Into the Heavens Ch. 3

Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter of Into the Heavens.

If you’re just now reading this story or would like to continue please click here to return to the wiki entry.

While not required, I highly recommend you finish the first story in this series, Into the Depths, before you embark on this new adventure!

Thank you, and please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments.

ALSO

I love hearing what you guys enjoy in my writing and I appreciate any comments!

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↠ Golden Skies ↞

Ashia walked eagerly beside Juni, both of them carrying small packs filled with their supplies and whatever other items Purah decided to give them. Kirsha walked quickly ahead of them, never looking down as she gazed at the distant silhouette of the Great Sky Island.

“So what kind of experiments have you helped with, Kirsha?” Juni asked curiously, her eyes bright with the possibility of a new discovery.

Kirsha turned and casually walked backward as she answered, as if it were as natural as walking normally. “I’ve helped with all kinds of experiments for the Zonai Survey Team, but I mostly worked on the Zonai devices. We found these strange wheels and tied them up with a broken wagon. If you gave them a good smack, they would move all on their own! No horses needed!”

Juni beamed and pulled out her most recent notebook. “You have to tell me about that! How did it work? Was it fast?”

Ashia smiled and shook her head. The three of them had become fast friends over dinner the previous night. Kirsha wanted to know all about the Depths and Filvuk and asked questions long into the night. As time went on, Ashia had a strange feeling about Kirsha’s overenthusiasm. She still wasn’t so sure about her, but was happy to have help and another friend eager to learn more about Hyrule. Kirsha gave off a strange energy that she could only describe as “aggressively eager” and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

I hope that lively spirit doesn’t turn out to be an issue.

The three of them continued to walk down the path through Hyrule Field toward Whistling Hill. Kirsha continued to talk their ears off about her past experiments and what she knew about Zonai devices and the Sky Islands so far. As the path veered around the hill, they stepped off it and hiked up the slope to the top of the hill. A pleasant breeze blew through the tall grass and caused the flowers scattered around to dip and bow. Several Sheikah and Hylians were frantically running around, each holding various weapons, supplies, and what looked like Zonai device parts.

“Took you guys long enough!” Purah called from the hill’s summit, waving wildly at the group.

Kirsha grinned and jogged the rest of the way up the hill, Juni and Ashia close behind. Purah threw her arm out toward the vehicle resting beside her. It was a strange-looking thing composed of several long, thin pieces of metal, a hot air balloon on each corner, and a steering stick in the center of the platform. A couple of logs were thrown onto the metal base and tied down to act as benches.

“It’s a little rough looking, but it’s perfectly safe!” Purah announced when she noticed the confused expressions on the group. “We’ve tested it several times, and it’s more than capable of getting you to the Great Sky Island. The balloons are the same as the ones you used to get safely to the Depths, and the steering stick allows you to control what direction you float in. Since we were unable to get any Rito on the mission, it seems to be a safe substitute for moving the balloons without wind.”

Ashia grimaced at the contraption and tapped it with the toe of her boot. “Are you sure this thing is safe? Going into the Depths is one thing, but being stuck in the sky with no backup is a whole other situation.”

Purah nodded eagerly and gestured to the Zonai Survey and various Sheikah wandering around, finalizing the preparations. “We tested this device several times. It’ll easily make it to the Great Sky Island and back without any complications!”

Ashia’s frown remained, still not convinced.

“What happens if we run into anything… dangerous?” she asked, her voice softening as she spoke.

She glanced at Juni and pushed down the panic that began to bubble up at the memory of nearly losing her closest friend.

Purah’s eyes softened in understanding, following Ashia’s gaze to Juni. “I know your trip to the Depths had some major hiccups, but the Zonai Survey Team believes that the sky islands have very little danger. They’ve reported some constructs, similar to the ones found near the fallen islands, keeping guard, but they should be easy enough to avoid or dispatch. If possible, I would love for you to bring some samples back if you get the chance.”

Ashia nodded, her hand gripping the hilt of her sheathed dagger tightly as her mind raced. Purah smiled warmly and rested a hand on Ashia’s shoulder.

“I promise you three will be perfectly safe. You did an amazing job keeping Juni safe last time, and the sky islands have much more light than the Depths did. If you run into anything you can’t handle, return here immediately, and I will make sure that we send some guards up with you next time,” Purah said softly.

