I was raring to go, and led Link right back to the stable excitedly. But all my excitement left my heart when - as Link did his best to change into the stealth gear - I ran right into that peddler from before.

"There you are, sweetheart," he said as I was busy showering my mare with affection. She'd run over from pasture at my call, and was now happily getting pet over the fence when... this guy showed up. My shoulders stiffened and I bristled with how easily he called me sweetheart; but I was absolutely not his sweetheart.

For my sake, hopefully Link would be quick in figuring out how to put everything on for that set. Admittedly, there were a lot of parts, but-

"I was talking to you," the man continued, leaning against the fence a few feet from me. I looked sidelong at him, then returned my eyes to Sky. Honestly, the audacity of men. Sky seemed to share in my sentiment thankfully, because she nickered quietly, her dark and intelligent eyes searching my own.

"I heard you," I said. "But I'm not your sweetheart."

"Aren't you? You didn't seem phased by me calling you that before."

"I honestly didn't think I'd ever see you again," I admitted. "I just wanted to do my business and be on my way."

"Yeah, well-"

Sky cut in with an indignant whinny, one aimed right his way. I smiled and patted her neck affectionately. "That's my girl," I cooed.

"Alright, sweetheart, you really ain't so tough, are you? Why don't you-"

I was saved, once more, by someone cutting in. Link was at my side then, having approached silently - so the gear worked, then. He seemed to have gotten dressed alright, though for now the mask was lowered down about his neck, and he was just holding the hair sticks in hand for now.

"Who do you think you're calling your sweetheart?" He asked evenly, though anyone could tell he was angry. The peddler far overshadowed Link, and now he stood to his full height - but Link wasn't intimidated.

"And who do you think you are, pipsqueak?"

Anger flared up in my chest, but before I could come to his defense, he spoke up for himself. "I know what kind of man you are," he said surely. "When you can back your words up with anything other than more words, then come find us. But until then, leave us - and more importantly, leave her - alone. Come on."

With a hand pressed to the small of my back, Link guided me away, leaving the man seething and Sky laughing as best a horse could before trotting away to (probably) tell Epona about it. For now, we ducked beneath the stable's canopy, heading to where our things were stored.

For the past couple of weeks, we'd occupied these same two beds, ones that were right next to each other and admittedly that I'd miss when we continued our travels. As for that man, he had been prowling around here a lot, but he hadn't approached me while I was with Link, thankfully. He did leave for a couple of days at a time though, and since none of the stable workers seemed to particularly mind him being here, it seemed like this was a normal place for him to be.

Link didn't have to ask if I was alright, because I was smiling already. Instead, he merely walked around himself in a circle, presenting himself to me. "Well? How does it look?"

"It looks good," I said truthfully. "Seems to fit you well, anyway. Does it feel good?"

"Yeah," he said, holding one of his arms towards me. "The fabric is really soft."

"Oh, good," I said, running my fingertips across part of the sleeve of his upper arm. "Because that's what the merchant told me when I bought it. It's a soft, noise-suppressing cloth. Supposedly."

"I guess we'll just have to see it in action," Link said, smiling as he lifted the facemask to sit snugly over his nose and mouth.

"Mm, I suppose so," I said, taking the hair sticks from his hands. It was obvious he didn't know what to do with them, but I did. "Of course, you'd be about the only one who could somehow render a stealth suit useless, so I'm excited to see what you do with it."

"Hey!"

"I'm only teasing," I said uselessly as soon as his smile - clear even through the mask - dropped into a frown, because it was obvious he knew that already.

The entire set looked great together. From the bottom, the stealth tights were a dull navy blue in color. They had darker blue detailing around the thighs, and leg braces with that trademark Sheikah Eye symbol.

As for belts and pouches, this gear did not allow for many - which made sense, of course. If one was trying to be stealthy, a pouch full of coins and a quiver of arrows rattling around would make it useless. But for smaller, more up-close-and-personal weaponry, this suit was ideal.

Only two belts criss-crossed his waist and hips, dyed black and detailed with golden accents, namely of course the buckle and a brooch - shaped as an eye. At most, he could carry a dagger or two, and on his left side he could hold his slate, which he now secured there, but that would be all.

