Hyrule's Heroes Book 1: Destiny of a Hero

by Wynn of Hyrule

Set after Ocarina of Time, a new menace arises to threaten Hyrule, and it is up to a new hero, along with his friends, to save the day.

1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer

Link, Zelda, Hyrule, other trademarked items belong to Nintendo, and are used without permission. All original characters are mine. All comments, questions, and criticisms go to hyrules_hero@hotmail.com. Thanks, and enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

The sun was rising over Hyrule Field. Evil had been vanquished, and good had triumphed. Normality would now return to this once-peaceful land. Yesterday, Ganondorf, the self-proclaimed Great King of Evil, had been slain by the Hero of Time. Last night, everyone had celebrated, dancing around the light of a bonfire. Now the people of Hyrule could return to their normal lives, the ones they had lived before Ganon and his reign of evil.

Soon, the hustle and bustle of every-day life returned to Kakariko Village. The cut-ups met in front of the tree, and started making jokes. The Cucco Lady began to watch over her cuccos, which are Hylian chickens, making sure not to touch them, since she was allergic to them. The Bazaar, Potion Shop, and Shooting Gallery opened for business. The stern man that lived in Impa's house stepped into the sunlight, frowned at the cut-ups, sniffed, and walked back into the house.

And then a familiar figure walked into town. He had lived there a long time, and all the residents recognized him. It was the carpenter boss. He strode purposefully to the center of town, and called out to all that would hear him. All heads turned at the sound of his gruff voice.

"I am looking to hire me an adventurer," he called. "Are there any here?" No one answered. "I am willing to pay a hundred rupees to whoever would get rid of the monsters that infest the marketplace.

"You're never going to find anyone that stupid!" taunted one of the goof-offs.

"Make it two hundred," said a quiet voice from the shadows, "and you have a deal."

The owner of the voice stepped from the darkness that had concealed him. It was a young man, in his late teens. He was dressed in dark armor, and was carrying a sword. He had a rounded face, expressive eyes, and a small mouth. He was thickly built, but in shape. His armor was damaged, obviously in a battle. It appeared to have been cut. He stood in front of the carpenter boss.

"You would kill the monsters in the marketplace?" asked the carpenter boss.

"I would," answered the young man, "for two hundred rupees."

"Don't listen to that wimp!" yelled a raucous voice from the crowd. "We'll do it for one-fifty, and there are five of us!"

Another adventurer stepped forward. He, unlike the first, was burly, and had a sneer on his scarred face. He seemed to have been less lucky in his adventures than the first, considering the condition of his armor and face. Standing behind him was a crowd of thugs, four in number, similar to their leader in appearance and, from the looks on their faces, attitude.

"Yeah! He could hardly take on a Tekitite, let alone a real monster!" another of the thugs crowed.

The carpenter boss looked hard at the lone adventurer, then at the thugs. He then motioned to the thugs to follow him.

"I'll be right here if you decide you want the job done right." stated the young man, and stepped back into the shadows.

******

The carpenter boss and the thugs walked together toward the marketplace entrance. They crossed a bridge and came to the entrance of the once well populated town. The drawbridge to the market was newly repaired. Lounging in front of the drawbridge were four carpenters, doing nothing but talking to each other. "This lazy group of men built this bridge, but we can't begin work on rebuilding the town until someone gets rid of those...creatures."

"Be quiet, old man. We don't care. We will kill those monsters, and you will pay us. That's all," interrupted the leader of the gang.

"Well then. Go kill the monsters, if you expect your pay," said the rather peeved carpenter boss. And with an insolent smile, the leader turned and walked into the market, followed by his companions.

******

The carpenter boss waited for the battle to begin. He wasn't disappointed. Soon the cries and shouts reached his ears. However, he was surprised to see the thugs suddenly run toward him, as if fleeing.

"So did you defeat them?" he asked impatiently. He didn't get an answer. The thugs merely ran past him. It was then he noticed the fact that one of the thugs was wounded and being carried by his friend, and the look in the eyes of the men was frenzied, panicked...terrified. The carpenter boss watched the men that had earlier been concerned only of money run far away from their previous employer. The carpenter boss sighed, then turned and walked on the path back to Kakariko.

******

The young man was still standing outside as the carpenter boss began his lonely trail back to the village. He muttered to himself, "Perhaps all the residents of this village aren't as pleasant as I had originally thought."

"Oh! Do you mean Agno?" The young man turned at the sound of a girl's voice beside him. "Oh, ignore him. He is just a bully." The voice was that of the young lady he had seen earlier, the one with the cuccos.

"I guess that is him. There aren't that many other extremely rude people in this town, or at least I hope," the young man replied. "By the way, my name is Wynn."

The young lady just giggled, and said, "Everybody calls me the Cucco Lady."

"I couldn't imagine why." Wynn muttered under his breath. He then saw the carpenter boss enter the town. "I guess I had better go. I'll see you later." The Cucco Lady just giggled. He turned and walked toward the carpenter boss, shaking his head in wonder. He noticed a hawk-nosed man dressed in armor standing at the top of a stairway, staring at him intently. He kept on walking, murmuring to himself about the sanity of this village's occupants.

"So, how successful were those men you hired?" asked Wynn with a trace of sarcasm, once he reached the carpenter boss..

"I'll pay you two hundred rupees, not a one more," answered the carpenter boss angrily. Wynn merely smiled at him. He and the carpenter boss began to walk back to the marketplace.

******

Soon they arrived at the drawbridge. "Perhaps you will be more successful," said the carpenter boss. Wynn merely saluted, turned, and walked into the imposing village without another word.

Wynn cautiously attempted to watch all around him. The moans of the beasts were all everywhere. He opened a door to his right and started to walk into what appeared to be a recently vacated shop. Suddenly, a monster stepped into view and stared at him through empty eyes. It had leathery brown skin, and a human form. It looked like a walking corpse. It took all of his will to slam the door and lean against it. He had nearly been paralyzed by the monster's gaze! Wynn smiled grimly to himself, and said quietly, "A ReDead. I hate ReDeads!" A ReDead is a zombie-like monster that can paralyze a person who looks into its eyes. He thought for a second, then covered his eyes with his hand and opened the door. He could hear the monster's shriek, its rushed footsteps. He drew his sword and slashed, feeling its blade make contact. The monster shrieked, this time in pain. He stabbed, and again, until he heard the monster fall to the floor. He then uncovered his eyes, and glowered at the monster's corpse. He turned, started to leave the shop, and saw a banner on the wall. He smiled, went to it and ripped a long piece of it off, and started on his task.

******

The carpenter boss waited outside impatiently. He could hear the cries of battle, but, unlike earlier, the young man didn't run past him in a serious hurry like the thugs. The sun was setting, and it sounded like the young man was still fighting. Then suddenly, the young man emerged, undamaged, wearing a......blindfold? "Are they dead?" he asked imperiously.

"Thank you for showing so much concern for my health. I'm fine," the young man said arrogantly, taking off the blindfold. "And yes, they are all dead. You can return to work now."

The carpenter boss smiled, and said, "Good. And here is your payment." He handed the young man ten blue rupees, worth five rupees apiece.

"What...? You promised me two hundred rupees! This is only fifty!" The young man yelled angrily.

"You will receive the rest of your payment when we get paid for this job," the carpenter boss said, obviously dismissing him. The young man growled, and turned to go back to Kakariko. The carpenter boss smiled to himself. That boy reminded him of himself when he was younger...

CHAPTER 2

The sun was setting on Hyrule Field as Wynn slowly climbed the stairs to Kakariko Village. He sighed as he passed the gate, walking toward the house he had rented for the night. He was seriously short on rupees, and he needed all the money he could get. Oh, well. Tomorrow he would move on, and would camp out tomorrow night.

As he opened the door to his house, he saw the stairway where the hawk-nosed man had been standing. It was vacant. He was probably in bed...like most sensible people. As if anyone in this village could be called 'sensible', anyway. Wynn smiled to himself as he got ready to settle into bed. Tomorrow would be here soon, and he needed all the rest he could get.

******

"Nooooo!" Wynn sat up in bed suddenly. Had that been him screaming? He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, listening. He had been dreaming again, obviously. The same dream. He groaned and got of bed. From the sounds of birds chirping and people talking, it must be morning. He began to gather his belongings, preparing for his journey to Gerudo Valley.

