taken from me. Whoever helped me really doesn't seem intent on doing me any harm. That, or they couldn't get it to function either. Honestly, I would assume it was a useless rock. I reached over and picked up the slate and it sparked in my hands. 

SYSTEM LOG. 

DAMAGE TO BODY DETECTED. PROBABILITY OF FUTURE DAMAGE HIGH. CREATING VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF DAMAGE TO ASSIST LINK. WILL RESTRUCTURE ITEM SCANS TO INCLUDE RESTORATIVE DETAILS.

 Three hearts appeared in the top right corner of my vision . Or at least, the impression of three hearts. Only two and half of them were full with red color. It was strange to see a physical representation of your bodily health. Especially by so little. Though, I do remember it saying that my health was down by a lot compared to…before. I tried avoided the subject of my past but it seemed to persist no matter what I thought of. 

 Wait, the apple. It should restore three quarters of it right? But how could a singular apple heal the damage on my body? I suppose I would give it a shot. I picked the apple off the ground and cleaned it on my shirt. The skin felt soft and warm on my hand. I took a big bite. The skin felt soft to tear through. It's juice was warm and sweet. I savored it for many moments before I swallowed. I took another bite. Then another. And another. And the apple was gone. I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was. For actual food, that is. It was like my taste buds had been inactive and suddenly reactivated. It had been what… I suppose I don't know. My past seemed like an unavoidable matter when I realized my body ache was ceasing. I felt my bruises grow smaller as the pain subsided. Small scrapes and cuts closed, I felt a little more secure when I saw the heart meter fill up completely. I guess I don't get any excess. Still, being healed by a mere roasted apple was incredi-

 "I BEG YOUR PARDON!" The voice boomed in my right ear. 

 It frightened me to my core. I jumped back to the left, surely many feet. The source of the voice, a large old man with an incredibly long white beard. The cloak he wore obscured his exact build, making him even more imposing. "I do believe that is MY baked apple!" His voice echoed once more. "You can't just go about taking whatever you please!". I sat there, still in shock. His posture didn't shift at all despite the great power he put into his voice.

 He had been right. This man-presumably the one who helped me-hadn't even taken the Slate when he had an entire day to do so. And here I was taking his apple. Honestly, I had eaten it so fast I hardly savored the whole thing. I opened my mouth to apologize when he started to laugh. It was a full and hearty one. Almost louder than his voice. 

 "Oho ho! Forgive me!", he said as he wiped tears from his cheeks. "I could not resist pulling your leg." He sat down on the other side of our shelter. He carried a large staff with a lantern attached. He waved over to the distant left. Looking over, I saw an apple tree. "Please, help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat." He pulled an apple out of a sack he carried and tossed it over to me. 

 I caught it.

Apple

 A common fruit found on trees all around Hyrule. Eat it fresh, or cook it to increase its effect.

 "It is a bit strange to see a new soul in these parts." He said. I could tell he was suspicious. Not much, but it was there. I didn't know how much to tell him. He didn't seem to know I came from the shrine. Right? He may have given me shelter but that didn't mean his intentions were entirely pure. I couldn't think of an effective response. 

 "Who are you?" I said. My voice. I forgot those were technically the first words I've spoken since waking up. It was lighter than I would've imagined. He must've seen my odd reaction. He just chuckled.

 "Ha. I'll spare you my life story. I'm just an old man who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now." He eyed me once again. The sun was beginning to rise and I could see his eyes through his hood. They were gentle, but steady. There's something off about him. Perhaps it's the wisdom of old age, but the way he carries himself does not befit a hermit. That phrasing as well. He keeps reminding me that my presence here is unusual. What's his angle? "So," He took out his own baked apple and took a bite. "What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?" He said. Another look, this one more clever. He's trying to get me to admit something. 

 "Where did you find me?" I asked. It wasn't a suspicious question I hoped. Not one to set off any alarms at least. He pointed off in the distance. As the morning light made everything a light blue compared to a pitch black, I could see that we were right down the path from the shrine. So he had found me at the bottom of the cliff. I stared at the ground. 