As for the chestguard, I wasn't sure if I could really call it that. Made of the same material as the tights, his entire torso was wrapped snugly, and the suit had long sleeves. While most of the fabric covering his torso was of a lighter, paler blue, his sleeves were that same dull navy, the same as the mask and tights. An off-white scarf was around his neck and was left dangling behind him, looking nearly like a cape.

In the center of his torso was yet another Sheikah Eye symbol, etched into the fabric in red. His arms were protected not by bracers but by thicker, more durable fabric, looking like bandages around his forearms. To match his leg braces, he had pieces covering the tops of his hands, his ribs, and his shoulders.

It all sat on him nicely, hugging him everywhere and...

I was staring. Thankfully, he didn't notice, and I was able to get myself together before he did.

"The only thing I couldn't figure out was what those are," he said, looking at me now and gesturing to the hair sticks. "I think they accidentally gave me chopsticks or something."

"Not quite," I said, stifling my laugh and forgetting my embarrassment for now. "Here, sit." Gesturing to the bed next to us, I clambered on first, patting the space before me. "You know how I said it looks good on you?"

"Wait," he said, refusing to sit in front of me, and instead idling by the bedside, "you weren't lying, were you? Tell me you weren't, (Y/n)! Tell me the truth!"

"It does look good on you," I pressed. "I was only going to say that your hair looks goofy in the ponytail compared to the rest of the look. But I know how to fix it."

"Oh," he said happily, dropping down onto the bed right in front of me. I got to my knees, rising up so that I could fix his hair for him. I gently undid his hair from its ponytail, brushed my fingers through the hair to gently undo its knots, then got to work. I pulled it back, leaving his bangs out, of course. Gathering his hair at the back of his head, I tied it up into a bun. Without all that loose hair about his ears, they stood out proudly, and altogether - once I slid the hair sticks into the bun to secure it - it was a far more intimidating and serious look than the one he usually wore.

"There, now," I said warmly, lowering myself to sit comfortably atop the duvet. "Now it looks perfect."

"Really?"

"Really," I affirmed, and all at once, he leapt up from the bed, took my hand, and hauled me after him as he made to leave the stable. "Link, wait!"

"No time to wait," he said happily. "Let's go see if this works!"

He didn't say it explicitly, and he wouldn't have had to, really. He just wanted to show off, and see if I wouldn't keep showering him with compliments.

—

Now that Link was cleared to travel once again, we eagerly got to making up for lost time. After that day of fighting, we'd not wasted a single moment more after dinner was good and gone and got right onto the road. With bellies full, limbs tired and aching from the day's efforts, but hearts uplifted and spirits high, we set out into the brisk evening air. A cloak was wrapped snugly around my shoulders, but Link - the furnace that he was - didn't need anything more than the blue tunic indicative of his status as the Hylian Champion. As the moon rose ever higher into the sky, we rode ever on.

By morning, when at last we took a few hours to rest and grant the horses a well-deserved reprieve from the work, we were far closer to the land of the Rito. With slight rises in elevation, the air grew thinner; it was easy to acclimate at first, for the changes were so slight. With those changes also came the changes in scenery; the land beneath our feet became rockier, the dirt firmer, and the last of the lush forests began to roll in.

The land, reacting to the chillier air here, had trees much closer together. Shallow ponds, babbling brooks, and much more dotted the landscape, and when we stopped for rest, the horses had no problem nosing at the grass that grew between the rocks here. Animals peeked at us through the trees, and by night, the forests were illuminated from within by fireflies.

"Take a look at that, firefly," Link had said to me, lazed back into his bedding as we watched, transfixed, at the lightning bugs blinking past. I'd been sitting up, my arms wrapped loosely around my knees, and only a few precious feet from him - the clearing we'd set up in that night, our first one in this region, offered a stunning view of the sky above through the breaks in the trees and I'd looked down at him with a smile. I meant to say something, to ask what he meant, but he had already been smiling up at me. "It's like this place was made for you."

And today, our third day and consequent evening here, the land seemed alive, and it seemed to breathe, and I found that I quite liked it here. We'd look back often, at the leagues we'd traveled each day, and we'd see how much we'd climbed. It was slight, so slight, but seeing it altogether, seeing the road that wound downward, and knowing that in looking one way, we saw nothing but lush forests and thick canopies and a steep rise upwards as the land became mountainous, on the other, we could see the far-reaching plains that slowed ever downward.