******

Wynn breathed in deeply. The air of Hyrule Field seemed to have an invigorating effect on him. He hefted his pack higher on his back, and started walking to the southwest. The Spirit Temple was once the hideout of the Gerudo thieves, and probably had many riches in concealed vaults. Or at least so his father had told him. His father...

"Hey! Wait up!" a voice interrupted his disturbing thoughts. "I thought I would never catch you," said the hawk-nosed man, breathing hard from the run he had just made. When Wynn said nothing, he stuck out his hand and said, "The name is Tane." Tane was tall, semi-muscular, with dirty red hair. He was wearing old-looking armor, and had a pouch at his side that looked like it held...letters? Maps?

"Wynn," Wynn said, shaking Tane's hand.

"Nice to meet ya, Wynn," Tane said. Wynn nodded. "Listen, I heard about your exploits in the marketplace. I was looking for a partner, and thought you may be a good person to work with."

"And what is your job, Tane?" Wynn said, intrigued.

"You haven't heard of me?" Tane asked, incredulous. "I'm the greatest soldier-for-hire this side of Gerudo Valley!"

"A mercenary?" Wynn asked in disbelief .

"Well, if you want to be rude about it..." Tane said, insulted.

"Forget it!" Wynn said angrily. With that, he turned and started to walk off.

"Well, I just thought you might be interested in this treasure map I have, but if you aren't..." Tane said. Wynn stopped. "It is supposed to be a lot of treasure," Tane added. Wynn turned to face him.

"All right," Wynn said.

"Great!" Tane said enthusiastically. "Now, we can go to the Lost Woods." Wynn fell into step with him as they reversed direction, going due east. "Now, when we find the treasure, you can have a quarter of it and-"

"Half!" Wynn interrupted.

"But I am the one with the map," Tane whined.

"You need a partner. I get half, or you go it alone," Wynn insisted.

"We'll talk about it," Tane said. Kakariko Village receded into the distance as they walked to the Lost Woods together...

******

The enchanting music of the woods greeted the pair of adventures as they stepped onto the wooden bridge at the entrance of the woods. "Hey Wynn," Tane said quietly, "be careful around here, okay?"

"Why?" asked Wynn, slightly concerned.

"Well...uh, the guy that sold me this here map sorta mentioned some kind of guardian beasts around here somewhere..." Tane said cautiously, unsure of his partner's reaction to this particular piece of information.

"WHAT????" Wynn yelled, furious.

"Sorry!" Tane said.

"Why couldn't you have told me this earlier?" Wynn asked. But the thought of the riches kept him from leaving. He drew his sword, and turned to enter the hollowed-out log at the end of the bridge. Tane did the same.

******

They exited the log together. It had been tall, so tall neither had had to stoop to enter it. Both were ready for anything. Except for the sight of a small village, with houses carved from trees, and pools of water.

"Hi!" a voice yelled, seeming to come from right beside them.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Tane screamed, and turned to flee. He wasn't successful. He somehow managed to trip over his own boots, and fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Wynn looked at the person who had spoken to them. It was a small red-haired child who was standing next to the log they had just exited. Wynn snickered, trying to stop from breaking into full-fledged laughter. He couldn't help himself, and soon started guffawing at his partner's expense, causing Tane to glare at him.

"Scary guardian beasts, oh great mercenary!" Wynn gasped in a pause between laughs, tears running from his eyes. Tane growled at him, stood up, and dusted himself off. The young boy stared at them quizzically.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We were about to ask you the same thing," Wynn said, wiping his eyes.

"I am Tane, and this joker is called Wynn," Tane said.

Wynn noticed several of the children running toward them. Oddly, he didn't see any adults anywhere.

"You must talk to the Deku Sprout!" the young boy said. This was taken up as a chorus by the rest of the children.

"Hey, wait a second! We don't wanna talk to no tree," said Tane. The boy grabbed his arm and started leading him toward the far side of the village. Tane consulted his map as he was being dragged by the boy. Quickly ripping his arm from the boy's grasp, he ran towards the left side of the village. "Come on!" he yelled to Wynn. Wynn chased after Tane, with the children in hot pursuit.

They ran to the side of the village Tane had indicated, but they came to a dead end. The children were nearing them. They looked around, desperate.

"Up there!" Wynn said, pointing to a cliff directly above them.

"How do we get up there?" Tane asked. Wynn was frantically searching for a way to get there when the children reached them. Tane lifted his sword, keeping them at bay.

"Hey! There are some vines here!" Wynn said, and started climbing. Tane turned, ran to the vines, and desperately pulled himself as high as he could. The children's fingers just missed his boot as he climbed the wall.

They paused when they reached the top to catch their breath. Tane dropped the map, and bent over to pick it up. They climbed a hill, and saw the entrance to the Lost Woods. "That way," Tane gasped, and they entered another log.

******

Together they exited the log. They saw that they were surrounded by paths; one to the right, one to the left, and one straight ahead. Tane consulted his map. "Dat way," Tane said, pointing to their left. Wynn followed him.

In the next open area, there was a pair of stumps. Atop one of the stumps was a child, dressed in rags and wearing a skull mask. He was playing a flute. When he saw them, he jumped off his stump and pointed his flute at them. "Ouch!" Tane yelped, as small darts shot from the flute hit him. He drew his sword, and dashed toward the kid. The kid did a backflip, and vanished into thin air. Tane stared at the empty air, confused.

Meanwhile, Wynn was preoccupied. He had noticed a bright light shining from the ground. When he examined it closely, he noticed that the light was coming from several nuts lying on the ground. He stooped over and picked them up.

Tane was consulting his map. "Now we go that way," said Tane, pointing to the left again. Wynn walked with him through another log.

They climbed down a ladder, and waited for Tane to consult his map. "We go left," he said, and walked in that direction, staring at his map while he was walking.

"But..." Wynn said. Tane paid him no attention. THUMP! Tane's head rebounded from the concussion of it against a flat wall. Wynn snickered. "I tried to warn you," Wynn said.

"But the map says that we go left!" Tane said, clueless.

"Let me see that map!" Wynn yelled. He examined the map closely. "No wonder! You were holding the map upside down!" he yelled angrily. Tane looked at him pitifully.

******

Much later, they were back where they had started. Wynn was carrying the map now, and Tane was following him. Wynn was busy muttering about the incompetence of his partner. They followed the map, going right, then left, then right again. They eventually ended up at an open area with a pool of water, and a young boy dressed in clothes similar to those worn by the children in the village in the woods. "Who are you?" the boy asked bossily.

"None of your business," Tane informed him.

"I'm Mido. I'm boss of the Kokiri," the boy said.

"Good for you. We are just going to go through here," Tane said, trying to walk through the log behind the boy. The boy stood in his way, and wouldn't budge, even when Tane tried to push him out of the way.

"You can't go through here. No one can. Saria said so," said Mido, stubbornly crossing his arms. Tane frowned, and tried pushing him out of the way again.

Wynn was standing back, observing his partner try futilely to move Mido. Minutes passed, but no matter how hard Tane tried, he couldn't move Mido. Wynn became bored, and resorted to examining the nuts he had picked up. He wondered, what caused the bright light shining out of them?

With a brutally vicious shove, Mido finally pushed Tane away from him. Tane stumbled back and collided with Wynn, causing Wynn to drop the nut he had been examining. A bright light burst from the nut when it smashed to the ground. Mido and Tane were blinded, but Wynn was unaffected because Tane's bulk was smashed into his face. Wynn noticed this, and, grabbing Tane's arm, pulled his partner through the log while Mido was busy rubbing his eyes.

Soon, they arrived at the area marked on the map. It was an open area with a dead tree in the center. "So where is it?" questioned Wynn.

"It is right here, according to the map," said Tane.

"I don't see any treasure here," Wynn replied.

" Be patient. It is in a cave directly under our feet."

"And how do we get there?" Wynn asked.

Tane pulled a large ax from his pack. "We get rid of some dead wood." And with a mighty swing, he buried the ax's blade in the dead tree. After several swings, the tree fell to the ground with a crash. Wynn stared into the hollow space in the stump.

"You first," he said with a gentlemanly sweep of his arm. And with a grumble, Tane leapt into the hole.