 "Very talkative, I see." He said, chuckling. He relaxed further back onto the wall of the shelter. He sighed loudly and then closed his eyes. He remained still for many moments. Sleeping…now? Seriously? I sat there for a few more moments in confusion. That's when the snoring started. It was almost louder and more thunderous than his voice. I tried to get some sleep myself but with this noise, it was impossible. My body still somehow felt restless, like I needed to stretch something out, 

 While it was brighter out, it wouldn't be light for another hour or so. I figured it would be best to get my bearings. I got up from my space in the shelter. Taking a brief look around, I saw an unlit torch on the cliff wall next to the apple tree. I walked over to the tree. It didn't seem too high. I jumped up, grabbing two apples with both hands. Their skin more solid and resistant than the baked ones. I realized then, that I didn't have a bag of any sorts. I didn't have a place to put my excess of three apples. Of course, in a pattern that was becoming a little too familiar, the Slate glowed and the apples suddenly twinkled and disappeared. Not entirely of course. I could still feel the presence, the existence of both apples. They were just, somewhere else. I looked over at the Old Man. I couldn't have him see any of the system's abilities. Lest he grow more suspicious. I suppose I was as ready as I could be to venture.

 The Old Mans staff had a lantern attached. Surely he wouldn't mind the absence of a torch.

Torch

 This torch will stay lit once ignited, but if you put it away, the flame will be extinguished until you light it again

 "Well then, just help yourself to that torch there." Damnit. The Old Man remained seated. He had caught me red handed now. The apple was one thing, but this torch was his actual property. 

 "I'm sorry. I thought-", it took me a moment, but I saw his grin through his beard. I sighed and carried on despite the chuckling. Switching between a formal and jovial demeanor. Perhaps his time alone had made him socially unpredictable. Then again, who was I to talk? I began to walk towards the fire. The old man spoke again. 

 "You know, there are plenty of monsters in the area." I felt my stomach drop. "That torch would make a good weapon, if need be." 

 "Monsters?" I spoke. He could probably tell my voice was shaking. He didn't respond. 

 "However" he said, breaking the silence, "do not just swing it around without purpose." What the hell did he mean by monsters? Like that thing I saw earlier? I couldn't find anything in my fragmented memory that suggested anything of the sort. "Hum. I didn't mean to frighten you. I suppose you've never fought one before then. Lucky you." He didn't seem worried that any of these monsters would encroach upon us. Perhaps they weren't that dangerous. I would have to hold onto that hope. 

 "Where are we?" I asked. I figure at this point the question wouldn't seem out of the blue. Perhaps I could paint the fall as giving me my amnesia. However, I hadn't meant to sound so worried. 

 "This is the Great Plateau," I felt the Sheikah Slate respond quietly to that information. "According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule. Though, I suppose you know that." I held the torch to the flame. It ignited and glowed brightly. A flame danced atop the wooden stick. I figured the church I saw would be as good a place as any to start. I nodded to the Old Man. "I shall be here for some time. Let me know if I may be of service." 

 "Thank you." I find myself short of words. Honestly, there are a lot of questions I could ask. But I didn't want to be more of a bother than I already was. Men like him, he's probably just trying to live his days in peace. My uncle was the same. 

 My uncle? I noticed that's been happening. Images or concepts of places or people I don't remember. However, that does mean that my memory is not lost. It's still there, albeit in pieces. I walked off. Heading down the path towards the church. 

 I have no memory of myself. I've been asleep for an extremely long time. I have a strange system embedded within me and a mysterious tablet that is supposedly leading me towards a journey of some kind. I'm not even entirely sure what to do first. Do I try to remember who I am? Do I find the nearest point of civilization? Apparently, I was on the Great Plateau of the kingdom of Hyrule. Of course, none of those places held any familiarity within me. The torchlight shone brightly against the cool dawn. 

 That's when I heard it. A strange guttural croak. I turned at the sound of shifting shrubs and grass. I saw it on the sonograph as well. I'm not making this up. I held my torch forward, looking around frantically. More sounds of scurrying and scuffling. My heart beat rampantly in my chest. I suppose that's when it finally decided that stealth was useless. It rose from a bush. A disgusting mass of red skin. It hung loose over its crooked form. A large mouth drooled onto the dirt. It wore nothing but a loin cloth, massive ears sagging over its head. The final monstrous touch being a sharp horn resting atop its figure. The sickening pig-like creature was holding something. A monster itself was bad enough, but a monster that could hold things? It was a massive misshapen club. 

 "Back! Back!' I swung the torch back and forth. It didn't work, of course. In fact, in response to my screaming, more of the beasts arose from the darkness. Five in total. Completely surrounding me, two in front of me and the rest behind. My legs shook. I couldn't get them to stop. My vision blurred as my body became short of breath. I needed to find a way to escape. They began to approach, before one holding a pitchfork charged at me. I screamed loudly, partially hoping the Old Man would hear, before diving out of the way. It barely missed me. I managed to keep the torch upright as I hit the ground. Half in anger, another in panic I swung my torch at it's arm. 

