Of Royal Blood - The Legend Of Zelda

[X] Go to the Well.

"I'll handle getting water," You announce, grabbing the cooking pot and water skins.

"Guess I'm handling firewood," Ganondorf says, climbing to his feet and brushing the dirt from his pants, "Need to stretch my legs anyways."

"I'll pull out the food then, no one objects to eating it cold though? I don't want to cook in this heat." Sheik asks, to which you and Ganondorf shrug and tell her no, you don't mind.

With camp roles settled you walk over to the well tucked into the corner of the ruins, depositing the pot and skins on the ground as you inspected it.

It was a normal affair, and it still had its rope and bucket laying outside of the well. The actual well itself though someone had apparently decided to shove large quantities of brush into it. It looked like an entire tree was put into it.

Great, you had plenty of experience with uncovered wells so a bit of foliage in it wasn't really anything special, but the well was unusable with all the stuff in it. You'll have to pull it out.

With a sigh, you grab a branch and start pulling, a simple excursion turning into tiresome work. Still, as you pull the large branch out it was obvious the well still had water which spurned you on.

The next branch looked fresh, which bothered you. Who'd cut down branches to throw down a well? Unless the well water was dirty and they didn't want anyone to use it. That would be bad to find out, even if you could just boil the water. Then again, given how fresh the branches were they could have broken off nearby trees and some careless traveler tossed them down the well rather than stacking them to dry for whatever other traveler came here after them. You won't find out until you clear the well enough to get a bucket of water.

A few more branches and you run into a problem, you can't see down the well anymore as the sun had set below the horizon. Fishing out the last bit of sticks out is going to be a pain-

"LINK!" Sheik yells from behind you, causing you to jump and smack your head against the beam that held the rope for the well, "LINK I FIGURED IT OUT!"

"Wha- What did you figure out?" You ask as Sheik runs up behind you, practically bouncing off the walls with breathless excitement.

"The shrine- the info- what I- if there's anymore- who knows what- LOOK!!" She manages to wheeze out before extending a hand out in front of her. Something in her palm seemed to spark, then glow brighter until an orb of golden light sat just a few inches off her palm. She waved it around and the ball followed her hand's movements.

You stare at it for a few moments, blinking. "It's... just a light spell?"

Sheik looks incredulous. "Just a light spell? Oh no Link, it's so much more than that!" Sheik says, holding the sphere of light up.

"...How though?"

Sheik freezes, "Uuummm.... It uh... more shrines might contain more spells?"

"...and the light helps with that... how?"

"Ah, well... it um... I can do this with it!" She shouts, before literally tossing the sphere of light into the well. It ends up sticking to one of the well's walls, allowing you to see into its depths and at the remaining sticks in the water.

You stare at it for a moment, before nodding and turning back to Sheik. "Well, it did solve my current problem."

Sheik puffs her chest out, holding her chin up with pride. "Ha, see? You shouldn't doubt me, you know. Magic is something I take naturally too. No doubt this spell will prove invaluable on our journey-"

"-and since it helped you can now help me pull out these remaining branches from this well so I can finally get some water."

Sheik pouts, her ears actually drooping a bit before she wordlessly starts to help you clear out the well.

By the time you were finished you were both soaked and dirty and really wanting a drink of water, or in Sheik's case tea as she was holding onto her side again. Picking up the bucket you drop it into the well, hearing it splash down into the water. Pulling on the rope you draw it up, but there was something odd about it, the bucket was... heavier than you expected. What could possibly be in the bucket-

"YAHAHA! YOU FOUND ME!"

Oh...

Well, that explained why the well was full of branches.

The creature sitting in your water bucket was a small humanoid creature apparently made of wood. On its face, stuck through apparently a sharp branch was a leaf with holes in it in the shape of a face. The creatures tiny limbs lacked any fingers yet it was holding onto a branch it waved back and forth. It hopped out of the bucket onto the rim of the well, making an odd rattling noise and looked up at the two of you like a child with a question it wanted to ask but wasn't sure.

Koroks, as they called themselves, apparently couldn't be seen by most people. You, however, could see them since the day you first entered the woods with your father. Your father didn't believe they existed and assumed you were making up imaginary friends when you would run off to play with a Korok who you had found under a rock or leaf pile. Word apparently spread fast among the Koroks, and every one of them seemed to know who you were after a few years. While shy they loved games and your ability to see them meant they kept wanting to play with you, with their favourite game being hide and seek.

Of course, their idea of hiding was a bit strange and they often would turn up in the most ridiculous of places.

You look over to Sheik, expecting a confused expression on her face at your surprised reaction when the Korok revealed themselves. Instead though, to your great surprise, she was staring at the Korok, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

She could see them!

Which meant...

"Um... Are you okay pretty lady? You're just looking at me-" The Korok began, uncertainty in its childish voice before it jumped a foot in the air as a loud high-pitched yell answered its question.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! A KOROK! A REAL KOROK!" Sheik squeals, before pulling out her Sheikah Slate and rapidly tapping the screen as the slate made clicking noises.

"Yes, I am- EEP!" The Korok yelps as Sheik is suddenly inches from its leafy-face.

"Oh you must tell me everything! What's your name? How old are you? Your weight, favourite food, do you prefer the current climate or a more milder weather? Is your magic instinctual or taught? How do you feel about Vegetarians? Oh I have so many questions I don't know where to start!"

The Korok turns to look at you. "Wow Link! This pretty lady is a big nerd!"

Sheik freezes as you let out a nervous laugh before she slumps over with her ears drooping, muttering "I'm not a nerd..."

Then she perks up, having realized how the Korok had just addressed you, "Link? Wait, it knows you by name?!"

"Ahaha, yeah... I've been able to see Korok's for years so they all kinda... know me-GAH!" You shout as Sheik is suddenly way too close.

"YOU MUST TELL ME EVERYTHING!" She demands, before stepping back with her hand to her chin, "But wait, seeing spirits like the Korok is a rare ability even amongst the Sheikah. Unless... maybe diet and the unique circumstances... YOU MUST TELL ME OF YOUR FIRST MEETING!!"

"I found one under a rock and then I chased it with a stick," You state truthfully.

"...Was it a special rock?"

"No."

Sheik pouts, apparently lost in thought before she snaps her fingers, "Oh! The legends say the Korok's give those who find them something! Is that true little one?"

The Korok shakes its... leaf, "I dunno, not anymore. Not after Hastu said no one wanted his gift."

"What about information?" You ask, "Can you tell us anything?"

The Korok taps a little stick arm against its leaf. "Uuuhhhmmmm, I think I can tell you one thing. If you find anymore of us, they might tell you more stuff!"

You nod. So that probably means if you ever need some information you could look for a Korok. Korok's from what you knew were everywhere across Hyrule, even on Death Mountain so if you were ever in a bind you'll just look for a Korok. But you'll only be able to ask a Korok one thing. While they'll most likely be as helpful as possible you don't think they'd be able to recall more than one thing.

But what do you ask this Korok?
[] Is there some treasure nearby?
[] Is there a monster nest nearby?
[] Are there any rare ingredients nearby?
[] Write-in.