"Yaaaaahhhhhh!" Thump! Wynn smiled, hearing that it wasn't that long of a drop from the length of Tane's yell. He jumped in the hole.

After he untangled himself after his fall, he stood up and dusted himself off. He looked at the cavern he found himself in. It had dirt walls, and there were roots lining the walls and ceiling. There was no one there, except for his partner. There also was no treasure. "So, mercenary, where is the treasure?"

"But...! The guy told me this was a treasure map!"

"And how did he say he got it?"

"He said he found it-"

"How did he know it was a treasure map, if he had found it somewhere?" Wynn asked, furious.

"Uhhhh....." Tane stopped to think for a second.

"You got scammed, mercenary."

"Arrrggghhh!" With a cry of anger, Tane swung his ax at one of the roots in a blind rage. Suddenly, a thick green vine shot up from the floor and wrapped itself around the ax yanking it out of Tane's hands before he could cut the root. A similar vine wrapped itself around Tane's foot and pulled it out from under him, causing him to fall.

"And what do you think you are doing?" a young woman's voice demanded. Wynn's head turned, looking toward the source of the voice. It was a woman, maybe a year or so younger than him. She was dressed in clothes similar to those worn by the children in the village. She was short, and all of her features were small: small eyes, nose, mouth, ears. She had brown hair, and brown eyes. She was pretty, in Wynn's opinion.

"None of your business," Tane gruffly answered, climbing to his feet.

"Who are you?" Wynn asked, enchanted.

"My name is Fami, trespasser. Who are you?" she replied, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"My name is Wynn," Wynn replied, completely forgetting about Tane.

Fami smiled, and said, "Nice to meet you, Wynn."

Tane looked at his partner, perturbed by his puzzling behavior. "Snap out of it, Wynn."

"Huh?" Wynn asked, his eyes not leaving Fami's. Her eyes stayed on him.

Tane sighed. "We need to leave, since there is no treasure."

"No treasure?" Wynn asked, not really paying much attention to his partner.

"There is no treasure in these caves," Fami said, finally acknowledging Tane.

"Great. Just great. All this way, and for nothing. Come on ,Wynn. We are leaving," Tane said.

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Wynn. "You are, after all, the brains of this operation," Fami snickered at that. Tane loudly cleared his throat, attempting to prevent his partner's attention from becoming once again affixed on the young girl.

"You can't. Not without my help, anyway," Fami informed him.

"Oh, really?" Tane asked, seriously doubting her.

"Yes," Fami turned and started walking down a short passageway Wynn hadn't noticed before. They followed her. They came to a small room. It was lit by a pair of torches. It had a bed, a table, and a chair.

"Cozy," commented Wynn. Tane laughed.

Fami busied herself by packing food, clothes, and a few personal belongings in a small pack.

"What do you think you are doing?" demanded Tane.

"I am going with you," Fami informed him matter-of-factly. As she said this, she recalled her life for the last seven years. She had lived alone, apart from everyone but the wild creatures of the forest. She had craved someone to talk to for years, and now she had a chance to leave this dismal cave.

"No way!" Tane said.

"Yes. If you expect me to help you, I am coming with you. I am tired of living alone. You need my help, and you seem as good of company as any,...mercenary."

"The name is Tane, and you ain't coming with us. Right, Wynn?" Wynn didn't reply.

"Then get out your way," she said, smiling cruelly.

Tane looked around, desperate for a way out. "Okay, I guess you can come. But stay out of our way, right?" Fami merely smiled. The trio returned to the room they had originally met in. "Now how do we get up there?" asked Tane, pointing to the light shining above them.

"Simple," Fami made a hand gesture. A gigantic vine sprouted from the ground, spiraling up to the tree stump. Tane's and Wynn's mouths dropped open. Fami smiled at them, then started climbing.

******

When all three had reached the top, they started walking. They left that area, and when they came to the next Tane pulled out his map. "Now we go..." he started.

"We go forward," interrupted Fami, and walked straight ahead. Wynn followed her. With a muttered insult to Fami, Tane followed them.

When they exited the next log, Tane and Wynn were shocked to see that they were back at the village. "Welcome to Kokiri Village," Fami said.

"We've been here before. The residents here are about as pleasant as those people in Kakariko Village," Wynn said, and Tane snorted.

"You got that right," he said.

"Excuse me!" Fami said, insulted. "These people are my friends!"

"'Nuff said," smirked Tane.

"I wasn't including you," Wynn informed her diplomatically. Tane rolled his eyes.

"If she is the treasure, you can have my half too," Tane said.

The trio sneaked down the vines, and started creeping toward the exit. They hoped to avoid any attention from the Kokiri, who would probably remember the two adventurers that had escaped them earlier. The young boy that had scared Tane was peacefully snoring away. They had nearly escaped when a cry split the air, "Stop!" It was one of the Kokiri, and he was running toward them. The trio made a mad dash for the exit, and barely made it. Their pursuer stopped at the log before the bridge, then turned and went back to his home. The boy at the entrance was still snoring as he walked away.

CHAPTER 3

It was midday as the trio exited the forest. "So where to now, mercenary?" asked Wynn.

"I thought we might go to Zora's Domain. I know a guy there that owes me some money..."

"And you want back-up to make sure he pays," assumed Wynn.

"Right," said Tane.

******

They started hiking up the long trail to Zora's Domain. "I thought Zora's Domain was frozen," stated Wynn. He had forgotten that fact, due to the thrill the idea of adventuring caused.

"It was. Then it started melting a few days ago, and melting very fast at that," Tane informed him.

"Well, I knew the river had started rising. Are you sure your friend will have defrosted by now?" Wynn asked.

"He will have, or I'll melt him out myself!"

They came to a point to where they had to cross the river. Tane jumped in and waded to the other side. "Man, the water is cold!" he said, shivering. Fami made another hand gesture. A vine bridge grew between the two banks of the river. Wynn smiled at her, amused. "Why couldn't she do that before I jumped in?" Tane murmured to himself.

The heroes journeyed up the trail, undisturbed until, suddenly there was a splash of water. When Wynn turned to face in the direction of the sound, a rock hit him on the head. He fell to the ground. Fami gestured, and a vine whipped out, snaring the monster that had spit the rock at Wynn, dragging it onto solid ground. Tane drew his sword. The monster, an octopus-shaped creature with four tentacles, didn't even realize what hit it. "Octorocs," said Tane, not talking to anyone in particular. Fami was helping Wynn stand up. Tane turned, and they continued up the trail. They crossed the river several more times, and killed a few more octorocs. Eventually they came to the end of the trail. However, they could not enter the domain, because a waterfall happened to be between them and the entrance.

"So how do we get through that?" inquired Wynn.

"Simple," answered Tane, "we just jump through it..." And with that he leaped into the waterfall. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the strength of the waterfall, and that mistake resulted in his being swept downstream. "Yaaaaa....!"

"Wait here," Wynn instructed Fami, dashing back downstream to save his partner.

******

A little while later, Wynn and Tane once again reached the end of the trail, carrying a large log. When Fami questioned them as to why, they responded by pushing the log through the waterfall to the entrance of Zora's Domain, creating a bridge. Tane crossed it first, then waited as Fami crossed. Wynn brought up the rear, and together they entered Zora's Domain.

******

The splendor of Zora's Domain shocked Wynn and his companions. It was a colossal cavern, lit by torches. The majority of it was taken up by a pool of water, fed by a huge waterfall. The pool of water, however, was nearly covered by ice floes.

Near the entrance were several Zoras, half-fish and half-human. They were huddled together, apparently trying to keep warm. "Have any of you seen Zaruu?" asked Tane. They all shook their heads, save one, who mutely pointed to a path winding up a hill. "Thanks," Tane said.

When they reached the top of the trail, they saw two Zoras conversing. One was old, large, and had gone fat, the other was a young female. The male was sitting, and was wearing a crown. The female was probably about the same age as Wynn. She was pretty, with a pleasant face, and intelligent eyes. She was the first to notice the newcomers, and stared at them curiously. When Wynn met her eyes, she smiled at him coyly.

"Who are you?" demanded the one with the crown.

Tane bowed to him, and said, "Your excellence, I am the humble soldier-for-hire Tane, and these are my companions Wynn and Fami." Fami snorted at the word 'humble', then curtsied. Wynn bowed. "We have come seeking Zaruu," Tane added.

