Written in Stone

Chapter 1: Cornerstone

Link sipped his chocolate milkshake at the bar of the small diner, feeling his skin prickle at the many eyes that seemed to be watching him. He felt the cool, sweet goodness of his beverage slid down the back of his throat as he waited impatiently for his guide to arrive. His lips released the striped straw, allowing it to pop upright with a satisfying flourish, but he was unable to enjoy anything he was doing at he kept his gaze glued to the ticking clock on the wall. The tiny, red second hand moved in perfect synch, but to Link it felt slow and unsettling.

His muscles couldn't take it anymore. When the second hand hit twelve, bringing that Sunday morning to eleven twenty three, Link snapped around to peer at the people behind him. Upon doing so, about half of the people quickly turned back around to their own food. The remaining half shifted their eyes to some mysterious speck on the wall. A select few, however, kept their eyes locked on Link. Every person Link made eye contact with shot him a large, genuine smile. Link could only return with an uncomfortable half smile before turning back to his shake, staring down at the dark, creamy surface.

He knew this was a small town, but was it so small that even a newcomer like himself stuck out like a sore thumb?

Finally, the diner door open with a tinkle of a bell, and an older woman's voice rang out from the doorway. "Mr. Link?" the voice asked, deep and demanding. Link twirled in his barstool to see the owner of such a voice. She was tall and muscular, with long white hair pulled into a bun and heavy make-up plaster on her face. Her red eyes were fierce, and her jawline was strong and godlike. In short, she had presence.

The moment she saw his face Link could tell she knew who he was, and she gave him a beckoning wave. "I'm sorry for the delay. Please, come with me."

"Oh," Link realized, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolding it to read the name written on it. "You must be…"

"Impa," she cut off. "I don't mean to be rude, but we have a tight schedule to keep and we must get moving. Please gather your things and follow me."

"Of course!" Link answered with slight embarrassment. He pocketed the paper, then pulled out a five dollar bill. He quickly placed it on the counter, picked up his suitcase, and hustled after Impa. Satisfied that he was coming along, the imposing woman walked over to a small, black sedan sitting on the dirt road. She opened the passenger door for him, and as he took a seat she placed his suitcase into the trunk.

"Buckle up, please," she told him, closing the door behind her. Link did as he was told, and before long the two of them were cruising towards the town.

Link pressed his cheek against the cool glass, watching the trees pass by, hoping to get a glimpse of the town soon. He had tried to see it when his train had pulled into the small, abandoned station, but the forest was tall and thick, so he had seen nothing. He was surprised by how far Kakariko Village was from, well, anything, but then again he was a city boy. He was used to walking to the nearest coffee shop only two minutes from an apartment, or running to the grocery store down the street. If he wanted to go to the next town over, he would take a taxi on smooth, paved roads.

So far, there hasn't been a single road that wasn't gravel or dirt, and no coffee shop in sight. Though, none of this really bothered the young man in any way. He was used to those things, but he didn't thrive on them. However, he did prefer to blend into a crowd, and so far he hasn't had such luxury. It must be a really small town.

There was a long silence in the car. Like Link, Impa didn't seem to be much of a talker. Taking a break from town searching, Link dared to peek at his guide. She didn't look comfortable in her pantsuit, occasionally tugging at her sleeves or the bottom of her jacket, as if no matter what she did it wouldn't fit right. She looked professional and sharp, but she didn't seem to enjoy her outfit at all. Her finger tapped the steering wheel, her eyes on the road.

But her peripheral must have been fantastic, because the moment Link's eyes laid on her she tilted her head to her left slightly. "So," she suddenly said, "You seem like you have questions."

Instantly, Link snapped his head forward, feeling his cheeks grow hot. After a moment, he gave a nod. "I suppose I do. Erm…" He searched for the right words before asking. "… Where is the… town?"

"Town…" Impa echoed, then let loose a light chuckle. "It's more of a… village, hence its name." Even though that was obvious, Link still felt embarrassed again for his mistake. "Still," she continued, "It's not far. In a moment, we will come to a clearing that overlooks the village. We will pause there so you can see everything."

She words rung true. After another minute of silence, the trees cleared. Impa pulled up to the edge of the cliff and put the car into park. She indicated for Link to step out, and the both of them were soon standing at the edge themselves, viewing the village in the valley below.

