- Location
- New York, United States
Are you sure? I was going to guess that was SufficientVelocity, it has the right number of characters for it.
The only problem is that would make it polyalphabetic but the index of coincidence doesn't match one of those.
- Location
- Omniverse #1345
It's the translation Vecht provided in discord. He also said he wasn't giving us any more.
- Location
- New York, United States
Ah, OK.
If we leave out the apostrophes it could be a bigram cipher, since it's twice the length of the plaintext. Hm.
Edit: No, not bigrams.
If we leave out the apostrophes it could be a bigram cipher, since it's twice the length of the plaintext. Hm.
Edit: No, not bigrams.
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- Location
- Omniverse #1345
- Location
- Earth Aleph
What if we have to convert the characters to their binary representation before decoding?
For instance, say we convert Fi’s words to their binary representation in UTF-32, then convert it to UTF-7, and what we see there is how to decipher it?
May be a dead end, but could be worth investigating.
Could even be that the code is say, all English, we translate it to ASCII binary interpretation, read the results as UTF-16, and use the resultant characters as a pseudo “one time pad” to scramble the original English words
Or perhaps the original words were in Spanish, but based on @TaliesinSkye ‘s post that’s unlikely (plus I think/hope that the QM’s aren’t THAT cruel with the cipher)
For instance, say we convert Fi’s words to their binary representation in UTF-32, then convert it to UTF-7, and what we see there is how to decipher it?
May be a dead end, but could be worth investigating.
Could even be that the code is say, all English, we translate it to ASCII binary interpretation, read the results as UTF-16, and use the resultant characters as a pseudo “one time pad” to scramble the original English words
Or perhaps the original words were in Spanish, but based on @TaliesinSkye ‘s post that’s unlikely (plus I think/hope that the QM’s aren’t THAT cruel with the cipher)
- Location
- Earth Aleph
Junk characters to throw off translation attempts?
Code that maps to words instead of letters?
Actual conlang?
Thoughts?
E:
Also, letter frequencies! (Source: Frequency Analysis Tool - Letter Counter - Online Software Tool)
Code that maps to words instead of letters?
Actual conlang?
ᎲᏨ: 2.
Ꮿ': 3
'Ꮕ: 5
ᏨᏨ: 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᎤᏨ: 3, of which 2 are ᎤᏨᏫ
ᏨᏅ: 3
ᏅᏊ: 2
Ꮚ': 3, of which 2 are ᎾᏊ'
'Ꮻ: 3, of which 2 are 'ᏫᏅ
ᏫᏅ: 3, of which 2 are 'ᏫᏅ
ᏅᏨ: 2
ᏅᎤ: 4
ᎺᎺ: 2
ᎺᎤ: 2
ᎲᏫ: 2, both word beginnings
ᎾᏫ: 2
ᏫᏯ: 2
ᏅᎺ: 2
ᏡᏅ: 2
Ꮝ':2
ᏫᎾ: 3, of which 2 are word endings
ᏫᎧ: 2
Ꭷ': 2
'~: 2
ᏅᎾ: 2
ᏅᏑ': 2
ᏍᎤ: 2
ᎤᎧ: 3
ᎧᏫ: 2
ᏫᎾ: 3, of which 2 are ᏫᏫᎾ
ᎾᏮ: 2, both word endings, preceding...