"He is gone to fight the monster that is in Zora's Fountain," said the Zora, who was obviously King Zora.

"Monster?" questioned Wynn.

"Yes, monster. It is the Zess, a serpent monster responsible for the freezing of our guardian deity, Jabu-Jabu. He had returned after seven years absence, but suddenly the fountain started to freeze! The Zess is certainly the cause!" said the king.

"Zaruu, the braggart, said that he could slay the beast alone. He isn't going to be able kill it by himself!" the female said in a silky voice. '"Perhaps you could lend him a hand?"

Tane thought for a second, then turned to his companions. Wynn nodded. "Okay, we'll help him kill the monster," Tane said.

The king and the girl looked at each other, then the girl motioned to them. They walked up a path to where she and the king were, and then followed her into a path out of the cavern.

Soon, they reached the fountain. Sure enough, there was a lone Zora standing with a drawn sword. "Zaruu!" Tane yelled, then rushed to meet his old friend.

"You wait here," Wynn told Fami. She started to object, but thought better of it.

"Wait," said the female Zora, grabbing Wynn's arm. "I just wanted to tell you...good luck out there."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to not get hurt by that thing, miss..." Wynn said.

"Nerah. I am called Nerah," she replied, smiling. Wynn smiled back, then went to talk to his partner.

She watched as he walked away, then sighed. "He sure is...nice," she finally said.

"Yes he is," the girl that had been introduced as Fami said. She was glaring at Nerah angrily.

"So are you two...?" she asked innocently.

"Not yet," Fami said, and turned to face Wynn as he prepared for battle. Nerah stuck her tongue out at Fami behind her back.

******

Meanwhile, Wynn, who was totally oblivious to the conversation that had gone on, was listening to his partner talk to Zaruu.

"So, why are you here?" asked Zaruu.

"To bail you out of this mess you are in," Tane said.

"I can handle it, Tane. Just stay out of my way and don't get hurt," Zaruu said, and walked out onto the ice.

"Idiot. Probably has a bet on this with Panu," Tane muttered.

Suddenly, a roar came from under the ice sheet they were standing on. With an explosion of ice and cold water, the Zess emerged from the water. It was an immense serpent, but it had spiked gills. It had fangs longer than Wynn's arms, and was about as big around as the logs in the woods. It's eyes focused on the Zora on the ice. Oddly, it had a third eye, centered above the other two. It glowed red. But as Wynn watched it, a membrane nictitated over it, protecting it. It lunged at the Zora, trying to bite him. Zaruu dodged, and slashed at it with his sword. His sword clanged off its armored scales. It hissed, and exhaled a frigid cloud. When the cloud reached Zaruu, he froze solid.

"This is not good," observed Wynn.

With a yell, Tane charged into battle, Wynn right behind him. The Zess lunged at them, but they dodged. It dove back underwater. Then its tail whipped out of the water. It was covered in sharp spikes. "This is even worse," said Tane. The tail smashed into the ice, narrowly missing the adventurers. Wynn saw the frozen Zaruu sink under the water. The monster's head resurfaced, and it again lunged at them. Wynn went to the right, and Tane went to the left. The monster's fangs slammed into the ice, and became stuck there. Tane slashed with his sword, targeting its gills. The monster roared in pain. Wynn followed Tane's example, thrusting his sword deep into the gill. The Zess shuddered, and its eyes closed, except for the red one, which opened wide. Wynn knew what he had to do. He quickly hoisted himself onto the monster's forehead. He raised his sword high over his head, and then drove it deep into the eye. The monster's head raised high into the air, and it started thrashing wildly. Wynn was tossed from its head. He sailed through the air, until he landed near Nerah and Fami.

"Wynn!" Fami cried out in fear.

Meanwhile, Tane was watching the monster. It was roaring, mortally wounded. It then hissed, and sunk back into the water it had risen from.

Fami went to Wynn's side. He wasn't moving. "Oh Wynn!" she sobbed.

"Stand back," Nerah instructed. When she stepped back, Nerah knelt next to Wynn, and fell into a deep concentration. A pink light lit up the air, bathing Wynn in its glow. Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and Wynn's eyes snapped open.

"Ouch," he said gingerly. Nerah laughed, and Fami ran to him and hugged him. "Gently, please," he said when she squeezed him too tightly.

The water the Zess had sunk into suddenly skyrocketed in temperature, going from freezing to boiling. As Tane jogged to get off the ice, he said to himself, "At least I won't have to melt him myself."

******

Soon the ice had nearly melted. Night was upon the fountain, yet the four stayed outside. Zaruu hadn't resurfaced. Fami was asleep. Nerah had walked over to a wooden fence near the entrance, and had talked to a Zora behind it. A gate had opened in the fence, and she had walked through it, following the Zora down a path. Wynn started a conversation, to try prevent becoming bored. "So, how do you know Zaruu?" he asked quietly.

"We once worked together to kill some monsters. He needed money for a debt, so I lent him my half of the profit," Tane replied.

"And he never paid it back?" asked Wynn.

"That is why I'm here," said Tane.

Suddenly something burst from the water directly in front of the platform they were standing on. It was a giant fish, decorated with jewels. "Uhhhh...let's hope that is Jabu-Jabu," said Tane cautiously.

"I think it is. My father once told me about him, and this big guy looks a lot like my father's description."

Next to the deity, Zaruu surfaced with a splash. He swam up to the platform and climbed up. "Okay, maybe I needed a little help."

"Pay up then, pal," Tane said, smiling.

"Sure." Zaruu reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out five red rupees. "Here it is. One-hundred rupees." With a giant smile, Tane took the rupees from his old friend.

"Thanks, thanks a lot," he said.

Suddenly, a Zora emerged from the gate in the fence, along with Nerah. "Tane, buddy!" he shouted, acting very friendly. Something in Tane's eyes changed.

"Panu," Tane said, and didn't sound very happy.

"Who is he?" Wynn whispered to Nerah.

"He is Panu, resident gambler and card-shark. He came straight up here when I mentioned Tane's name to some friends. He was down at the school," she whispered, and turned to listen to Tane and Panu talk.

"So, how is my favorite gambling partner?" asked Panu.

"Fine," said Tane coldly.

"That is good to know. So, do you remember the last time we gambled?" Panu asked innocently.

"Unfortunately, yes," Tane said, a mute complaint in his voice.

"So, do you remember who won? I do."

"Here's your money, Panu," Tane said angrily, handing over the rupees he had just taken from Zaruu.

"My friend, you seem to be a few rupees short."

"Short? You only won a hundred!"

"Interest, my friend, interest," Panu said, smiling evilly.

Tane sighed. "How much do I owe you?"

"Fifty rupees."

"I don't have fifty rupees!"

"Get it soon, or it will be another hundred."

Tane looked pleadingly at his partner. "Okay. Here." Wynn handed Panu his last fifty rupees.

"Pleasure doing business with you. Perhaps you would like to gamble a bit now?"

"No thanks," Tane said with a sneer.

******

The adventurers returned together to the Zora's Domain. They returned to the spot at which they had first seen King Zora, except for Nerah, who remained standing by the king's side. "Your Highness, Jabu-Jabu has returned, and the Zess is no more," stated Tane.

"You slayed it?" the king asked.

"Well, actually, Wynn was the one to deliver the final blow," Tane admitted. The king smiled.

"I must reward you for such a daring deed." Tane smiled at that remark from the king. "But how can I ever reward you?"

"Well, sir, we do need rupees..." Tane said. But his remark was ignored. King Zora was listening to Nerah, who was whispering in his ear.

"Wonderful idea!" roared the king joyfully. "Nerah has proposed that she join you. It is time for her to leave the domain and explore the world, and she would be a valuable addition to your team!"

"But..." said Tane, desperate to prevent that from happening. Wynn's eyebrows lifted. Fami scowled.

"Don't worry, it is no trouble at all. You may also spend the night in the domain. Nerah, please show them to their quarters," said the king graciously.

Nerah smiled, and said, "Follow me." The trio of adventurers followed her to their rooms. Wynn could tell that the new addition to their group wasn't very welcome by his partners, but perhaps she would eventually be excepted. She seemed pretty nice, anyway...