Impa had not been kidding. It was not a town. From their height, Link was sure they could see everything, and everything consisted of a few 'large' buildings and a handful of what could only be homes. There was one main road, and it also appeared to be the only one paved. A creek ran along that road, and a small water wheel could be seen, turning slowly. A few fields were farmed and clearly ready for harvesting (Link could see the bright orange glow of pumpkins). The whole place appeared sleepy, calming, and beautiful, especially with the fall leaves starting to really change color.

Once Link had a moment to give the place a looksee, Impa began to point out various buildings of extreme importance. "That building with the sign over the door… that's the general store. That's where you buy everything, from food to toiletries. Over there is where your school is. Tomorrow you will start classes, but if you need an extra day to settle in, I'm sure the teacher won't mind." Link nodded to show that he was listening. "Over the stream there is the community center. And there are a few restaurants down there, but it would be difficult to point them out to you."

"How many people live here?" Link asked, still marveling at the small number of buildings.

"216 people," Impa replied. Her eyes looked Link up and down before correcting herself. "217."

Wow… that was… pretty exact. And tiny. Link watched the village for a bit longer, before spotting one more building, which was a distance from the rest of Kakariko and on higher ground. "What is that building over there?"

"That is the village temple," Impa replied, glancing at her watch. "It's currently closed to the public, but there is going to be a big festival soon and it should be open then."

Oh, she must mean Halloween. I wonder what religion they recognize here, Link thought to himself, but forgot to ask as he was suddenly ushered back to the car.

"We must get a move on. I have commitments this afternoon, and I must help you get settled into your new home."

Another ten minutes later, and Link found himself standing in front of his new home. It was a small house, although it appeared to have a second floor. There was a small yard in the front with some trees and flowers. But it was more than Link has ever had in his entire life, so he gaped at it while Impa removed his luggage from the car (she had insisted upon doing it for him).

Another few moments and they were inside. The house was clearly old. The wooden floor was dark with age and creaked with each step. The front door opened into one big room that acted as both a kitchen and a dining room. A table and a few chairs furnished the room; the rest of it was built into the walls. On his immediate right was a wooden staircase that leads to the second floor, which overlooked the room with a balcony. There was a small toilet and sink in a room off the kitchen, along with a shower.

"There's space below the stairs for storage, and cookware in the cabinets. The refrigerator is already stocked with food… You can cook, right?"

Link gave a vigorous nod. Oh yes, he can cook all right.

"Good. There is a dresser and a bed with sheets upstairs. You are free to rearrange and organize as you see fit. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask anyone. People are friendly here." Impa checked on her watch again, then clicked her tongue. "Alright, I think you can settle in from here. Tomorrow, someone will come and pick you up for school at exactly seven. School starts at seven thirty. There is no uniform for school but appropriate attire is expected. Lunch is not provided; the school is small and has no cafeteria. You may bring a lunch, or come home during the hour lunch break and make something here. But typically, kids here bring their lunches so they can mess around for the remainder of the hour."

Link's head was starting to spin with all this information, but he gave a quick nod to show he understood. "Thank you for the tour, Miss Impa. I appreciate it."

"Not at all. Now, I need to go. Get a good night's rest, and be ready to go in the morning."

Impa left, closing the door behind her. The moment the door clicked shut, Link raced upstairs and threw himself on the bed, sinking into the soft, fluffy mattress. Goodness, was this comfortable! He allowed himself to stay face down into his new pillow for a moment, before turning on his side and pulling his phone out of his pocket. Being so far out in the middle of nowhere, he had expected to have very little service… but he was utterly surprised that there were no bars at all.

Shit.

He did a quick search for wifi, but found nothing. Upon this discovery, Link leaped out of bed and ran downstairs. He threw open the front door, hoping to catch Impa before she left to ask her about the router in this house.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The black sedan was gone, and there was no Impa in sight. Sighing, Link closed the door. He knew that he could live without access to the outside world for a day or so; getting wifi wasn't entirely critical. He could go for a stroll and meet neighbors, but he had had a long day of travel and the milkshake hadn't been enough to hold him over until the morning. Just as he thought of this, his stomach let out a small rumble. He smiled. Well, he could start with lunch and then take a small nap.

Yeah, that sounded good. He was going to do that.