ᏯᏅ: 2, both are word beginnings
ᎺᏅ: 3, of which 2 are ᎾᎺᏅ
ᏨᎾ: 2
ᏨᎤ: 3
ᏫᎣ: 2
ᏅᎲ: 2
Ꮂ': 3, all word endings, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
Ꮾ': 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᏫᎤ: 2
ᎤᏫ : 2
Ꭳ':2
ᏡᏨ, 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᎤᏅ: 2
Ꮿ': 3
'Ꮕ: 5
ᏨᏨ: 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᎤᏨ: 3, of which 2 are ᎤᏨᏫ
ᏨᏅ: 3
ᏅᏊ: 2
Ꮚ': 3, of which 2 are ᎾᏊ'
'Ꮻ: 3, of which 2 are 'ᏫᏅ
ᏫᏅ: 3, of which 2 are 'ᏫᏅ
ᏅᏨ: 2
ᏅᎤ: 4
ᎺᎺ: 2
ᎺᎤ: 2
ᎲᏫ: 2, both word beginnings
ᎾᏫ: 2
ᏫᏯ: 2
ᏅᎺ: 2
ᏡᏅ: 2
Ꮝ':2
ᏫᎾ: 3, of which 2 are word endings
ᏫᎧ: 2
Ꭷ': 2
'~: 2
ᏅᎾ: 2
ᏅᏑ': 2
ᏍᎤ: 2
ᎤᎧ: 3
ᎧᏫ: 2
ᏫᎾ: 3, of which 2 are ᏫᏫᎾ
ᎾᏮ: 2, both word endings, preceding...
ᏯᏅ: 2, both are word beginnings
ᎺᏅ: 3, of which 2 are ᎾᎺᏅ
ᏨᎾ: 2
ᏨᎤ: 3
ᏫᎣ: 2
ᏅᎲ: 2
Ꮂ': 3, all word endings, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
Ꮾ': 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᏫᎤ: 2
ᎤᏫ : 2
Ꭳ':2
ᏡᏨ, 3, of which 2 are ᏪᏅᏮ'ᏡᏨᏨᎲ' , which are entire words
ᎤᏅ: 2
E:
ⰩⰃ: 4, all entire words
Ⱀ': 2, one a word beginning, one a word ending
'Ⱉ: 2
Ⰲ': 2
'Ⰺ: 3, of which 2 are Ⱋ'ⰊⰮⰃ, both entire words
Ⰵ': 5, of which 4 were Ⰸ'Ⰵ', all entire words
ⰚⰉ'ⰨⰉ: 2, both word beginnings
ⰚⰎ: 3 , of which 2 are Ⱏ'ⰚⰆⰊ, both entire words
Ⱗ': 2
Ⱄ': 2
Ⱚ': 2
Ⱀ': 2, one a word beginning, one a word ending
'Ⱉ: 2
Ⰲ': 2
'Ⰺ: 3, of which 2 are Ⱋ'ⰊⰮⰃ, both entire words
Ⰵ': 5, of which 4 were Ⰸ'Ⰵ', all entire words
ⰚⰉ'ⰨⰉ: 2, both word beginnings
ⰚⰎ: 3 , of which 2 are Ⱏ'ⰚⰆⰊ, both entire words
Ⱗ': 2
Ⱄ': 2
Ⱚ': 2
Also, letter frequencies! (Source: Frequency Analysis Tool - Letter Counter - Online Software Tool)
Ꮕ 27
' 25
Ꮸ 22
Ꮻ 21
Ꮎ 17
Ꭴ 17
Ꮊ 11
Ꮂ 9
Ꮿ 9
Ꭷ 8
Ꮾ 7
Ꮚ 6
Ꮝ 6
Ꮡ 5
Ꮗ 5
Ꮱ 5
Ꮽ 4
Ꮘ 4
Ꮫ 3
Ꭳ 3
Ꮺ 3
Ꮼ 3
~ 2
Ꮉ 1
' 25
Ꮸ 22
Ꮻ 21
Ꮎ 17
Ꭴ 17
Ꮊ 11
Ꮂ 9
Ꮿ 9
Ꭷ 8
Ꮾ 7
Ꮚ 6
Ꮝ 6
Ꮡ 5
Ꮗ 5
Ꮱ 5
Ꮽ 4
Ꮘ 4
Ꮫ 3
Ꭳ 3
Ꮺ 3
Ꮼ 3
~ 2
Ꮉ 1
Ⰺ 12
Ⰴ 11
Ⰳ 10
Ⰹ 10
Ⰶ 7
Ⱙ 6
Ⱊ 6
Ⰵ 6
Ⰾ 5
Ⰿ 5
Ⰸ 5
Ⰲ 4
Ⰷ 3
Ⱋ 3
Ⱝ 3
Ⱓ 3
Ⱚ 3
Ⱄ 3
Ⱀ 3
Ⱌ 3
Ⱏ 2
Ⱗ 2
Ⱘ 2
Ⱞ 2
Ⱐ 2
Ⱈ 2
Ⱉ 2
Ⱎ 1
Ⰼ 1
Ⰽ 1
Ⰱ 1
Ⱜ 1
Ⱇ 1
Ⱃ 1
Ⱒ 1
Ⱅ 1
Ⱖ 1
— 1
Ⰻ 1
… 1
Ⰴ 11
Ⰳ 10
Ⰹ 10
Ⰶ 7
Ⱙ 6
Ⱊ 6
Ⰵ 6
Ⰾ 5
Ⰿ 5
Ⰸ 5
Ⰲ 4
Ⰷ 3
Ⱋ 3
Ⱝ 3
Ⱓ 3
Ⱚ 3
Ⱄ 3
Ⱀ 3
Ⱌ 3
Ⱏ 2
Ⱗ 2
Ⱘ 2
Ⱞ 2
Ⱐ 2
Ⱈ 2
Ⱉ 2
Ⱎ 1
Ⰼ 1
Ⰽ 1
Ⰱ 1
Ⱜ 1
Ⱇ 1
Ⱃ 1
Ⱒ 1
Ⱅ 1
Ⱖ 1
— 1
Ⰻ 1
… 1
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Omake: Fi-PT2
- Location
- Snarksville, Snarkland
Omake: Fi-PT2
"I have heard of their cause before, but we have not met."