Ashia sighed deeply, breathing away her anxiety. “I’ll take your word for it. If my skills aren’t enough to keep them safe, will I be allowed to request anyone specific?”

Purah nodded. “I highly doubt it’ll come to that, but if it does, then of course!”

Juni and Kirsha beamed as they inspected the Zonai contraption, their eyes filled with wonder. Ashia watched them quietly, still shaking off the looming tension that threatened to take her.

“Let’s get going already! I want to see everything the sky islands have to offer!” Juni called, waving Ashia over.

She gave a small smile and stepped onto the platform. The gathered Shiekah and Hylian engineers quickly finished collecting all of the supplies and loading them onto the platform. As a group, they all scrambled to get out of the way but remained close by to keep watch. Ashia and Juni took their seats as Kirsha stood close to the steering stick.

“I’ll steer us toward the island. If you want, I can try to teach you guys how to use the Zonai devices sometime,” Kirsha said eagerly.

Juni grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Ashia smiled nervously and gestured for Kirsha to get started. Kirsha ran a hand through her short, white hair as she eyed the steering stick and the balloons. Purah waved excitedly to the team and gave a thumbs-up. Kirsha took hold of the steering stick, activating the strange floating platform. Fire exploded from the flame emitters strapped to the balloons, sending the platform steadily up into the sky.

Ashia and Juni sat together on one of the logs and watched as the gathered spectators slowly shrank and faded from sight altogether. The air grew colder, although not uncomfortable, as they gained more altitude.

“This must be what it feels like for Rito!” Juni exclaimed as she fearlessly peeked over the edge to watch the ground grow further away.

Ashia’s stomach lurched as she glanced past the edge and realized how high up they were. “Hey Kirsha, are you sure this thing is safe?”

Kirsha smiled sympathetically as she answered. “They did a great job on this! It looks rough, but I promise that with the balloons on the ends, this platform will stay perfectly balanced! It shouldn’t take too long to get to the Great Sky Island. If you’re scared of the height, then just focus on the clouds around us.”

Ashia focused on her breathing as she stared forward at the surrounding clouds. A flock of bright pink birds flew close by, curious about the floating device. Ashia studied them closely, deciding to focus on them rather than the nauseating height. The platform slowly rose higher and lifted closer to the massive floating island. Clouds floated lazily by, and the sun climbed the sky alongside the group, warming the chilly air.

The Great Sky Island loomed overhead and cast a shadow over the platform. Ashia’s gaze lifted from the birds she watched to the colossal island just above. Her jaw dropped as they floated over the edge of the island and were finally able to take in the expanse of it.

The island was a sprawling landscape of golden grass, towering ancient ruins, and cascading waterfalls that spilled into the endless sky. Kirsha shifted the platform over to the edge before releasing her hold of the steering stick, allowing it to descend until it rests on the stony outcropping slowly. Ashia and Juni quickly rose to their feet and stepped off the metal platform to better take in their surroundings. The air felt lighter, almost electrified, and a strange golden light enveloped the island. A pleasant breeze drifted by, tugging Ashia and Juni’s cloaks up

Juni pulled out her journal from her satchel and began sketching various plants. Kirsha’s yellow eyes nearly glowed with excitement, her gaze darting between the floating waterfalls and ancient ruins. Ashia took a deep breath, noting the faint sweet scent in the air. A large, strange-looking bird shrieked in surprise at the sight of the three Hylians and sprinted away.

“Where should we look first? I’m not exactly sure what ‘clues’ the princess thinks we’ll find up here,” Juni asked while she sketched a golden flower that looked strangely similar to Silent Princesses.

Ashia scanned the nearby structures and pointed to the massive stone building across the island. “That looks like a good place to start. We can try to climb higher and get a good look at the island after we check that building out.”

Kirsha beamed with enthusiasm. “I’ll lead the way!”

Juni sighed and closed her journal, torn between wanting to stay to continue sketching and moving on to explore. Ashia eyed Kirsha wearily as she marched off toward the large structure.

There she goes. Barely touched solid ground and already leading the charge. Does she even know where she’s going, or is she just pretending she does?

She sighed softly to herself and skimmed the nearby area for potential threats, knowing Kirsha didn’t even check. When nothing of any significance jumped out at her, Ashia jogged to catch up to the pair of scholars.

#Faction