 As the flame made contact, I held it for just a moment before it cried a disgusting guttural screech before backing away. I saw it's flesh crumple and contract as it darkened. Then the smell entered my nostrils. I held back the desperate desire to gag. Burnt flesh had a strange tendency to linger, it appeared. More of the creatures came closer as the pitchforked one held it's arm in anguish. I slowly inched forward with the torch. One with a sword, two with a wooden club, and the one with a pitchfork. That meant…

 I felt a massive slab of wood collide with my back. The shock was so great it sent me barreling forward. My heart meter immediately dropped by half a heart. The torch went flying off into the distance as my grip ceased. I was lying directly in front of the creatures. I tried to get up but the pain flared in my back as I tried to move. That's when another crack of wood appeared in my right leg. I yelped in pain. I couldn't look up but it seemed the two with clubs began to beat me. Every crack was followed by a scream as I eventually coughed up blood. It only lasted for a few moments, but each flare of pain felt like an eternity.

 Finally, they grabbed me by my arms forcibly and sat me up. I rested there, on my knees looking at the creatures. I took the moment to clear my mouth of blood. Despite the sonograph moving, I couldn't hear anything. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. The taste of iron still lingering on my tongue. The largest one, holding the club that struck me, walked out of the darkness. I looked down and realized my skin was flashing red. As my hearing cleared up, I heard an incessant beeping. I saw my health meter as only a single heart remaining. That must mean I'm fairly close to death. I can't seem to catch a break. The monster with the massive club was right in front of me now. I tried to struggle but their allies only tightened their holds on my arms. 

 The monster raised his club into the sky, this would be the last blow. I had to find a way to escape. Victory is dangerous, Link. What? Whos voice was this? It's not the woman from before. So often do novices assume they have achieved it, far before the battle is assured. That's when they're weakest. 

That's when you strike. 

The beast snarled one final time before putting it's full weight into the swing. It was a better plan than simply dying, I suppose. I shifted my entire body to the right. My upper arm took the entire brunt of the attack. My heart gauge decreased by half and I felt my shoulder break. I cried with pain. 

 They were surprised. For just a moment, but it was enough. Their hands tightened on my wrist, but that would only help my plan. I jumped up from my kneel, raising my legs to the beast before me. Using all my strength, I kicked off his mass. I must've used more force than intended. The creatures holding me lost their grip, and I was sent rolling for a considerable distance. I couldn't get my bearings before I realized I began falling down a sharp hill. I stumbled for a while before hitting the ground. I lied there for just a moment, trying not to forget the danger I was still in. 

 I pushed off the dirt, gritting my teeth from the pain. My body flared with bruises. I remember then, the apples I had in my possession. I reached out into the thin air, visualizing the fruit. Please work. A small twinkle and the red fruit was in my hand. It's luster visible in the early dawn. I ate it as quickly as possible. While it wasn't cooked, I still felt some of the pain alleviate as my heart meter filled. Surprisingly, my torch was just a few feet away from where I landed. I took a few moments to eat the rest of what I had before picking it back up. More shrieks came from above the cliff. They weren't finished with me. I had to keep moving. 

 I got up from the ground and picked up my pace. Cuts and bruises on my body made me stumble a bit on my right side. I had to look for a weapon, a viable one. I had no idea what direction I was going as I was completely surrounded by trees. I couldn't tell where the wood ended. I just kept running. Finally, to my right, I saw a branch. It looked sturdy enough, so I picked it up. 

Tree Branch

 Wooden branches such as this are pretty common, but it's surprisingly well-balanced. It doesn't do much damage but can serve as a weapon in a pinch

 It's better than nothing I suppose. I attached the torch to my belt. Then, I felt a small gust of air blow past my ear, followed by a thud. I looked over and saw an arrow sticking out of a tree. Oh damn it all. The war cries of the monsters grew louder and I began running again. Judging by my stamina bar, I couldn't keep this up. I looked over at my health meter. Only a heart and three quarters. My stamina ran out completely as the bar turned a deep red. I was completely out of breath. I don't know what to do from here. I meagerly stumbled farther and farther into the wood. In the distance, an ax was embedded within a stump. That was my chance.

 I heard a guttural groan behind me. I turned and saw the beast with the sword. In the light, I saw it had a scar across its face. It seemed to be faster than the others too as it charged towards me. I held out the branch, ready to defend myself. It lunged with it's sword back to the right. I barely managed to duck under it as I swung the branch with my full momentum into its chin. 

Your Tree Branch is Badly Damaged

 You've got to be fucking kidding me. I felt it's elbow pummel my cheek. One of my teeth surely cracked. That doesn't mean I'll just give up! I took another swing at the monstrosity. 