Impa frowned. "That's odd. What grounds would there be to request another assassination attempt against our people?"
Taetus stepped forward and held out his hand. "It is our duty to bring you all the details, and to make every effort to clean up this mess. For now, anyway."
"It will work," she said, after the other Sheikah woman had been telepathically murdered. "We do what we are told, and nothing happens."
"The Lord General said he was ready to provide military assistance if the time allowed," Taetus said. "But we'll get to that in a moment."
"It is most unnerving to say the least," Impa lied, the thought wholly unfulfilling.
"-Indeed," Vian said, taking off in the opposite direction. "Thank you for your service. I look forward to seeing you soon."
-o-
"The northern forces have withdrawn and are on their way," Wymar said, drawing attention to himself. "As I was saying, the southern forces are still in the city center. We're off at the northern gate. The Hylia relay will be working safely again."
"Affirmative," Fi said, floating to rest horizontally on the water's surface. "I understand."
"Affirmative?" Vestele said. She was curious about who exactly were the Sheikah planning on staging their appearances to. This upset her, and she was quite sure it was none other than the assassins. "I should just ask - was there any other deity besides Hylia?"
He frowned. "I don't know much. The guards told me not to talk unless... ah... I mean... when I had the chance."
"Very well, you may leave," Fi said. "I will keep watch. Saruman has assigned three of his closest lieutenants to you now - two on your left and right, and two on your right and left."
"Fi! Focus!" Zelda yelled. "Mother Above, is this a prank?"
"You will come to your own judgment," Fi said.
-o-
All was not as it seemed.
Moments of clarity slipped past her mind. Focus, she told herself. The guardsmen had gone their separate ways. That left her alone with the most beautiful woman she'd ever laid her eyes on. What else could she have done? Taken notes? She fidgeted as she scanned the paper. Maybe she should ask her to dinner?
"Fate has something else in mind," Fi said. "Legacy wanted to test your mettle."
Dare she say it?
"Alternate timelines?" Zelda asked.
"Affirmative," Fi said. "Forgive my intrusion, Mistress; please continue."
She scratched her head. "Anli, I don't believe anything has changed," she said. "I trust you've had a good outcome from the deal?"