CHAPTER 4

Wynn could see his house. His family lived on a hill that was dotted with trees. He could remember growing up in that house, helping his father rebuild a fence, eating at the table while talking to his mother. Now, the house was afire. He was running toward the house at full speed. He could see the figures of men scurrying about, carrying torches and swords. He charged at one, swinging his sword wildly. He fought valiantly, but they outnumbered him. A sword cut into the armor his father had given him, but didn't injure Wynn. He dashed past the men, probably mercenaries, and ran to his house. Instead of his parents, he saw a giant figure dressed in silver armor holding a giant ax. The figure turned to face him. "You are too late, little one," the figure said, and laughed sadistically. Wynn lunged, but the figure swung his ax, hitting Wynn with the flat side. Wynn succumbed to the darkness. He then woke up, screaming in fear and frustration.

******

A little after sunrise the next morning, the four adventurers left Zora's Domain. Nerah shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. "Where to, now, Tane?" she asked.

"I don't know," Tane answered.

"I think we should go to the marketplace. The carpenter boss still owes me rupees, and since we are currently broke," Wynn said, glaring at Tane, "we can see if he is able to pay up." And so they made their way down the river. The octorocs left them alone, since quite a few of them had learned of the adventurers strength the hard way the day before.

"Hey, Tane, did you hear screaming this morning?" asked Fami curiously. when Tane shook his head, she sighed, and said, "I must have been hearing things."

When they reached the bottom of the river, they started walking toward the Hyrule Market. Wynn was leading them. They soon arrived at the marketplace, and crossed the drawbridge. Wynn could see the figures of the carpenters in the market: carrying lumber, rebuilding a roof, painting a wall. Then he spotted the carpenter boss, who was barking orders to his workers. Wynn walked toward him. "I'm back for my rupees."

"You say you want your rupees, young man?" the carpenter boss repeated.

"You didn't tell me he was deaf," said Tane mockingly.

"Young man, you had better develop a better taste in partners, or you will start working alone very quickly," threatened the carpenter boss.

"The name is Wynn, and I want my rupees. Now, if possible," said Wynn.

"Well, you are lucky. I have just received partial payment for this job," he said, motioning to the rebuilding efforts in progress. "Here are your rupees," he said, and gave Wynn three purple rupees, worth fifty rupees apiece.

"Thanks for your business," Wynn said, smiling.

******

The adventurers left the marketplace together. "Where to now, Tane?" asked Wynn.

"Howz about we go up to Death Mountain? I have this treasure map and..."

"Tane, do you remember what we got from your last treasure map?" Wynn asked, pointing back at Fami.

"Yeah, well, I know this is a real treasure map. Anyway, you didn't seem to complain when she joined us," Tane said.

Wynn blushed, and lightly punched Tane, telling him, "Shut up."

"Boys, where are we going?" asked Fami, her hands on her hips.

"We are going to go to Death Mountain, but first we are going to stop by Kakariko Village," Tane informed her.

"A village? Wow! Is it anything like Kokiri Village?" asked Fami excitedly.

Nerah rolled her eyes, and said, "If that is where you are from, let's hope not." Suddenly, she tripped with a cry. "Where did that vine come from?" she asked, incredulous. Fami smiled innocently.

******

When they entered Kakariko Village, they could sense something was wrong. Cries of battle sounded in the air, and some of the residents were running toward the source of the yells. Tane and Wynn drew their swords, and started running to the battle. "Wait up!" yelled Fami, and ran to catch up with them, Nerah right behind her.

The battle was taking place at the beginning of the Death Mountain Trail. Some of the villagers had picked up weapons, such as the pitchfork held by the Bazaar, the bow and arrows held by the Shooting Gallery owner, and the club held by the Potion Shop owner. They were using them to keep a large group of monsters at bay. The monsters resembled spiders, but had only four legs and one eye. They were lunging at the townspeople. "Tekitites!" Tane yelled, and Wynn nodded.

A tekitite lunged at the Potion Shop owner, jaws clacking. He swung at it with his club, but missed. It slammed into him, bowling him over. Suddenly, a male figure leaped from the roof of one of the houses next to the battle. The figure drew a short sword and slammed it into the eye of the tekitite. The tekitite shrieked, and died. The figure turned, and dispatched another tekitite with a quick flash of his blade. Wynn and Tane leapt into battle, slashing with their swords rapidly. Fami made a hand gesture, and a vine sprouted under a tekitite, wrapping itself around the monster. Another of the monsters received the same treatment. The two vines slammed the monsters together, so hard their carapaces cracked and they died. Nerah picked up a large rock and threw it at a tekitite, which was squashed.

Abruptly, the battle was over. The tekitites fled for the trail. One last monster fell to the careful aim of the Shooting Gallery owner, and then they were gone. The townspeople wiped their brows, then returned to their jobs or homes. The figure that had saved the owner of the Potion Shop turned, and prepared to leap straight up, as if to jump back to the rooftop he had jumped into battle from. "Wait!" yelled Wynn. The figure stopped, and turned to face them. "I saw you save that man, and I was wondering...who are you?".

"I am named Jier," answered the figure. He was tall, and wiry. He was dressed in solid black. On his chest was a symbol, something resembling an eye, in red. His face was covered in a mask.

"Nice to meet you, Jier. I am Wynn, this is my partner Tane, she is Fami, and she is Nerah," he said, motioning to each of them in turn. Jier nodded to each.

"So, Jier, do you live in the village?" Tane asked suspiciously.

"I...I am here temporarily," Jier responded cautiously.

"Really? So, you look like you are someone good to have on your side in a battle. Perhaps you would like to join us? That is, if you aren't doing anything else..." Wynn offered.

Jier started to shake his head no, but stopped. His head cocked to the side, as if listening to voice that only he could hear. "All right," he agreed.

"Great! Now on to Death Mountain!" Wynn said enthusiastically.

"Not now. It is too dangerous now," Jier said quietly.

"Okay, then where do we go?" asked Nerah.

Wynn thought for a second. "We go to Gerudo Valley," he declared.

******

So the five heroes left for Gerudo Valley. It was a long hike, so it took them most of the day. It was evening by the time they reached Gerudo Valley.

"Wow," was all Wynn could say when he saw Gerudo Valley. Gerudo Valley was a giant chasm, carved by the fast flowing river that lied at its bottom. It was narrow, but very deep. The group of adventurers stood for a moment, gawking at the splendor and beauty of the valley.

They moved on shortly thereafter. They crossed a bridge over the valley, then walked on toward Gerudo Fortress. "So, Wynn, why are we here?" asked Tane.

"I have heard that there is treasure in the Spirit Temple, which is just past the Haunted Wasteland. We can get there by going through a gate in the fortress."

They could see the gate leading into the desert. Suddenly, a woman's figure leaped from the ledge next to them. She landed right in front of Wynn. She was dressed in purple, and was carrying a spear with a scimitar blade on the end, which she pointed at Wynn. "Halt!" she yelled. They stopped. "You are now prisoners of the Gerudo. You," she said, indicating Wynn, Tane, and Jier with a sweep of her hand, "will be taken into the fortress and will be kept as prisoners. If one of us decides that she desires you as a consort, she will take you. You two are free to leave," she said, indicating Nerah and Fami.

"Forget that!' Wynn shouted, and drew his sword. Tane and Jier did likewise. With a yell, several other Gerudo jumped from the ledge. They had surrounded the adventurers. With a sweep of her scimitar, the Gerudo in front of Wynn knocked his sword from his hands. Tane and Jier were treated in the same manner.

"Surrender," demanded the Gerudo, a gleam in her eye.

"I would suggest that that be what you do," said Fami.

"You are brave, for a child," said the Gerudo, "but it will do you no good. Without training, you cannot defeat us."

"Then prepare for battle," said Nerah, raising her arms above her head. Suddenly, dark clouds covered the sun. A blast of wind assailed the Gerudo, and rain accompanied it. The Gerudos could hardly see, let alone fight. Thick vines sprouted under them, picking them up and hurling them against the ledge wall. Soon, not a single Gerudo was left standing.

"Good job," said Fami, smiling at Nerah.

"Thanks. You were pretty good too," Nerah responded generously. Meanwhile, Wynn, Tane, and Jier stood gazing in shock at their companions.