He was awoken by the sound of birds chirping and sunlight streaming into his window. Link blinked lazily as he squinted towards the window, forgetting briefly where he was. As the minutes passed, and his mind began to clear, Link remembered that he had just moved into his new home and that he was in Kakariko Village. He rolled onto his back and laid the back of his hand over his eyes, letting out a short sigh of comfort.

Link felt extremely refreshed. He must have slept hard after he ate a quick sandwich he had thrown together. Although he was fine with moving into a new place, he supposed the stress of going somewhere unknown had worn him down.

Well, at least he got a good nap in. He rolled back to his side and reached for his phone on the nightstand. He pulled it off its charger to check the time. He stared at the clock, blinking. He rubbed his eyes and checked again, making sure he read the time correctly.

6:28 A.M.

In shock, Link flipped out of bed, nearly dropping his phone as he did. Oh shit, he REALLY slept hard! He slept for over twelve hours… no, longer. He must have been exhausted, and now someone was coming to pick him up in thirty minutes! He still had to shower and make food…

Crap!

It is amazing what one can do in a panic, because Link nearly flew as he raced around his home, getting ready for school. He hadn't even unpacked his suitcase yet, so he practically threw stuff around the room digging for a decent outfit to wear. He settled on kakis with a green T-shirt and a blue jacket with a yellow triple triangle etched on the chest. He dressed after a shower, and patted his hair dry as he toasted some bread for a quick breakfast. He made sure that he was multi-tasking the whole time.

He was trying to shove a simple lunch into a small bag when someone knocked on the door. Link checked his phone again. 6:57, right on time. He shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers, threw his bag over his shoulder, and stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth before flinging the door open.

Standing at the door was the tallest boy Link had ever seen. Just taller than the doorframe, the young man gave Link a brilliant smile from his great height. He extended a large hand as soon as he saw Link. "Good morning, friend! I'm Sidon! Pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Link could instantly tell that Sidon was outgoing and friendly. Link took his hand, but instantly wished he had prepared for the vigorous handshaking that he was about to receive. For a moment, it felt like his arm was about to rip off. Luckily, it only lasted a second before Sidon released his hand.

Sidon placed his hands on his hips, grinning. "Wow, I am so glad to meet you, Link! I was asked to take you to our school, since this is your first day. We better get going so we aren't late."

"You… know my name?" Link asked, giving his shoulder a quick roll to stretch it out.

"Of course!" Sidon exclaimed, as if it was obvious. Word must really travel fast in a small town, Link concluded. That, or Impa probably told Sidon his name while giving him instructions to pick him up. With that conclusion, of course it was obvious. Giving the tall young man a smile, Link stepped out, ready to go. He was looking forward to meeting everyone at school, and getting situated into a life in his new village.

As Link adjusted the backs of his shoes, Sidon reached over and closed the door gently. "Well, let's head out!"

School was on the other side of town… Not that it meant much. It was going to be a rather short walk and Link probably could have gotten himself there without assistance, but he was glad for the company.

Within a week, Link was starting to get used to life here. He went to the small schoolhouse that only had one room and five students, including himself. Since the town was so small and the school had only one classroom, school was reserved for high schoolers only; younger children were home schooled. So far, he has only met four of them. There was Sidon, the unspoken leader of the group. He and Link were among the oldest of the kids, both at about seventeen years of age. He was charismatic and charming. He always made everyone in the room feel good about themselves, and had a smile on his face nearly constantly. Link really liked him a lot, and the two became fast friends.

The other two students were both about fourteen years old, although they couldn't be more different from each other. First, there was Riju, the only girl that Link knew so far in the class. She was beautiful, with darker skin and bright red hair, tiny, and she was almost always barefoot. Despite her age, however, she spoke as if she was an old soul, quite mature. She always looked like she thought something was funny, but only she knew the joke. Whenever Sidon wasn't around, she would take charge, but she seemed happier when she didn't have to play leader.

Yunobo, on the other hand, was the remaining student, and he was nothing like his peer. He was large, both in height and width, and he always looked unsure and uncomfortable in every situation he was in. In fact, he was such a nervous wreck that when a bug scurried across the room the other day, he screeched and climbed on top of a desk for safety. While Sidon came to the rescue and removed the insect from the scene, Riju couldn't help but lightly tease the large boy. Link thought this didn't help the situation at all, but Yunobo didn't seem to hold any ill will towards Riju for it.