"Good, yes," the templar said. "But take note of the straps around your mistress' neck when she goes up against the fronts. If she fails, the bodies will inevitably pile up around her."
"Okay," Zelda said, confused.
"Now. Show her you mean business," Fi urged.
"But how do I know which directions to-"
"I'm no medic," Zelda said, exasperated. "Please. Please, I'd like to know how you know all this."
"I am no Fae," Fi said.
"Fine," Zelda said, her frustration getting the best of her. She stormed from the room, calling for backup and readying herself for the inevitable.
It didn't help matters that Link was nowhere to be found.
-o-
Zelda had done well to adapt her tactics to the environments in which she found herself. The bulk of the fighting involved pinning down a single combatant and systematically working her to the ground until her defenses were low and she was utterly dependent on her for support. During longer combats, she would use her Spirit Link ability to summon a larger and more capable companion to force down her assailant. During a particularly fierce exchange, Zelda sent her Spirit Linked companion towards the face of her adversary so she could keep an eye on her prize.
-o-
"Your Grace, I have good news."
"But that's bad news," Zelda's mother said. "Not good at all."
"Bad for what?" Zelda's father asked.
"Just bad," her mother repeated, giving her a frown. "For killing Hylia, forcibly taking her place, and now," she said, grabbing at a pile of papers and pulling out a sheet. "It's all here. It's in these pages that I was most displeased. You can rest assured, Princess. I take responsibility if my expectations were too high."
"Thank you," Zelda said. "But we can do better. What about Wymar? Has his attitude changed?"
"He's actually very accommodating," Lensa said. "He expects more of us. He expects us to do a better job of meeting his deadlines. He expects us to run more of the riskier stuff. And he expects us to do a better job of explaining the value of our work to the Crown."
"All good points, but what do we do? The Blin are bad news. They won't stay like that forever. We can't just send in the army. The Holy Mother's trying her best, but she can't do it alone. I don't want to send the mothers of our children to war over a few unwise nobles trying to score a few extra rupees."
"Your mother's counsel is valid as of right," Fi said, spinning.
Zelda's mother quirked an eyebrow at her. Zelda's father eyed her quizzically. Zelda knew her by now, and with a fervor she found she couldn't shake.
"Fine," her mother said. "Whatever. Whatever Legacy wants."
"Thank you," Lensa said, nodding. "And regarding Wymar. I appreciate your explanation. It was exactly what I wanted to hear."
-o-
"Zelda?"
Zelda nodded. "Yes, Progenitor?"
"I will do my best to to help you against our common foe," Progenitor said, waving a hand. "Golluk pays our expenses, and we're the worst off."
"And what does that mean?" Zelda asked.
"It means that you can prove that the High Bishop really did commit the crimes he was charged with. That means, if you accept my test, then I can prove to the High Bishop that I really knew what I was doing. If I'm being charged now with a crime, I can easily prove that before the court. That's half the power of a preposterous lawyer."
Zelda deflated. What could she say to that?
"I'm not trying to manipulate you," Progenitor snapped, his expression neutral. "Just I don't know, sixty seconds from now, whether to accept your offer or not. You have everything."
"No," she said.
Progenitor rose from his chair and knelt before the table, lifting his arm. "Zelda, put your hand up. I have no fear of your hair getting caught, or of course I won't have any women telling me how beautiful they are. Only you would. But first," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't tell me you were planning to strum a fret before me."
"I was planning to strum a fret before me too," Zelda replied, her heart racing in her chest. What could she say at this point? She was too vulnerable right now, and he knew that. "Tell me," she said.
"Mother?" Progenitor put his hand.
Zelda nodded. She collapsed to her knees, looking desperate. "Mother was actually my father. The fact is, I was the queen's ward. But I never had the luxury of succession."
"Pardon?" Progenitor looked to his right, regarding his left earring at the sight. "My mother was right? I was the one who gave you that magic," he said, his tone somber.
-o-
It was a mistake.