"Why didn't you tell us you could do that when we met you?" asked Wynn to Nerah. She smiled.

"I'm full of suprises," she said, smiling evilly.

"I bet," said Fami rather sarcastically.

Suddenly, a Gerudo landed in front of them. She, however, was unarmed. "Impressive. You are very skilled," she said, speaking to Fami and Nerah and ignoring the guys. She looked at the defeated Gerudos. "Pitiful," she sneered.

"I hope you don't try the same as those losers. You don't stand a chance," said Nerah.

"You are over-confident, young one. But you were able to beat my guards, so you are very strong. You deserve an honorary membership to our group. You may spend the night at our fortress, if you wish." She smiled at the girls. "Your consorts may spend the night also."

Nerah smiled wickedly. "I am the only one to be able to claim having a consort. Poor Fami here doesn't have a one," she said, going to stand next to Wynn.

Fami growled at her, and started to move to wring Nerah's neck. "That isn't true!" she said.

"Oh really?" said Wynn, stepping away from Nerah.

"Well...she doesn't have one either!" protested Fami, stepping next to Wynn.

"You don't know that," Nerah said, going to stand at Wynn's other side. Wynn's mouth dropped open. Tane looked at him, trying to decide between feeling rejected or relieved. He decided to feel pity, for poor Wynn. Jier watched impassively. The Gerudo watched, a smile tugging at the sides of her mouth.

"Perhaps you should decide this later. Night is falling, and you should come inside," the Gerudo said. So the adventurers followed her, with Fami and Nerah arguing the whole way.

******

The adventurers ate in the Gerudo Fortress. Nerah and Fami were invited to eat at the table with the Gerudos, while Jier, Wynn, and Tane were forced to eat alone. The Gerudo gave the girls fine food, while the guys ate leftovers. "Why are they treating us like dirt and treating the girls like queens?" inquired Tane.

"It is how the Gerudo treat almost all men. The Gerudo only have a male child every hundred years. That child becomes king. However, all non-Gerudo men are treated as inferiors, since few can stand up to the power of a trained Gerudo warrior," Jier told him.

"So. That's why. We might as well ignore it, and then leave in the morning," said Wynn, taking another bite. Soon, they were finished with their meal, but had to wait on Fami and Nerah to finish eating. They could hear the girls' conversation. "So, Nerah, what is your destination?" one Gerudo asked.

"We were hoping to visit the Spirit Temple." Nerah responded, taking a bite of a steak.

"I think that you may not know that to get there, you must go through the desert. You must face quicksand and blistering heat before you can even come close to the temple. Few have survived getting there," said the apparent leader of the Gerudo.

"Oh really?" asked Fami, frowning at Wynn. Wynn shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes. By the way, would you be interested in selling one of your males? There is only two of you and three of them."

Fami turned, and pointed at Tane, but before she could name a price, Nerah cut her off. "No thanks." Nerah said gently.

Soon, the girls were finished. One of the Gerudo pointed them toward their rooms for the night. "Second door on the right," she said.

The adventurers left the table and walked toward their room. Jier was in front, and Tane dashed to catch up with him. "Hey, Jier, I wanted to ask you something," Tane stated. He caught up with Jier and started talking rapidly. "You know, I have explored a lot, and I was going to ask you, what is that symbol on your chest? I think I have seen it somewhere." Jier thought for a second, and started to reply. He didn't get the chance. Right before the door to their room, in the hall, was a tripwire. Jier hit it, but was agile enough to hit the ground rolling, out of the way of any traps. Tane, however, was a different story. He fell flat on his face. A net fell from the ceiling onto him. Right after it was a Gerudo, who landed in front of the of Tane, who was struggling futilely.

"Not again..." groaned Wynn, referring to the Gerudo attempts to capture them.

"You are my prisoner now," said the Gerudo. She was younger than the other Gerudo, about the same age as Tane, which put her a year older than Wynn. She was dressed in clothes of a dark blue. Like most other Gerudo, she had red hair down to her waist. She had no weapons. She was smiling at the struggling form of Tane, but her mouth dropped open in shock suddenly. "You weren't the one I was trying to catch!" she said, amazed.

"I was." said Jier from behind her. She turned, looked at Jier, looked at Tane, and frowned.

"Just my luck. I catch the most worthless of them all," she said to no one at all.

"Thanks." Tane said sarcastically, standing up.

"Be quiet, servant," said the Gerudo.

"Servant! I ain't nobody's servant, sister," said Tane. The Gerudo responded by sweeping his leg out from under him with hers, sending Tane sprawling to the floor once again.

"Shut up," she demanded.

"Who are you?" asked Nerah.

"I am Shezarah, of the Gerudo," the Gerudo said impassively.

Tane grumbled at her from the floor. He tried to stand up, but failed.

"I was trying to catch a slave, but instead I catch a male not worth keeping," she said.

"Hey!" protested Tane, climbing to his feet and starting to back away.

"Where do you think you are going?" the Gerudo demanded of him.

"Well, you said I wasn't worth keeping, so I am leaving," he replied.

"I did not release you," she said. He watched her warily.

"Shezarah, he is my partner, and a help to me and my friends. We won't leave him behind," Wynn stated.

"He is now my property. If you wish, you may battle for him, but I would capture you as well," she said, smiling. "Perhaps you are worth more than it is." Tane frowned at being called an it.

"You can't have him!" said Fami, stepping in front of Wynn. Nerah nodded her head in agreement.

"Is there any other way we can get him?" asked Jier gently.

"You could buy him," said Shezarah.

Wynn frowned. "How much?"

"He is not for sale," she stated matter-of-factly. Shezarah thought for a second. "What is your destination?"

"We were going to the Spirit Temple, but now I guess we are going to Death Mountain in the morning," Wynn told her.

"Then my servant and I will join you," she said, and there was no request in her voice. "You may spend the night with your friends, but tomorrow you will start serving me full time," she told Tane.

And then she left them without another word. Tane had a look of dismay on his face as he watched her go. "It will be okay, Tane. I'll get you out of this," Wynn assured him. They entered their room. It had two beds, and three dirty cushions on the floor. Without saying anything, Wynn and Jier settled onto their cushions on the floor.

"I hate Gerudos," Tane protested, and settled down onto the remaining cushion. The girls got into their beds.

Wynn couldn't sleep that night. He had too much on his mind: his parents' burning house, Fami and Nerah, and the Spirit Temple whirled in and out of his thoughts. He watched his friends, he had come to think of them as friends, in their sleep. He watched Fami breathe quietly. Tane was restless, and was constantly rolling over, dreaming. Jier slept soundlessly. Nerah snored peacefully, but not loudly.

He sighed, and rolled over. Soon, even with his troubled thoughts, he slept, and for once in a long time, didn't dream.

CHAPTER 5

The sun rose over Gerudo Valley. Everyone there was awake, except for one person, who was still lazily sleeping. "Wake up, Wynn!" Fami shouted, for the fifth time.

"ZZZ...zzz...Hm?...Huh?" Wynn mumbled, slowly waking up.

"WAKE UP!" shouted Nerah.

"What? What?" asked Wynn, finally sitting up.

"The Gerudo have food for us, and then we are leaving," Jier informed him.

Wynn moaned, and got up. "Okay, let's eat.

******

At the Gerudo's table, Wynn noticed a face that wasn't there before. It was the face of Shezarah. It seemed that she was being congratulated. The first hint was when she had pointed at Tane and said, "He is the one, the one I captured." The others then patted her on the back.

"I had hoped she would forget," Tane groaned pitifully.

"Its okay, we said we would get you out of this." reassured Fami, finishing the conversation before going over to the Gerudo's table.

"Hey, Wynn, are we going to Death Mountain next?" asked Nerah, changing the subject.

"I guess. Unless, of course, there is anywhere else we need to go," he replied.

"Well..." she hesitated.

"Do you want to stop somewhere?" he prompted.

"You know, since we are in a desert, and I have lived my whole life in water, I am drying out. A nice dip in some cool water would definitely help. And also, you all need a break, especially poor Tane. So I thought, why not stop by Lake Hylia? It is only a short distance from here, and we could get some well deserved rest," she proposed.