Your Tree Branch broke!

 The branch shattered into numerous fragments of blue light as the monster was flung back many feet. It's back pummeled against a tree as it let out a cry. Finally, an upper hand. I charged towards the creature. If I couldn't get its sword, my fists would suffice. I raised my fist, when those words echoed in my head once more. Victory is dangerous, Link. 

 An arrow pierced my right shoulder as I tripped. The ground pushed the arrow further into my flesh. I screamed as I tried to get up as fast as I could. It was too late. The sword beast had recovered, and it slashed it's blade across my face. Blood sprayed, and I felt my skin tear open from my chin to below my eye. Once more, my skin flashed, and that beeping returned. I pressed my right hand against the open wound, trying to relieve the pain. As the beast approached once more. I was going to die. 

NO!

 A wave of power washed over my body. For just a mere moment, I felt powerful. It wasn't just me. It was like the grass, the trees, the leaves. They were all shifting irregularly. The sensation was similar to how I felt when I left the shrine. With a shout, I shot my palm forward. A wave of force crashed against the creatures knocking it, and myself backwards. Only one of the creatures had stumbled. Most of them, including me, had caught their footing. And then the power was gone. I tried again to recreate it, but nothing changed. I didn't want to waste these few moments I had. Look for an advantage. Anything!

 For the few seconds I had, I noticed that the burst of force had knocked numerous branches down. Did they all explode like that when they broke? Did they have a set durability? Or would they all shatter in one hit if swung hard enough? To my left, I realized I blew back far enough to reach the ax. It wouldn't be enough. I needed another advantage. Just one more. 

 Pain. Most spend entire battles avoiding it. But a hit you take purposefully, despite all that pain. Now, THAT, they'll never see coming. A new voice again. This one much older and male. What did this mean? Pain. Suddenly, I remembered. The burn. Looking ahead, the creature with the burn followed as well. He had been practically useless for a while after being burnt. They feel pain. They avoid it. 

 I grabbed the torch from my belt and dragged the tip across the ground, igniting it once more. A moment of confusion. After all, the sun was beginning to rise. I took that moment as a perfect opportunity to throw the torch at the burned creature. It spun in the air as the burned creature yelped loudly and jumped out of the way. It appeared that the gust of air from earlier had knocked all of the morning dew off of the grass. The fire spread quickly. The beasts formation was ruined. In the far back, the bow and the giant club. Further up to the right, the two smaller clubs. And immediately in front of me was the sword. I reached over and grabbed the ax.

Woodcutter's Axe

 A woodcutter's tool of choice for felling trees. Its formidable weight and uneven balancing make it a slow, inefficient weapon

 Slow and inefficient didn't matter right now. It was sharp. Holding it up was a challenge. It was massive. Only one blade did make it incredibly difficult to wield. I'd have to use my momentum. However, it seemed to be recently polished. The Old Mans doing? In it, I saw myself. My clothes ragged, my face cut up and bruised. In fact, this was the first time I'd really taken a close look at it. I had blonde hair, a smooth rounded face, and soft eyes. Suddenly, a piece of myself came flooding back. A training hall, an instructor, or multiple, and hours of training. I sense a certain anxiousness in the sword you hold...an eagerness that goes far beyond the mere desire to be wielded on the fields of battle.

 I was a swordsman. No, I am a swordsman. I swung the axe behind me, took a deep breath, relaxed my legs, and let the crackling flames drown out the sound of beeping. Then, I charged. At the sword beast's feet, I saw a few branches. Perfect. It readied its stance in response to a hulking axe coming towards it. It didn't matter. I wasn't planning on using it.

 At the last possible moment, I stored the axe within the slate. I slid under the beast's attack and quickly stored four branches, keeping another in my hand. Then, with all my might, I swung at the monster. 

Your Tree Branch broke!

 The beast flew in the air, directly into a patch of blazing grass. It cried out in pain. Fortunately, it dropped its sword. I couldn't reach it at this moment, but I would need it momentarily. I immediately charged the two club beasts. With nothing in my hands, I moved much faster, conserving some stamina. When I reached the swinging distance of the left one, I drew another branch out. It flashed in my hands as it appeared. I leapt into a sideways slash. The beast held its club to block. Of course, it would expect a knockback at this point. This next step was a gamble then. Before my strike could reach the midpoint of its arch, I switched the branch out. In its place, the Woodsman's Axe. The creature couldn't respond, and with my momentum, the axe cleaved through the club and the beast. 