With so much fresh game around, we had large meals often. There were plenty of merchants along the road for us to talk to and trade with, and often these interactions lasted much longer than they normally would - a simple, five-minute deal would now take us up to an hour because we got so lost in their wares and in their stories, and we would entice them with our own.

We were able to procure the ingredients for traditional meals, like wonderfully aromatic stews and roasts of the finest quality meat, along with more experimental wraps and sandwiches and items of that nature. We couldn't indulge in bread often; they were a pain to carry, and they went bad quickly, especially if not stored properly. With it in great supply here, we were going to enjoy it - and enjoy it as much as possible.

We rode along at well-spirited trots, the strides bumpy and strides evenly matched between the two horses. The two worked well together, just as Link and I did; and eventually, as the morning hours bled into afternoon, the forest fell away from the road and we soon found ourselves facing a crossroad. We could either continue on, following the road on that gradual upward slope.

Or, we could...

Link had already made the decision for us, and gestured for me to follow after him as he traveled instead down the only other option - and that was to ride right into what looked like a small village. From the looks of it, as we passed beneath an arch made of wood as old as the trees of the forests, this was a hunting community. The people here were sure to live off the land, thankful for all that it provided for them.

"This is great," Link said when Sky fell back into line alongside Epona. Cabins of wood, dark oak by the look of it, all with wrap-around porches and huge windows, lined the road to either side. "We've been running low on stuff, so this is the perfect time to go hunting."

Following the signs as he did, I knew exactly where he was leading us, and it was to an open-air market. "Mm-hm," I said, guiding Sky to pull off the road. There was a line of hitching posts waiting just beyond another archway, one decorated with charms and posted with signs detailing deals and new items and arriving merchants and guests, and I dismounted my mare. Link followed my lead, and Link smiled unabashedly, knowing I'd caught onto what he said. "Hunting, huh?"

"Exactly," Link said, hurrying to slow Epona and dismount.

He grabbed her reins and tied them off before I could even begin doing my own. He waited, bouncing on his heels, eagerly and impatiently, as I finished up, and when I turned to face him, he beamed. Link grabbed my hand in his own and made to get going - only for me to say that we should leave some feed out for the horses.

He groaned, but let me do it, and then I pumped some water into the nearby trough for them, too. And then I was slow to retrieve my money, and he waited and waited, growing more impatient by the second. He stood off to the side, looking longingly towards the market, wanting to just go already, but he waited dutifully - no, I shouldn't say dutifully, because he did not have to wait.

But as it was, he did wait.

When at last I had everything gathered up, I walked up to Link, then took his hand. Even as I continued to walk, he stayed put - likely not believing I was actually ready just yet. But when I tugged on his arm, his glazed-over eyes snapped back into focus and his eyes met mine. He grinned, and on we went.

We did go hunting - in the market, anyway. We prowled beneath the canopies of the stands, seeing all manner of handmade knick-knacks and small treasures and some larger displays were put together for weaponry and extravagant shields. There were stalls with impressive regalia, shops dedicated to jewelry carved from antlers, and merchants who had only just come into town and were busy setting up their goods.

Actually, it looked like there was a lot more being built up than new stands. Over there was a large area clear of trees and brush and instead had a birch stage, and over there was a line of tables still being hammered together.

Decorations were being strung between the trees and above the stands, flags with different creatures knit into them were flying proudly, and the scent of fresh food was in the air. Plenty of merchants came in pairs or small groups; while some were staying put behind their counters, others were bartering with the folks that walked past, while even more were holding large platters of small samples.

Link and I took all the free samples we could get our hands on and then some; and for Link, he made sure to walk by certain people again to snag another one. The people here were kind, big and burly, the kind to look stern, but they were not. Front doors to homes were open, and weary travelers were invited inside for a cup of warm tea and a comfortable spot to sit. That same invitation was offered to myself and Link often - we must have looked like weary travelers!

Only, all of a sudden, we didn't feel so weary. We were alive and excited, our hearts thrumming with excitement. I was pulled aside when I smiled to a woman who had smiled warmly at me, and within that next moment she was at my side, my arm looped through her own. Link hurried to follow and when we found a canopy to duck behind, she let go of me and turned to face us both.

"So, you're a fan of the dumplings," she said, sending a pointed look towards Link.

"We are," I said, and Link nodded enthusiastically.

"They're delicious," he agreed.

