Twink of the Kingdom

Kass - Gerudo Highlands

Dear diary, I made a friend today.

I was in the Gerudo Highlands and I'd spotted the tower of the region.
Its architect must've had a twisted sense of humor: it was impossibly hard to spot from the ground since its peak is almost level with the plateau, and yet it's the tallest fucking building I've ever seen.
It was built inside a pit so deep that when I pushed a boulder down it shrunk until I couldn't see it, even with my spyglass. For all I know it might very well be still falling.

Goes without saying I wasn't eager to start climbing.
However I fear dehydration in the desert more than I do heights, so eventually I glided over to get the map at the top.

Turns out dehydration was 100% preferable to the way I felt when I reached the top: every muscle in my body was screaming, I was trembling and about to retch my useless lungs out.
I collapsed face first onto the platform and willed myself to pass out. If my body must do this to me it might as well go the whole hog, spare me the nausea and cramps.
Plus fainting has much more heroic dignity to it than wheezing like a punctured baloon in a pool of your own sweat, which looked like it's about to turn in a pool of sweat _and_ vomit.
What a new fantastic development to this shitshow.

I did not faint diary. Not even a little. Never have I cursed more my youth and stellar health. I was feeling very sorry for myself.

It's in this glorious state of mind that I heard someone clear their throat.

"...Ma'am?" they said.

"Ma'am? Sir? Are you alright?"

I peeled my face from the stone.

A giant blue parrot towered over me, worrying the concertina hanging from his neck with his wings.

He sighed in relief when he caught my eyes.

"Phew! You're conscious."

Unfortunately, I thought.

"Would you like some water? Food?"

"Water" I croaked.

He handed me a water pouch. I snatched it out of the his (hands? Feathers?) and chugged all of it down.

"Thank you." I crawled into a sitting position.

"No problem!" the parrot smiled.

There was a bit of awkward silence.

"Ahem, what brings you here?"

"Oh, I just like to hang around stupid giant holes. For sport."

"...Really?"

"No. I bloody hate this."

He chuckled.

"Long day?"

"You could say that."

There was a gurgling sound as both our stomach decided to rumble at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed.

I delved in my backpack and pulled out steaks, apples, fish and various berries. I placed them in the curve of my shield like a giant dish and pushed it so it was between the two of us.

"Care to join me?"

"I'd love to! Also, my name is Kass."

"Nice to meet you Kass. I'm Link."

We ate and chatted amiably for a while. He told me he's a bard, that he's got six lovely chicks and an awesome wife back in Rito village and that he's on a pilgrimage to collect ancient songs from around the land.

"I miss them," he said mournfully.

"Not one for the road?"

"Certainly not for this long, and not alone. I hate thinking that I'm missing out on my kids growing up."

"Then why do this at all, if I may ask?"

"I could ask you the same, young Link." He grinned a cheekily, then crossed his arms and looked down at the stone, thoughtful.

"I suppose... I suppose I felt like owed this to a certain person. Someone dear to me."
He straightened up and looked me in the eye.

"If I may ask as well, why do you?"

Well diary, that was one hell of a question. No matter how much I squirmed or looked at my toes, his gaze wouldn't let up. It was Emotional Honesty Time, and I hate Emotional Honesty Time.

"Because I must." I answered finally.

"Because I'm the only one who can, and people need me."

Kass nodded solemnly, then extended his wing to pat my shoulder. He understood.

It felt nice.

We didn't talk much more after that. I listened to him sing until I fell asleep, the next morning we had breakfast together.
He stood and adjusted the strap of his instrument on his shoulder.

"I must go now. See you on the road?"

I rose to my feet and gave him a hug.

"You betcha. See you around, Kass!"

He smiled, waved, and then he was off, soaring majestically into the light of dawn.

I have a feeling we'll meet again.

In the meantime, diary, I have to find a way down this bloody tower. I should've asked him for a lift down...

Hyah!

Link