Chapter 19: In the Middle of It All

     

Link mounted a horse and began his way through the town to the huge wall. Dwellers bowed or cheered as he slowly made his way there. When he did reach the wall, he saw Jamar outside, waiting.

"Something wrong?" Link dismounted once the gates were closed.

"No, but I must tell you, the desert is harsh, and you will become lost."

"So come with me, things are running much smoother than expected," Link smiled.

"That's just what I was waiting for!" Jamar laughed and whistled for a horse.

"I never could do that damn thing right," Link shook his head.

"Eh?" Jamar mounted.

"Whistle a horse," Link mounted and began a slow trot, Jamar followed.

"It is easy," Jamar said.

"I can't whistle for shit," Link laughed.

"Your cursing is quite continuous," Jamar stated.

"Hm, oh, well, I grew up with it," Link said.

"You grew in Hyrule?" Jamar inquired.

"Nope, Catalia," Link said.

"Cat, alea?" Jamar questioned.

"Right," Link said.

"Where is this?" Jamar asked.

"Never mind, Jamar, so, tell me, are you named after someone else in your family?" Link asked.

"Yes, yes, and sometimes, I feel as though I remember their lives, the gods bless me with this gift of experience," Jamar said.

"Well," Link breathed.

"Link, at your Hyrule, are dwellers really allowed to live in with your people? Or do you believe it should be that way, so you fix this world?" Jamar asked.

"Dwellers are allowed in our world, but few of them come," Link nodded.

"Why?!" Jamar asked.

"Because they wouldn't feel excepted, they have built their own cities around Hyrule, nice places, actually," Link said.

"Actually?" Jamar asked.

"People say they are unorganized and small," Link said.

"And they aren't?" Jamar asked.

"They are just as big, and actually with activity and people walking around happily," Link said.

"How do you know they are happy?" Jamar inquired.

"They walk around with smiles, swinging walking sticks," Link laughed.

"Hm," Jamar said.

"Something wrong?" Link asked.

"Nope, just wondering if any world will be fully integrated one day," Jamar said.

"Our two are on the way," Link said.

"So they are," Jamar said.

"So they are," Link sighed.

***

Ne~Chin realized the hardships put into bringing his land back to actual land. People had to water, keep sun at the right spots, not disturb the slushy areas. People had already sank on several occasions. 'Well, with or without my land in top notch, Hyrule will still be destroyed, when the time comes,' Ne~Chin thought. He paced up and down the meadow on the small island, 'A small island, in a chain of islands, formally my private vacation spot,' Ne~Chin chuckled to himself.

Ne~Chin breathed in the warm air. He had so many people who would fight with him, Hyrule didn't stand a chance. Sure, it was big, and it was allied with other big countries, but little ones build up, and Ne~Chin had a lot of little ones.

"Sir," Ne~Chin turned to see his ambassitor to the trolls.

"Yes?" Ne~Chin asked.

"The trolls are anxious to attack, they threaten to attack us, and they know we have no staffs," the ambassitor said.

"Hm, well inform them that the ogres have all the staffs, and the ogres aren't fond of the trolls," Ne~Chin said.

"That would hardly threaten them," The ambassitor sighed.

"Right, I'm distracted, sorry, tell them the exaggerated number of countries we are allied with," Ne~Chin said.

"We hardly need to exaggerate," The ambassitor smiled.

"Do it anyway, trolls are a proud people," Ne~Chin waved his hand to inform the ambassitor to leave. The ambassitor bowed, as he started to leave, Ne~Chin called to him, "Ambassitor?"

"Yes?" The ambassitor turned.

"Get in touch with the humans," Ne~Chin said.

"The humans? Why?" The ambassitor was puzzled.

"They have powerful warriors, and though scarce, wizards travel among them as well," Ne~Chin said.

"Sir, humans are scarce around here, most live in countries to the east," The ambassitor said.

"The desert dwellers are human, humans are integrated in almost every society, otherwise there would be no human wizards, and overly brutal warriors," Ne~Chin sighed.

"Yes, sir," the ambassitor turned and began to walk off. Ne~Chin began to stride down the meadow. He hummed an old song to himself, and recalled an old axiom. 'There once was...Oh, well,' Ne~Chin thought, he'd forgotten the axiom, but it didn't matter, he knew what he was telling himself.

***

Link and Jamar arrived at the bay. There was no boat. "Damn it, I'll have to make a boat out of the trees, the dead, scarce trees!" Link growled.

"I'll help you," Jamar smiled.

"Alright, well, it is getting to be dark, we'd better cut some fire wood, it sure got pretty damn cold after the desert," Link grumbled.

"Yes, well, nothing I can do about that," Jamar laughed and unsheathed his sword. He walked to a tree and began to chop. Link sighed and did the same. "The little princess really liked you," Jamar said while chopping the stubborn wood.

"Yes, she did, but probably only because I had all the attributes of her Link, with a new opinion," Link said.

"That makes no since, I may be uneducated but I'm not stupid, I know when you speak bullshit," Jamar said laughing.

"Truth is, there is a Zelda back in my world who I really miss," Link said following a slight smirk.

"You told me you weren't married!" Jamar yelled to Link.

"I'm not, but I've worked up some nerve to possibly become that way," Link said.

"Did you already tell me that?" Jamar asked thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure, but, I plan to do this when I get, damnit, you know, I-" Link started.

"Don't whine your way out now, Peanut," Jamar said.

"No, I mean, the Zelda I know is not all the same, she has a few very different qualities," Link said.

"Then rehearse, now Peanut!" Jamar laughed.

"Why are you calling me Peanut?!" Link growled.

"I don't know, it fits your personality," Jamar lay down on the ground.

"How the hell does Peanut fit me?" Link inquired.

"It just does, so, what is different about your Zelda?" Jamar asked.

"She is a lot less patient, and a lot more active," Link dragged out.

"That's it?" Jamar asked.

"That's not it, but its a good evaluation," Link lay down, too.

"So, would she appreciate the truth of your feelings, or an exaggerated lie?" Jamar asked.

"Hell if I know, I had planned to lie, but I'm not to good at romance," Link said.

"Hm, well, what are your true feelings, then?" Jamar asked.

"I, you know, I like her, right?" Link stammered.

"Yeah, you damn well better lie," Jamar said.

"What?" Link sounded annoyed.

"You should say you love her," Jamar nodded.

"Yeah, but isn't that supposed to be gradual?" Link asked.

"Damnit, Peanut, you sure are bad at this," Jamar shook his head.

"True, but, is love a real emotion?" Link asked looking at the stars.

"What do you mean?" Jamar asked.

"Is love real, or simply an excuse we use for our need to reproduce?" Link asked.

"Look," Jamar sat up, "maybe you will start that way, but if you find a small attraction, as you have, and chase it long enough, your need will be gratified with love, or a simple reward of eternal happiness, which ever you want to call it, you speak the insane questions of a lifeless worm," Jamar said the speech without missing a beat or changing tone.

"Well, I suppose that is the answer to my next couple of questions," Link said.

"You jest to much," Jamar lay back down.

"Tomorrow, I'll be gone, and I'll speak my new found truth to Zelda," Link smiled.

"Good," Jamar closed his eyes.

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