Wynn started to refuse. His journey was very important to him. He needed all the rupees he could get, unlike Tane, who only desired them. But he reconsidered the idea. He couldn't slay many monsters without rest. Especially huge ones dressed in silver armor carrying axes. "Sure," he accepted. Nerah gave him a big smile, and walked to the Gerudo's table. Hey, he thought, spending some time with her or Fami wouldn't be so bad...

******

And so they left for Lake Hylia. Everyone seemed cheery, except for one person. Tane. Shezarah hung around him, and gave him endless orders. He was getting a little mad, but couldn't object. He knew better. Especially since she had brought her scimitar/spear thing. If she wasn't so bossy, he thought, it wouldn't be so bad to be around her. She was pretty, and seemed smart. He realized that a grand irony was that, the day before, he had pitied Wynn for having to put up with Fami and Nerah. Now, he was the one deserving pity. He almost envied Jier, who wasn't being pursued or ordered around.

Meanwhile, Wynn was leading the way toward Lake Hylia. Fami and Nerah were standing behind him, one on each side. They were of course fighting each other in whispers he pretended not to hear. He had wisely chosen to ignore them.

After a while, they arrived at Lake Hylia. It was a large lake with an island in the center. The beaches looked great, and the water sparkled. A building was near them, and another was on another beach, a good distance away. Nerah squealed at the sight of the lake, and rushed to get in. "Come on!" she shouted to everyone, but mainly Wynn. Fami followed her, but Wynn hesitated.

"You coming?" he asked the remaining adventurers.

"Sure!" said Tane.

"No. You are to practice your swordplay with me, servant." Shezarah commanded him.

"But..." Tane protested.

"Come with me," she told him, and started out on a bridge that led out to the island.

"I should accompany them. I will rest, and prevent them killing each other," Jier said, the look in his eyes hinting a smile under his mask.

"You do that," Wynn replied, and watched him follow Tane and Shezarah. He then joined Fami and Nerah in the water.

******

They stayed at the lake all day. It was late afternoon when something disrupted their fun. And violently at that.

Wynn was laying on the beach, snoozing. Fami was building a miniature, sandy version of Hyrule Castle on the beach near Wynn. Shezarah and Tane were still sparring, sweating in the sun. Jier was watching them silently. Nerah was swimming. She was nearly surfing. She would ride a wave, swim back into the water, and ride another wave in. However, it seemed that she was creating the waves, since her's were the only waves in the lake.

They were so busy having fun, sleeping, or watching to notice the dark clouds forming over the entrance to Hyrule Field. But they certainly noticed when several monsters came to the lake from the field. The monsters were human-formed, but looked like skeletons carrying swords and shields. They split up, five of the ten dashing onto the bridge to the island, and five running toward Wynn and Fami. The heroes got up, drew their weapons if they had any, and prepared for battle.

The ones on the bridge reached their targets first, dashing headlong into battle. Tane yelled, "Stalfos!" Jier ran toward the monsters, correctly identified by Tane as Stalfos. The first Stalfos in line swung at him with its sword. He dodged, and pushed the Stalfos off the bridge. He then stabbed the next in line with his short sword. Two of the monsters dashed past him. Suddenly, the remaining Stalfos were swept into the lake by a wave.

"Thanks," he said to Nerah, who was the cause of the giant wave.

Meanwhile, Tane and Shezarah were defending themselves against the Stalfos. Tane drew his ax. The Stalfos stabbed at him, but Tane dodged, twirling out of the way. He swung his ax, burying it in the monster's backbone. The Stalfos crumbled. He looked at Shezarah as her scimitar blade destroyed the other monster. She looked at the remains of his Stalfos. "Satisfactory," was her only word.

Wynn was still battling Stalfos. One had fallen to Fami's magic, and he had destroyed one. Another charged at him. He blocked it with his sword, and kicked it away. Another jumped at him. He moved out of its way, and stabbed it in its back. The last one standing was not armed like the others. It carried a mace, a spiked ball on a short piece of wood. It had stayed back during the battle. It attacked with its mace. Even though it stood several feet away, it nearly hit him. Clever, thought Wynn. A chain attached to the spiked ball, concealed in the piece of wood. It was probably released by pressing a button. Using the distraction, the Stalfos he had kicked jumped at him. At the same time, the other used the chained mace. Wynn grabbed the jumping Stalfos, pushing it in front of him. The mace hit it, killing it. There was one last Stalfos. It threw its chained mace at him. He ducked, and it went over his head. He grabbed the chain and pulled it, yanking the Stalfos toward him. As it neared him, he slashed it with his sword. Wynn looked around, satisfied. "Very good, little one." A voice said from behind him. Wynn's blood turned into ice. That voice! He whirled. .

"You!" he cried hoarsely. It was the figure dressed in silver armor.

"Yes, it is I. I am Silver Knuckle, leader of the Iron Knuckles and lieutenant to the wizard Icarnos. You, however, are Wynn, son of Baro," the figure said.

Wynn flinched at the mention of his father. "You will pay for what you did to my parents!" he yelled, drawing his sword.

Silver Knuckle pulled out his ax. "You are foolish. It will be easy to finish what I have started, as my master instructs me," he swung his ax at Wynn. Wynn ducked, but he wasn't Silver Knuckle's target. His sword was, and it was knocked from his hand. Silver Knuckle laughed. Wynn could see his eyes. They glowed a deep red, like dried blood. However, Wynn could not make out a face behind the mask of the armor.

"Prepare to meet your parents," he told Wynn. He swung his ax, but Wynn dashed out of the way. Wynn grabbed the chained mace. Silver Knuckle swung his ax at him again. Wynn barely moved out of the way in time. He released the spiked ball, and it clanged against the armor of Silver Knuckle. He roared, and swung wildly. Wynn released the ball again. Silver Knuckle roared in anger, and started swinging even more wildly. This is easy, Wynn thought, just-

Silver Knuckle hit him with the flat side of his ax, and Wynn flew through the air, landing a few feet away.

Fami watched him fall, and Silver Knuckle walk over to him. She was exhausted, but had to complete this spell.

Silver Knuckle raised his ax high over his head. Before he could swing it, however, a thick vine wrapped itself around his waist. It extended itself, hoisting Silver Knuckle high over the lake. Silver Knuckle roared furiously, and slashed at it with his ax. It connected, and Silver Knuckle plummeted into the lake, then sunk like a rock.

Fami fell to the ground in exhaustion. That had been a horribly draining spell. She pulled herself up, and crawled to Wynn's side. He hadn't moved. "Wynn?" she said, gently shaking him. "Wake up," she begged, and laid her head on his chest. "Please wake up." There was no response.

******

Much later, the adventurers were gathered around a fire in Hyrule Field. Wynn was now conscious, and was staring into the fire, deep in thought. All the energy they had had earlier in the day seemed sapped from them. Even Nerah was solemn. It was Fami that finally asked.

"Who was that guy, the one with the ax?" she asked quietly.

"He is Silver Knuckle. He is the one responsible for my parents death," Wynn replied.

"Why did he attack us?" asked Shezarah.

"He said something about finishing what he started. I think he meant killing me," Wynn answered.

"Then why did his Stalfos attack us?" Tane asked.

Wynn looked at him. "I don't know. He was mainly interested in me, if you care. You probably don't if you are anything like the other mercenaries I have met. All you probably care about is yourself and how full your pockets are."

"Wynn!" Fami said, shocked by his rudeness.

"Well, if all I cared about was myself, would I have helped you kill the Zess?" Tane retorted.

"You only did that to get your rupees from Zaruu!" Wynn yelled.

Tane stood up, angry and upset. "I did it to help you, partner!" he said, saying the last word with sarcasm. "Anyway, it isn't like you risked your neck to save me from her!" he yelled, pointing to Shezarah. She looked hurt, but neither Tane nor Wynn noticed.

"Ha! Your neck isn't worth saving, mercenary!" he said, spitting out the last word like a curse.

"I'm out of here, if my partner considers me that low!" Tane said, and with that he was gone.

"I'll go talk to him," Shezarah said, a note of concern in her voice. But Jier stopped her, shaking his head.

"He needs to be alone," Jier told her.

Meanwhile, Fami walked over to Wynn and sat down next to him. "Why are you so angry with him?" she asked, concerned for him.

"He is a mercenary! They are all scum!" he said.

"Well, I know most are, but he seemed nice." Fami said, in a soothing voice.