Braska stumbled out from behind a shelf and down the hallway, landing hard on his face. His eyes widened in disbelief and pain. His lips curled in agony as he tried to catch his breath. His other hand shot to his chest.
"N-No! I'm-"
His hand went to her mouth to stop her from speaking. "Just a moment, Your Grace. It's okay." Braska said, wavering.
"No. That's enough. You need to lay low. Don't let anyone know you're injured. You'll do just that."
Braska nodded, resigned. If he failed, Zelda would see. If he succeeded, she wouldn't. And if he fell, so did she. If he got up, who knew what would happen?
"Now. Have you considered leading the defenders towards the palace? There may be a gateway somewhere within walking distance."
Braska clenched his jaw. "No. There isn't any way we're letting that thing through."
Zelda nodded, numb. There was only one way to find out. "Take the lift up to the second floor and take a left. You should see it."
He knew it didn't matter at this point. Things were falling apart around him and everything he held dear was at stake.
"Warden? What's wrong?"
Braska dropped his weapon. She caught him by the shoulder, surprised. He backpedaled, eyes narrowed, and came closer. She squeezed his hand.
"I'm sorry. But I'm afraid it's too late," he said.
Zelda didn't like to show affection. To her it was just another form of royalty. But to the young man it was proof she cared; she was the queen after all, and this man needed someone to confide in. Someone to rely on in times of trouble.
-o-
The display on the wall above her showed the various weapons the kingdom had at their disposal. Bows, crossbows, magic-made weaponry, and of course firearms. Simple as that. She had no idea what kinds of feats these things were capable of, and no idea what purpose they served other than to cloak her face and reduce her detection radius. Supposedly, such devices were used by the Sheikah to keep intruders back and prevent them from trying to stab them in the face with clubs.
"It's a shame. Most weapons are usable with practice," Zelda said with a smirk. "But there are only so many things you can do in a day."
"Oh come now," the man said. "What Sheikah have time for this now? Supposedly, they're able to testify witness."
"Are you okay, Mistress?" Fi asked.
"NO!" Zelda yelled, slicing across the stage. Shards of ice flew across the room. The ceiling caved in around them, and several hundreds of shards of tiny razor-sharp ice burst across the stage. Zelda only seemed to embolden herself, twirling in the air. She spun in the air. Her frenzy did little to quell her rage, and she summoned up the energy to fling herself across the room.
No one moved. Only Seff rose from his seat, his eyes widening in shock and fear. He tried to collect his thoughts, but memories flashed in and out. In fact, he did not realize what he was doing. As he struggled to his feet, an opening appeared in the curtain that separated the two rooms. Zelda stepped in, laughing maniacally. To his horror, the light intensified to reveal Din doing cartwheels.
"Oh, what a pathetic creature you are!" Zelda said, stomping across the stage. "You pleaded your case loud and clear in front of Father. That was your right! But you can't-"
A torrent of water crashed down on the stage, splitting it in two and soaking it. Arrows whistled as sparks flew. That was one small, icky mess.
"SEFF!" Zelda called, rushing to his side. "GET YOUR STAFF IN THE ROOM AND LET THEM KNOW THERE'S AN EMERGENCY! THEY NEED TO HOLD THEIR POSITION!"
"There's no emergency!" Seff said. "You're just drunk!"
Author's Note: This text was generated by training the 345M model of GPT2 on the current text of Legacy of the Goddess, to an average loss of 0.12, with minor edits for grammar and formatting. Chapter 6.2 will be out soon(tm).
- Location
- UK
I was very, very confused while reading this whole thing, so I suppose GPT2 isn't quite there yet.
- Location
- Snarksville, Snarkland
An AI has successfully learned things like:
- Zelda is queen
- Various epithets like "The Holy Mother", "Mother Above", "High Bishop", "Lord General" are common phrases
- Hylia is dead
- The kingdom is in danger
- Magic is a thing
- Fi floats around in space and says things like "Affirmative" and is associated with conveying Legacy's desires
- Wymar is associated with fighting and troop movements
- Lensa is associated with court
- Seff is associated with plays
- There have been assassination attempts in the story
- Legacy of the Goddess is about Zelda suffering
This is very impressive, and more than a little spooky. Keep in mind, this is one of the smaller models -- the larger ones haven't been made public.