As for the fourth student, Link had yet to meet her. According to Sidon, the other female student, Zelda, was an important figure in town. "She's the heir to the Hyrule Family," Sidon explained during Link's first lunch at school, "And with a festival coming up, she has a lot of duties on her plate right now."

"Hyrule Family?" Link had asked, munching on his sandwich.

"They are an important family in town," Riju had answered. She had crossed her legs and stretched, glad for the lunch break. "So they kind of run everything, including the temple."

That was a week ago, and Link still hadn't seen her. This surprised him, especially considering the small size of the village. He would have thought he would have seen her walking around at the very least.

She must be very, very busy.

Despite all these, though, Link was enjoying himself in his new home. Life was pretty great here. Everyone was friendly and everyone always greeted him when they saw him. It was a change of pace from city life, although Link hadn't decided if it was for better or for worse.

Even though he knew how to get home, Sidon insisted on walking Link home every day. The pair only had about a ten minute walk, but it was a highly enjoyable one. Sidon was full of energy and good cheer, and he loved to talk. Luckily for him, Link loved to listen.

"Man, Mr. Teba really likes to give us seniors a lot of homework," Sidon said with a laugh. Holding the packet their teacher had given them at the end of the day, he leafed through the pages. "Luckily, this should be pretty simple. And you're so smart, I bet you will have it done in five minutes!"

Link gave a chuckle at Sidon's wild predictions. At first, whenever Sidon praised him, Link was embarrassed by the attention, but after a week he was starting to realize that was just the way Sidon was. Now it was amusing.

The road from school to home was a simple one, taking the only paved road in town. Since it cut through the epicenter of activity, Link and Sidon were often bombarded with greetings and well wishes. Even though there were only 216 other residents in the village, Link still hadn't learned all their names. Yet, everyone seemed to know his, just like Sidon had on his first day.

"Afternoon, Link!" a middle-aged man called out to him, waving from one of the few restaurants in town. He sat at one of the outdoor tables, enjoying a warm drink in the cool air. Link gave a polite wave in return, but his skin sort of prickled uncomfortably.

"Oh, if it isn't the handsome Link!" a particularly rambunctious elderly lady greeted them as they passed her by. "And his adorable friend Sidon! Ho-ho, if only I was a few years younger… Hee-hee!" she finished her teasing with a giggle. It took every ounce of strength Link had to not blush at the insinuation. Sidon took it much better and laughed with her.

"Well, she's always been a character!" Sidon mused. He walked a few paces before realizing that Link had paused, and turned to see him staring at the store. Link's finger tapped his book bag's strap as he contemplated about going inside.

Sidon gave a sympathetic smile. "Come on, Link! They said it was going to take a few weeks! Special orders never get here quickly."

"Sorry," Link said with a sigh, turning back to join Sidon home. "I just can't believe that there isn't a single router out here, not even for sale." People didn't even have phones with landlines to borrow. It was unusual.

"There's wifi at school," Sidon noted.

"I guess I just didn't realize that there were people in the world who still barely used technological advances like the internet," Link mumbled, before realizing how spoiled he sounded. He let out another sigh. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to keep in touch with people back in the city. The school wifi is terrible; I can barely hold a bar long enough to send a message" He pulled his phone out of his pocket to stare at it. The dark screen sensed the movement and the lock screen appeared. In the corner, the phone had a large X over the connection. "I don't even have service."

Sidon looked at the phone, then looked at Link. The boy's lips were tense; his eyes dark. Sidon patted Link's arm, snapping him out of it. "Don't you worry, friend! You got the new router ordered. I guess in the meantime, you will have to enjoy my company. I know, I know, the horror!"

Link looked back at him startled, before the dark feeling in his chest subsided. He snorted at the joke and tucked his phone away in his back pocket.

They said their goodbyes at a fork in the road. Sidon lived down a dirt path. Apparently, his house was near a pond, although Link hadn't had the chance yet to visit Sidon's home. Link briefly watched Sidon walk away, sort of smiling to himself. Sidon really brightened a room. But as soon as he left, Link felt a ping of loneliness. At this feeling, he pulled out his phone again. The screen lit up again, and that X was still there. He frowned.