"I'm glad you're enjoying them," the woman said, then looked right at me. "I hope you don't find it strange I pulled you aside, but if you do, I apologize."

"No, not at all," I answered. "I was just surprised, that's all. If I looked offended or upset, it was only because I was surprised."

"Good, then," she said. "I only did as much because I don't think we've ever seen you two around here before."

"This is my first time here," I said soundly, because I knew that to be the truth. Of course, Impa had told me that I was well-traveled, for a baby, so it was entirely plausible that I had been here before. But as far as my own conscious memories went, I'd never been here before. All I knew, of course, was Hateno. I looked at Link, waiting for his answer, then, just as the woman did.

"I haven't been here for a long, long time," he said. "I don't really remember it."

"I thought so," she said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Irene, and I suppose you can consider my family the head of this village here. Are you travelers? Researchers? Hopefuls looking for a nice spot to elope?"

"Oh, no," I said right away, shaking my head and hopefully shaking my embarrassment, too. "You had it right the first time. We're travelers."

"Well, you've picked a great time to come to town," she said. "Our festival is starting soon."

"Ooh, a festival?" Link asked, his eyes alight with excitement.

"That's right," Irene affirmed. "It's to show our gratitude to the land. We have music and dancing, plentiful food and drink, and all the stories you could ever hope to tell over a fire." She winked at me then, smiling warmly. "And I'm sure you two have plenty of stories to tell, yourselves."

"We just might," Link said. "But about the food..."

"We have a few village traditions, foods we've made for decades," she told us, starting to walk. We followed closely behind, weaving in and out of the crowd as she did. "But as you can see, lots of folks come into town from all over Hyrule. We've two nights of festivities before the main event."

"And what would that be?" I asked, enticed by the thought of something so fun as what she was alluding to.

"A challenge, of sorts," Irene told us, looking at me over her shoulder. "As travelers, you two must go hunting on occasion. Is that right?"

"That's right," I answered.

"Then maybe you'll like to join us," she said, turning now to face us. She stopped walking, regarding us both with a smile, letting our anticipation grow and grow. "At the change of day on that third night, all the hunters of our village head out in pairs, with but one goal in mind: by daybreak, return here with the largest creature you can find. If you win, you keep the trophy and you keep the spoils; but you're also given a grand prize of a pretty sum of money."

Well, that was exciting.

"So? Would you like to get registered as a pair?"

Link and I didn't need to even look at each other to know the answer, but we did anyway, and the woman smiled indulgently before leading us now towards a booth where we were signed up to participate in the challenge.

—

While waiting for the challenge to begin, we decided to join in on the fun. As more people came to the village, there was more food to eat, more stories to hear, and more art to look at. A pleasant hum overtook the village, permeating beyond just the village. Even in the inn - which we were lucky enough to have secured two beds in - there was always quiet chatter, always someone humming or reviewing a new recipe or going over strategies.

During the days, there were contests of strength, like arm-wrestling, which Link eagerly took to and I confidently bet on. Link always won, and I very quickly became a rather renowned high-roller, one seemingly foolish to keep betting on the same guy.

"I don't care how well you know him, or how strong you think he is," said a naysayer who had watched as I went all in on Link winning. A huge, burly man, one clearly well-versed in chopping down trees, settled into the seat across from Link and they shook hands. "There's no way he's winning this one."

"We'll see," I said, meeting Link's eye when he sought my gaze out. With a confident gleam in his eye and a cheeky smile on his face, he got ready, and so did his opponent.

Within the next second, Link had won, and I gathered my earnings.

There were strategy games and tests of skill, and I was more than happy to be gifted a crown of flowers for winning a test of archery. When we weren't playing all the games we could and earning all manner of gifts and prizes, we took to walking the aisles of the market, speaking with people from all across Hyrule. With all the money we gained, we were more than able to restock everything we needed to, and upgraded quite a bit of what we already had.

Our afternoons were often spent relaxing. There was a pond not far from the village's edge, but it was far enough out so that not many people visited it. We spent quite a bit of time there, relaxing by the water's edge. Often, we would just sit together quietly, and typically we would nap there together in the sun until evening came and music would find our ears.

Our evenings there were simple; find a nice fire to sit by, have dinner, and swap stories for a while. When musicians would come around with their instruments we would sit and listen, and when the storytellers would come around with their tall tales, we would sit and listen.