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- Location
- New York, United States
Threadbanned on OP request
Here's to hoping that in twenty years AIs will successfully make all the amazing stories we could ever want to read without having to wait for human writers.
- Location
- Earth Aleph
Ok this part right here threw me for a loop. I was starting to think it was an AI, but then this part came around and made me think this was actually some crazy LoZ multiverse shennanigans going on (what with how convoluted the official timeline is and everything) being interpreted as a dream sequence.
I then spent way too long trying to figure out which parts would be useful to analyize further before I got to the end and realized that I had successfully fooled myself.
MMKII
The Shining One
- Location
- Trapped in an extradimensional rift.
Huh. Lets open up a dimensional rift through the void so that we can port some of the other Link's in to give us a hand. The Hyrule Warriors Link can go fix our "invading Blin horde" problems solo while Majora's Mask Link can throw on the Fierce Deity mask andnhop in the cage for a solid 1v1 with Demise/our enemy deity..
Just make sure not to accidentally summon the one's from the old CD-i games because this will surely result in a Bad End.
- Location
- Snarksville, Snarkland
But I thought that kind of peace was what all true warriors strived for?
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MMKII
The Shining One
- Location
- Trapped in an extradimensional rift.
Dinner.
- Location
- Canada
We should call the AI Infinite Jester
- Location
- New York, United States
You weren't the only one. XD
Alas poor Yorick?
Chapter 6.2: But Not Forgotten
- Location
- Snarksville, Snarkland
Chapter 6.2: But Not Forgotten
“Zelda?” came Sera's voice. “It's time.”
Zelda took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. On some level, she was relieved. She had been dreading this all day. For the past several days, even. She found it hard to take pleasure in anything, knowing what was ahead. A black stormcloud of despair and sorrow loomed on the horizon, inching steadily closer. Unavoidable. Inevitable. Hiding away in her study did nothing to hasten its approach, nor prolong what she knew was coming. No part of her wanted to go through it, but every part of her wanted it to be over.
She made to respond to Sera, but found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she stood and knocked back the last of her wine. She settled for nodding the girl and picked up the parcel on her desk, holding it tightly to her chest.
Sera stepped aside, and Zelda took the lead. The younger girl carried with her a brooch and a small flower. Zelda wanted to ask their significance, but she couldn't bring herself to. She would learn soon enough.
The two of them made their way out of the study, past the guards and down the hall. Their footsteps echoed faintly against the walls, joined by the rustling of arms and armor as her detail fell in behind.
Step. Step. Step. Time inched forward at its own pace; inexorable, and heedless of her plight. Every step was a chore. She wanted so badly for it to just be over. Would but that she could just run away and hide somewhere until it was. But she knew that was ridiculous. She was the Queen; she had to fulfill her duty. She had no choice.
She tried not to dwell. Dwelling only made it worse.
At last they made it to the castle antechamber. Zelda and her small entourage made their way down the stairs and to the fore of the gathered crowd. She scanned their faces. Few eyes met her own, but every pair of hands held something. She knew she was not alone in her feelings and apprehension, but somehow that made it worse too. Anger, sadness, and grief welled up inside her, but she pushed it down. Now was not the time.
Wordlessly, she halted and faced the exit, allowing the congregation to file in behind her. The magnificent stone doors were drawn open, and High Priestess Vestele took up position to her right. They exchanged glances. The aging woman nodded to her solemnly. She nodded back, and together the two of them led the procession in its march.
And so they marched. Through the doorway. Across the gardens, bathed in the light from Nia above. Along the winding path to the western edge of the castle grounds, and finally atop the knoll where the pyre had been prepared.