It was starting to get difficult living without a connection to the outside world. It made Link feel claustrophobic and small, and very cut off. Despite knowing that he would be able to connect to those he left behind soon, he felt like he would never talk to them again. It was a bit depressing.

As Link walked the rest of the way back to his little slice of heaven, he opened his phone. He was secretly hoping that a message would pop up, anything at all, but his notifications were completely nonexistent. He pursed his lips in frustration.

He should have been watching where he was going, because as he turned to walk up to his front door, he nearly tripped over someone who was sitting on the ground. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, barely able to catch himself before he hit the floor. He snapped around to get a good look at the stranger who was trespassing in his front yard.

It was some old man who looked like he mentally left this world a long time ago. He was so hammered that since Link was now paying attention, he could smell the liquor. Urg, how appalling. The man was equally not amused by suddenly woken up from his nap.

" 'EY! What's a man got to do around 'ere to get a decent shuteye… Eh?" he paused as he cracked open an eye, staring at Link. He saw the boy's large eyes and generally shocked impression. "What is it, boy? Ain't never seen an old person before?" He scratched his head. "Now that I thinks about it… I ain't never seen no boy like you around here."

"U-um… what are you doing at my house?" Link asked, slowly starting to shuffle towards the front door to escape as quickly as possible. He didn't like the look in this man's eyes.

The man looked the house up and down. "Oh-ho, this ya house?" When Link nodded yes, the old man slapped his knee with glee. "Well I'll be!" He stood up, wobbled a bit, then leaned on the doorframe to support himself. He was now blocking Link's way. "Guess this be my lucky day! I was hoping to talk to ya!"

"I thought you said you had never seen me before," Link said carefully, eyeing the door with anticipation. The moment the man made room, Link was going to jump inside to safety.

"I ain't! But I'ves heard of ya. Ya be crazy if ya hadn't heard of ya," the man said, letting out a crackle of laughter.

"So I guess you aren't crazy then."

"Naw, I'm the sanest person in town!" The man patted his chest proudly. "Anyways, I just gots to ask…" He suddenly leaned in closer. The foul stench of booze and something very rotten hit Link's nose, and it took much for him not to gag. He tried to lean away subtlety, but the man just leaned in closer. "… Have ya ever seen a demon before?"

Silence followed this question. Only a breeze made noise, rustling the fallen leaves on the browning grass. Link wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to react to this. Should he…. Laugh? Was this a joke? No, this man looked pretty dead serious. Should he… call for help? That seemed a lot more appropriate. Perhaps if he ran now, he could find Sidon. Or the police. Or anybody else.

Despite his better judgement, though, Link answered honestly anyways. "You know… I can't say that I have. Have you?"

This was a mistake. The man gave a nod. "Course I 'ave, boy! All of us in this here village has seen the monster with our own two lookers!" He said this as he pointed at his own eyes.

Link pointed towards the ground, indicating the whole town. "Here?"

"Yes, here, where did ya think?" The man grinned viciously. "We's got a demon living among us, boy. A vile, dangerous demon. It's going to kill us all, ya know. It will start with anyone who angers it. Then eat the rest when it's hungry."

Link felt the blood drain from his face, but the man failed to notice and kept talking. "But ya said ya never seen a demon before. Boy, that ain't going to fly. It's dangerous to go alone." He suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. He grabbed Link's wrist and pulled his hand closer, forcing the blade into Link's hand. "Take this. This way, when you see that blasted demon, you can shove it into its chest. When ya kill it, remember ol' me, will ya? Would love if the higher ups hear of my good deeds. I ain't exactly an angel in town!" He released Link's hand as he let out another laugh. As he did, he leaned away from the door.

This was Link's chance. Without hesitation he threw open the door and ran inside. He pulled it shut and made sure to lock it. His heart pounded in his chest as he sat heavily in a chair, wondering if he did the right thing. That man knows where he lives now, and… Link looked down at the knife that was now in his hand. The man had been armed too.

When he had regained his composure, Link put the knife into a drawer. He had no use of it, and he didn't want to around. He would find a proper way to dispose of it later.

For now, his thoughts hung on those words of a crazy man, who claimed that a demon lived in town.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1: Cornerstone.

For a bit of a heads up, this IS an AU. So, some liberties with characters will be taken. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this mystery story.

Next chapter, Stonewalled, will be out in a week. I hope you look forward to the next installment.

~Evil Critic