 Purple liquid spewed onto my face as the creature's top half fell to the ground. A strange mist began to arise from the beast but I didn't have the time to observe. I used the momentum of my strike to carry myself into another sideways slash. The remaining beast had raised it's club to swing at me. The axe scratched across the monster's body and weapon. More purple liquid sprayed as the monster fell onto the ground. I couldn't afford to stop despite my stamina depleting almost to empty. I carried my weight into another spin except this time, I aimed my strike downward onto the monster's back. It yelped a final time as mist began to crawl out of it. 

Your Woodsman Axe is badly damaged!

 I could feel that the axe was far too embedded within the ground. I heard a plucking sound and instinctively ducked. An arrow pierced a nearby tree. I was taking too long. I hid behind the tree that the club beasts were in front of, away from the archers' sight. My stamina was far lower than it should've been. It seems like the switching act is something that I couldn't abuse without sacrificing massive amounts of stamina. If bringing weapons out cost stamina, I wouldn't have enough to bring the axe back out once stored. 

 The blaze was spreading more and more. I didn't have time to recover the axe. I saw the flames consume it, as it shattered into blue light. I looked around, breath getting shorter, and saw the flames were surrounding me at every angle. I couldn't even tell how far the sun had risen. The only possible path would be the one to my right, but surely the archer was aiming there. I looked over to my left and saw the sword surrounded by flames. They won't see it coming. I took a few moments to catch my breath, letting my stamina restore, and charged into the fire. I was sure they couldn't see me. It took all my effort not to reveal my position by yelling as the flame burned my skin. I grabbed the sword and leapt out of the blaze towards the two remaining beasts. Only a quarter of a heart remained. 

Travelers Sword 

 A very common sword often kept by travelers to fend off small beasts. It's fairly durable, but a bit unreliable against monsters.

 Escaping from the flames, I saw that the beast holding the massive club actually looked different from the others. It was blue. I could only tell due to the light from the fire. Sword in hand I kept my pace at them. The archer caught on first, I had been right, it was aiming at the unburnt path. It panicked and quickly fired in my direction. I wasn't worried about being hit, as the arrow hit many feet away from me. The blue creature seemed to scold the red one. A chain of command, then? I took the opportunity to summon a stick in my right hand, and flung it at the blue beast. 

Your Tree Branch broke !

 It was stronger than the other ones, it wasn't flung away, but still flinched. I charged faster and during the blue beasts stunning, I focused on the archer. Before it could even knock back another arrow, I slashed its throat. It's screams were drowned by liquid. The blue beast cried out in anger as I summoned another stick and threw it. 

Your Tree Branch broke!

 Then another.

Your Tree Branch broke!

 Then another.

Your Tree Branch broke!

 The branches weren't too powerful, but they did do damage. And after three consecutive branches, it fell on its knees. I steadied my grip one last time as I charged at the defenseless beast. I kept my guard up, I couldn't make this mistake again. That's when I noticed the beast grab it's hulking club with both it's hands. It's rage seeping out of it's body. And it swung. This one was much faster than before. But, it was still a hulking slab of wood hurling. Thanks to my guard, my legs were already prepared to leap back. I felt it then. A strange sensation came over me again. Not quite the same as before. As I dodged back, It was as if I could feel the movements of everything around me. I watched the club slowly miss my upper body. What was this? As my foot made contact with the ground, I was filled with breath. 

Flurry Rush Activated

 I bolted towards the creature at an impossible pace. I could still sense the specifics of my movements despite how fast they were. Then I started to slash. And slash. And slash. I don't fully understand how my body was moving like this. As I was hitting the best possible points for damage with every swing despite me not being conscious of them. I just kept slashing. Looking at the beast, it hadn't even completed it's swing. 

Your Traveler's Sword is badly damaged!

 I could feel the sensation beginning to end. I raised my blade and jabbed at its neck. Time resumed at a normal pace as my sword pierced its head through its neck. It let go of the club as it flew off to the side. A mist spewed out of the creature as it disappeared. Leaving only shards of bone and teeth behind. I stood there, blade upright, overwhelmingly adrenalized. 

Your Travelors Sword broke!

 The shock of the entire fight crashed into my body as the weapon shattered. I fell to my knees. All the pain flooded me at once. My ears pounding, my body aching, and my skin burning. I fell onto the ground. Surprisingly, I managed to stay conscious, however, I decided I would stay here for a while. Not like I had much choice, I couldn't move my broken body. I could see clouds through the tree leaves. I grew slightly worried about the fire. That is, until I felt a raindrop hit my head. 

Then, an apple did the same. I spent the next hour laying in the rain.