They came to a halt and the procession fanned out to either side. Zelda passed her parcel to Vestele and took up the torch offered to her from a guardsman to her left. She approached the pyre and looked out over her city. Utter darkness. Not a single light to be found.
This was it.
She steeled herself. With a breath, she tossed the torch onto the pyre and was met with a sudden fwoosh as the oiled wood went up in a blaze. Zelda shielded her face from the intense wave of heat, stepping back to safety. She looked again over the city. One by one, lights sprang up in the darkness as her people followed her lead.
Tonight, every soul in Hyrule would be united in this ritual. Joined together, on this day of Remembrance.
Zelda turned to the crowd and made her way back over to Vestele. The awaiting priestess undid the ribbon of Zelda's parcel as she approached. The woman knelt, presenting the items inside to her queen.
Easy, Zelda thought to herself, controlling her breathing. This is the easy part. You can do this.
She took the first item: a guardsman's tunic. Her hands passed over its rough surface as she recalled the horrific events of that day. “Esosh,” she said, projecting her voice so that it would be heard loud and clear over the crackling of the pyre. She unsheathed a knife at her side and began to cut away a long strip of fabric from the chest. Somewhere to her right, his widow cried out with a gut-wrenching wail. Zelda blinked back the tears and steadied her breathing again, forcing herself to continue.
Finished, she sheathed the knife and left the strip behind, taking the tunic in hand. With three steps backward, she addressed the crowd. She saw dozens of downcast faces, somber and mirthless. Shadows danced around them to the light of the fire.
“Esosh was a brave and loyal soldier of the Royal Guard,” she said. “He was a loving husband and father. And four days ago, he gave his life to protect mine. Our kingdom is worse for his passing, and we will never again know his like.”
She turned back to the pyre and its all-too-eager flames. Stepping forward, she scrunched the tunic into a ball. And with a kiss, she tossed it into the waiting inferno. Within seconds, it was utterly consumed.
“He is lost, but not forgotten,” she said. The crowd repeated the words.
She returned to Vestele. Zelda tried hard to not let herself be affected overmuch by the cries of his widow. She continued with the ritual. Methodical. Rote. She took the torn strip of fabric along with a winged emblem made of pure silver; the symbol of the Crown, of her family. It was the highest honor she could bestow to the fallen soldier and his family. She wound the fabric tightly around the emblem and made her way to Esosh's wife. There, she fell to her knees in the dirt before the woman, holding the offering outstretched above her head.
“I am honored, Your Grace” the woman whispered between sobs as she took the offering.
“The honor is mine,” Zelda said, completing the ritual. She stood, feeling relieved to be that much closer to the end. But before she could turn to leave, she met the reddened eyes of a small child hiding behind her mother's skirts. Zelda's breath caught in her throat. It was too much — mother's mercy, but it was too much. What had this child done, to deserve losing her father like this? She dropped back to her knees, taking the small child in her arms.
“I am sorry,” she whispered, ragged. “I am so sorry.” She held the child to her bosom and kissed her forehead. They were joined by the mother, and together the three of them wept.
Zelda felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Link. She nodded to him in understanding. She kissed again at the foreheads of the mother and child as she rose and made her way back to Vestele.
Another tunic. Another name. “Mora,” Zelda called, going through the same motions as before. Another strip of fabric. Another set of voices crying out into the abyss.
“Mora was a brave and loyal woman of the Royal Guard,” Zelda said. “A consummate heroine; she brought pride and honor to her family. Four days ago, she risked her life to protect mine. She was taken from us well before her time. Our kingdom is worse for her passing, and we will never again know her like.” Zelda took the tunic, tossing it into the flames as before. “She is lost, but not forgotten.”
Another emblem. Another offering. Zelda fell to her knees in the dirt before the woman's father.
“We are honored, Your Grace," the elderly man said as he took the offering.
“The honor is mine,” she said, rising.
She met his eyes. He smiled, brushing away his tears. “It's alright," he said, clasping her shoulder. “She is with the Mother now.”
Zelda nodded to him, doing her best to return the smile.