On that final night, we spent our mornings as we normally had, and that was followed by another nap by afternoon. But that evening, as the hours ticked by, and the promise of the hunting challenge drew near, most of the other folks laid themselves to rest, even just for a bit. Most of our fellow competitors found spots by the fire to sit with a good meal, and many dozed off.

We, however, did not.

With everyone seemingly at rest or asleep, there was little else to do but sit quietly... so I had thought. As the entire village rested, bellies full and hearts content, Link got to his feet.

"Come on," Link said, looking down at me. "We napped earlier, so you're not tired, right?"

"Right," I said, taking his hand when offered. He helped me stand, and then we were off, walking slowly through the village. Away from that crowded campfire we went, and towards the town's center we went. Here, at least, others were awake.

"Ah," Link said happily when we came to a stop at the edge of the square. "I knew I heard music."

Sure enough, there were a few musicians sitting atop barrels and stumps, and there was a large bonfire right in the center. At the edge of the square, people were standing and chatting quietly. Those in the square itself though, were dancing.

Link glanced sidelong at me, then led me further into the square. "Oh, wait," I began to protest, even as my body followed closely behind him. "I don't usually dance. Actually... not ever."

"Hm? Really?"

"Really," I said. "Wasn't much reason for it back home, and..."

"You're not embarrassed, are you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"So there shouldn't be a problem," he said, looking for a suitable place for us, and just then, he found a rather secluded spot for us, where we'd have some modicum of privacy, as much as I could ask for here among all these couples dancing.

"I don't know how," I told him, and he smiled warmly, pulling me close to him.

"That's not your excuse to get out of this, is it?"

"Did it work?"

"No," he said, letting go of me entirely. "If you don't want to, that's all you have to say. I just thought it'd be fun."

"You'd have to teach me," I said in warning, and he chuckled indulgently.

"I figured that much already," he said, then waited for a moment. "So?"

"So," I said rather shyly, "I'll dance with you."

"There, now," he said warmly, reaching for my hands again. "I knew you couldn't deny a face like this."

To accentuate his point and probably to fluster me some more, he drew me in close, tugging me close by the hands, and I leaned away from him and rolled my eyes. "I have denied a face like yours before," I reminded him, "and I'll do it again now if you keep this up."

"Sorry, sorry," he said, and I knew it wasn't genuine because I knew he didn't feel like he had anything he needed to apologize for. He got into frame, letting go of one of my hands only to guide me by the wrist to rest my hand atop his shoulder. He palmed my waist gently, and though I kept my gaze diverted, I could tell he was looking into my eyes, searching for a sign that I wanted out.

"Let me know at any point if you're uncomfortable," he told me, and I nodded, still looking away.

We were too close - looking into his eyes now meant that I might not ever look away. And this was so intimate, so romantic, I...

"Is this ok?"

"Yes," I answered him, my eyes flickering quickly over to his nose, not quite meeting his eyes just yet. "That's fine."

"Good," he breathed out. He began to teach me then, and because he kept it simple, I picked it up rather quickly. There were no dips, no turns, no crazy footwork; only a simple frame and a sway, the repetitive steps that made up the foundational box. We were dancing yes, but it was simple and soothing, and after a while, it did not require so much of my focus.

So I... looked into his eyes.

"Link," I said quietly, minding my volume because we were so close, our bodies pressed against each other like this.

"Mm-hm? What is it, firefly?"

"You've got to stop with that nickname, first off," I said, and a smile blossomed on his lips.

"Why?" He asked. "Why would I, when it makes you smile each time I say it?"

"Because I..."

"Because nothing," he declared proudly. "You like it, you're just too embarrassed to say so." I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued speaking before I could. "Don't bother arguing, I know I'm right. What did you want to say before, (Y/n)?"

"I... was just going to say that this is nice," I said, getting myself together with a huff. I summoned up a deep breath, and looked surely into his eyes. "I was just thinking that when all of this is over, when you do all that you need to do and Hyrule is safe..." I trailed off for a moment, glancing around. I'd spoken quietly enough so that no one would hear, and so looking around was not necessary. I only did it so I had a moment to gather up my nerve to say what I wanted to. "We might be able to do things like this more."

"What do you mean?"

