Linked Worlds

Chapter Eight: Wind

"So what is it?"

"A weird, red magic rock."

"Obviously."

"I believe she meant to ask what it's purpose is."

"It does have a strange energy..."

"I'm gonna touch it."

"No! Do you want to die a second time?"

The group is looking at the rock that the traveler brought back from the dungeon they found. Link, who has been dubbed the sailor by the rest, has tried and failed to touch it several times.

"Sailor, even the champion isn't touching it. It's gotta be dangerous."

"But captainnnnnn!"

"He's right, it gives off a lot of strange magical energy, I can't tell what it is. It might be cursed."

"See?"

"Come on, it's not gonna affect us like it can affect them. I'm touching it."

"For the love of Nayru, you don't know what it'll do! I thought you had some common sense."

"I do, just not enough for me to not touch the rock."

Link sighs and gives up. He doesn't want anything bad to happen, and he doesn't want to worry the others. Even if he is a pirate and most definitely could touch it if he wanted to.

"Fine."

"You'd better not get all mopey about this."

"Damn it."

"See? Even the kid has more common sense than you."

The sailor wants to jump up and shout at them. He's not a kid! Unfortunately, they don't know he can see them, and neither do his newfound friends. They'd call him crazy, and then laugh at him, because he's just a 'stupid kid'. Then they'd leave him all alone. And then he'd die! Besides, he doesn't want to violate their trust by bringing up the, quite literal, ghosts of their pasts.

They started appearing after he and Tetra had returned from their second adventure. Maybe it had something to do with the ghost ship, or the Phantom Sword, he has no idea. Whatever the reason, the lingering spirits of the past are visible to him. It was kind of scary at first, but now it's just an everyday oddity. The price of being a hero. Also a nuisance, since ghosts can be fucking hilarious (especially these ones) and he has a hard time not laughing.

He does wonder, sometimes, why there are thirteen spirits in this group alone.

Four following the champion, wearing the same color as his tunic. A Rito, who offers immense criticism, a Zora, who hugs him after it's apparent he's had a bad night, a Goron, who pats (slaps, more like) his back after a victorious battle, and a Gerudo, who gives unheard advice. He and the old man are tied for the most spirits following them.

The older's spirits follow closely, giving encouragement, except for one. One clings to him closer than the others, like a cloud of smoke slightly shaped like a Hylian, and is almost always whispering things that the sailor can't hear. He doesn't like that one. The others are much nicer. There's another Zora who is constantly humming, a Goron who practically radiates bravery, and something else Link can't quite categorize. Whatever it is, it's small and adorable, looks tree-like, and has an aura that feels like nature.

The veteran has two. An older man with black hair and calloused hands, who doesn't speak much other than to reign the other spirits in and to try his best to talk with the vet. And then there's the girl. She has red hair and a blue dress, and she rocks back and forth like the tide coming in then retreating. She has a hibiscus in her hair, and she sings a haunting melody that Link recognizes from Ciela. She sings her song at night, which lulls him to sleep, and at random points throughout the day. She's different from the others. There's something about her, the way her image blurs and flickers sometimes, that makes it seem like she's bending reality to stick around.