All too soon, she found herself back in front of Vestele. The honors done, she now faced the hardest part of the ceremony. Next was Father. Though, she found it wasn't as hard as she imagined it would be. Perhaps it was the catharsis of consoling others in their grief. Or perhaps she had already worked through the worst of it already. It certainly ached, but it did not sting as she pried the gemstone loose from Father's signet ring.
“King Gaillard Stefanus Hyrule, the Fourth," she bellowed, feeling a swelling of pride. She raised her voice for all to hear. Several in the crowd stamped their feet. Zelda smiled to herself, wiping her eyes. It felt good to say his name like that. It felt good to honor him before the crowd. “My Father,” she continued. “He was a great man, and a great leader. All loved him. All respected him.” She paused, hesitating. She had to say it. She couldn't not. “…I pray to the Mother that I might be so fortunate as to follow in his footsteps. Our kingdom is worse for his passing, and we will never again know his like.”
She turned to the pyre, holding the gemstone up to the light. The whole world felt surreal. Absurd. How could any of this be real? How could his kingdom continue without him? How did anyone ever expect her to live up to that name? Weeks after his death, and she still struggled with the thought.
“He is lost, but not forgotten,” she said reverently, tossing the gemstone into the fire. “I will miss you, Father,” she whispered, sliding the empty ring on her finger. She held her mother's locket in her hands as well, giving it a kiss.
She stood there for several long moments, gazing into the flames. She couldn't bring herself to go back. She couldn't. Not now. Not like this.
Link was at her side again. Zelda met his eyes and shook her head. “Later,” she said. He nodded. She took a deep breath and wandered off from the gathered masses, finding her place atop an outcropping of rock several feet away.
She listened intently as names were called out, one by one. Seth. Grace. Mama. Papi. Duvar. Emma. Esto. Gren. Raolin. Veldas. Rorrith. Isa. Nen. Sabor. Geoff. Gruss. Maple. Jeoff. Dacey. Raso. Edith. Berro. Alli. Nasso. Mela. Karra. Cavin. Koth. Every one of them was someone's mother; father; sister; brother; cousin; uncle; aunt; friend; lover; partner. They went on and on into the night. So much death. So much loss. Zelda looked out over the town. Dozens of fires. Tens of thousands of names, it had to be. The sheer scale of it was staggering. Sobering.
Link joined her after a time. Together the two of them sat silently, well into the night.
A tacit understanding passed between them. It went wholly without saying. This couldn't continue. There would never be another day like this. Never. Not if either of them had anything to say about it. They would see the end of the Blights, or they would die trying. There was no other option.
-o-
Hours passed, and the moon shone brightly overhead. The crowd had thinned considerably. Only a few remained. Vestele. Link. A few Zelda couldn't name. Taetus, of all people. She tried not to pay them any mind as she returned to her parcel.
She knelt.
A black shawl trimmed in gold, bearing the silver eye of the Sheikah. Zelda took the item, holding it close to her chest.
“Impa,” she whispered. “I loved you. You were the family I never had. You were perfect. You were my light. My shining star. The one who always stood by me, no matter what. I always trusted you to have my back. I always looked to you for guidance. I always knew you would be there for me.“
She broke out into tears. The pain and grief welled up inside her, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. She sobbed. Tears streamed down her face and over her lips. Her chest convulsed, and she found it hard to breathe. She cried into the shawl. She let her pain bleed into the world.
“And now you're not,” she said, in broken gasps. “Now, you are gone.” She clutched the shawl tightly. “I miss you, Impa. I miss you so much. Why did you have to leave me? Why did you have to go?”
It wasn't right.
It wasn't right.
…
Zelda stood, unsheathing her knife and cutting out the segment of cloth around the silver eye. She turned to the pyre. It was still going, though its intensity had waned considerably. She approached and threw the shawl onto its embers while she still had the strength to do so.
“You are lost,” she whispered. “But you are not forgotten. I will never forget you.”
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