"Exploring what we want, going where we please, doing whatever we feel like doing," I said. "That's what I mean. When you're no longer bound by your duty, we can spend time just like this." I paused for a moment, wanting to look away if not for the way he was looking at me right now. "...if that's something you want, obviously. I don't mean to say we should or something like that, or presume that we were going to, or..." I trailed off once more, deciding not to make a bigger fool of myself than I already had.

Thankfully, Link didn't seem to mind, for his features softened, and his smile grew warm. "I'd like that, firefly." He seemed to consider something for a moment, and his smile wavered and a slight pinch worried his brows. "But to get to that point, there's a lot of work to be done."

Yes, that was an understatement.

"I know," I said. "I know we haven't really done anything yet, but I'm glad we've got this time to relax before the hard work really begins."

"Me too," he said, and that's when we lapsed into a calm sort of quiet. We continued to dance, and the quiet was comfortable. Someone from the band was singing now, something sweet and melodic. It was probably a love song, but I didn't care too much to listen to the words. I was just happy for now to be safe and comfortable and warm here, held by Link, before we'd go off to fight bigger monsters and larger threats than we'd faced before.

—

When a bell was chimed, the challenge began. Just like everyone else, Link and I took off for the forest on foot, prepared to start the hunt. We sprinted into the woods, dodging trees and leaping over fallen logs. We ran and ran and ran, trying to lose everyone else. The further in we went, and the further from everyone else we were, the better our chances were of finding worthy game and, not only that, it would mean we could actually focus on tracking and take our time.

Well, that's how I could rationalize our running.

In reality, it was because we were told to avoid a certain area of the forest because it was "too dangerous".

Ha! Too dangerous, my ass. I was traveling with the Hylian Champion!

Did they think an overly aggressive boar or a territorial bear would stop us? It wouldn't, and we were going to win this, of course. And a restricted area of the forest meant more animals were sure to congregate there for the lack of human presence.

It was our best bet, so it was our destination.

We eventually found a tagged tree - a sign we were about to enter the restricted area. With one shared glance, determined and excited, we passed right by it and continued on.

We traveled carefully, watching where we stepped and paying close attention to our surroundings. Enticed by large game though we were, it would not do us any good to make too much noise or not go about this in the right way.

With the moon high in the sky, we pressed ever onward. The trees eventually thinned out, and we found ourselves at the edge of a large clearing. The ghostly blue light of the moon fell brilliantly into the clearing, illuminating a large boulder right in the center.

Right up top of that massive boulder, there was a gemstone of some kind - it was large and shimmered in the moonlight, and if nothing else, it might fetch a nice price at the market, so I took a single step out into the clearing, only for Link to reach out and grab my shoulder.

"Wait," he told me, his voice a hushed whisper.

"Link? What's wrong?"

"Stay here," he told me, and I lowered myself to crouch. It wouldn't do me any good to doubt his instincts, not when he knew so much more about Hyrule than I did. I drew my bow at any rate, preparing myself to draw and fire if necessary.

As Link edged out into the clearing, I looked up at that boulder. It really was massive. If I had to guess, it likely had shaken loose of the mountains of this region and rolled here centuries ago, long enough for the forest to grow up around it. And that gemstone... goodness, it was pretty.

Focus.

I returned my eyes to Link's figure, and he moved like a deer might; the lightest of steps, easing the weight onto each placed foot incase one needed to withdraw, to choose another spot. It was not the confident stride of a hero, but the frightened and suspicious creep of prey.

But just what were we prey to, here?

My instincts knew something was wrong before I did. All the hair on the back of my neck stood up on end, and I wanted to call out to Link, but he was standing stock still, looking up at that boulder. I drew an arrow and pulled it back, preparing to fire on anything that moved.

Only... nothing moved. Not for that moment, nor the next.

Link didn't look away from that boulder.

I opened my mouth to call to him, but that was exactly when the earth beneath my feet shuddered and I looked down. A pebble by my foot was rattling against the dirt, and something nearby had to be summoning up a great deal of energy to move, and perhaps it already was, and...

Ah.

With a shudder and a groan, the boulder shifted. It shifted!

"Oh, holy shit," was all I could say as I rose to my feet, watching as the boulder did the same.

Yes, that's right. The boulder stood up. And I found myself looking up and up and up, looking into a face devoid of any features, summoned to life by some great evil, inspired to move only with intent to kill us.

I thought these damned things were extinct, but clearly I was mistaken.

Somehow, we'd awoken a Talus.

And somehow... we would have to defeat it.