"Forget it!" he said, turning away from her.

"Why do you have such a low opinion of mercenaries?" Nerah asked, sitting across the fire from him. Shezarah sat down next to her.

"It is a long story," he responded.

"We have all the time in the world," Nerah told him. He started:

"I grew up in a small house on a hill overlooking Zora's River. I was happy. I lived with my mother and father. My father was a farmer. I helped around the farm, but worked odd jobs for the Gorons, who lived in a city above us, on Death Mountain. One day, I was returning home from Goron City, not finding any work since all the Gorons except a small child, a friend, were gone. There was smoke in the air above my house, but I thought my father was merely burning something. I was wrong. When I got to my house, it was burning. Mercenaries were all over the place, stealing what they could. The person who had decided to attack my home had expected heavy resistance, and had got it, with the number of wounded mercenaries lying around. I fought through the mercenaries, and made it to my burning house. That, that monster, was standing in front of my house. My parents were nowhere to be found. I fought him, but I lost. He knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, he was gone. I made my way to Kakariko Village. I had to do a few jobs, in order to earn enough to eat off of, and I then I met Tane. You know the rest."

Fami patted him on the back, and put her arm around his shoulders. "It is okay."

"How sad," Nerah agreed. Shezarah nodded.

To change the subject, Fami started telling her own life story.

"I grew up in Kokiri Village. I knew everyone there. However, I stood out from the others. I was growing up. The Kokiri never grow up. It was then that I left the for the Lost Woods. I guess I was brought to the village by my parents. I lived in the woods by myself for several years. My only friends were the Skull Kids. They were funny, and loved playing the flute."

Wynn snorted. "I think Tane met one."

Fami smiled, then finished her story. "I eventually tired of living alone. So when I met Tane and you, I decided to join you."

Wynn smiled at her. Nerah coughed loudly, and started talking.

"I grew up in Zora's Domain. My best friend growing up was Princess Ruto. We were with each other constantly. The king started calling me the Duchess of the domain. I went to school every day, and got good grades. You may have seen the entryway behind the gate at the fountain. One day, however, every thing got cold. Real cold. The domain froze over, and I was trapped in the ice. A week or so ago, the domain melted, and I was released. Then the fountain started to freeze! We were all afraid we were going to freeze again, but, thanks to Wynn, the monster responsible for the freezing of the fountain is dead. The Zoras may return to their old lives. I, however, decided to go with Wynn. He was brave enough to slay the Zess, and I had no reason to stay at the domain. My best friend, Ruto, has left the domain."

Wynn gave her a small smile. "So, that's why you came with us."

She started to give another reason, but Fami cut her off. "So, Jier, would you like to tell your story?" she asked.

"I...I can't," Jier stuttered. The others didn't pressure him.

"So, Shezarah, how about you?" Nerah asked.

Shezarah looked at her, and started telling her story.

"I grew up in the fortress. My whole life I have trained to be a warrior. I lived with the other few children, in a secret compartment in the fortress, safe from any danger. I had a few friends, but not many. My mother has been training me since I was a small child. I never knew my father. I grew up training with my scimitar, bow, and a net. I am very good with my scimitar, and a deadly aim with my bow and arrows. I never miss with my net."

"But you missed me in the fortress," Jier spoke up.

"Don't tell Tane this, he will get an even bigger ego, but I didn't miss who I was aiming for," she said, winking.

******

Tane looked down in thought. He had not heard Shezarah's confession from his post over the heads of the others, on a ledge, but he had heard Wynn's. He shook his head in wonder. No wonder the kid got so angry at him. His life had been ruined by Silver Knuckle and his mercenaries. He had a reason to be angry.

Tane turned, and walked away from the ledge as Fami began her story. He had a headache, with his partner, the attack by the Stalfos, and...Shezarah, being the causes.

He went over to a tall patch of grass, laid down, and fell to sleep. Around the campfire, the others unintentionally followed his example.

******

The lake's surface was calm, placid. It was the middle of the night, and all were asleep. The only animals awake were some birds that flew over the lake, cawing loudly. Then, the peace was disrupted. Something rose from the lake, walking to the shore. It was a Silver Knuckle. Every step he took was accompanied by a shrill squeak. Soon, he was gone, and peace returned.

Chapter 6

The next morning, Wynn woke up slowly. He was aware of the weight of someone leaning on each of his shoulders. He had fallen asleep sitting up. Fami and Nerah were still asleep. They were the ones leaning on his shoulders. Jier was asleep across from them, alone. Wynn gently shook Fami, trying to wake her up. She sighed, and hugged his shoulder more tightly. "Wake up," he told her gently. Her eyes opened.

"Hello," she said, and closed her eyes. He shook her again.

"It is time to get up," he said. She yawned, and sat up. He repeated the process with Nerah, and soon both were awake. Jier awoke to the sound of their voices. They all stood, and began preparing breakfast.

"Where is Shezarah?" Wynn inquired, finally noticing her absence.

"I don't know. Maybe she went looking for Tane," Fami answered.

"I'll go look for her," Wynn said, and left.

After a few minutes of searching, he found both of them. They were asleep, on a patch of tall grass, snuggled together. Wynn smiled, and coughed loudly. Shezarah jumped up, awaking very quickly. She looked around, seeing Wynn, then Tane, and blushed guiltily.

"I went looking for him last night, since he was all alone. I found him here, but he looked cold, so I decided to help keep him warm," she explained.

"I bet," Wynn said sarcastically. Suddenly, Tane stirred, and woke up. He started rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Get up, servant," Shezarah said, her manner changing drastically.

"I am, I am," he said, trying to stand up. Wynn stuck out his hand, helping him to his feet.

"Tane, I apologize for what I said last night," Wynn said.

"It's okay. If I had been knocked around that bad, I would have been mad too," Tane accepted.

They rejoined the others, and ate their breakfast. When they finished, Fami turned to Wynn. "Where to now?" she asked.

Wynn thought for a second, then replied, "Since Tane has another treasure map, I guess we go to Death Mountain."

******

Later, they once again walked through the gate of Kakariko Village. The village was, however, perfectly normal, with no attacks from monsters. They walked through the village, progressing toward the entrance to the Death Mountain Trail. Halfway there, Wynn saw a familiar face. "Hey, over here!" he shouted.

The stranger walked over to them. He appeared to be in his early twenties. He was wearing black clothes, with a black cape trailing in his wake. At his side he wore a short sword. "Wynn! How are you?" he said.

"Fine, Seron. And you?" Wynn asked.

"Forget me. Say, do you have the rupees yet?" he responded.

"Not yet, but I will be getting them soon. Oh, yeah, these are my friends. He is Tane, she is Shezarah, he is Jier, she is Nerah and she is Fami," Wynn named his friends.

Seron smiled, then took Fami's hand and kissed it lightly. He did not acknowledge the others. "A pleasure."

Fami smiled at him. He returned the smile whole-heartedly.

"I must go. See you later, Fami...and Wynn." And with that he was gone.

"Weird guy," Tane reported, obviously not impressed.

"He was nice," Fami said. Tane noticed Wynn had an odd look on his face, and was staring at Fami. Nerah had noticed it too, and was smiling.

They made their way up Death Mountain Trail. It was all uphill, and they soon became winded. They stopped, and took a break. After they rested, they finished climbing. They finally made it to the entrance to Goron City. "Hey, partner, how about we stop and visit some of my old Goron friends?" Wynn requested.

"Sure. We can rest some more, and I can ask about this treasure," Tane agreed.

They entered the city. It was a huge cave, with four floors. The floors were arranged in descending tiers. In front of them was a large rock. "Hello," Wynn said loudly as they walked past it. When the rock stood up and replied, Tane noticed the rock was actually a Goron. Gorons are the people that live in Goron City. They look like the rock that the mountain is made of. This provides excellent camouflage.

Wynn walked on, and then down a flight of stairs. They eventually came to the bottom floor. Standing close to the end of the stairs was a young Goron. "Little hero!" yelled Wynn, and ran to greet the Goron.

The Goron looked at him, and smiled. "Wynn!" he said, and hugged Wynn tightly. Wynn then stepped back, speaking rapidly, "So, how are you, little hero? It has been awhile. Is your dad here?"

The Goron replied, "I'm fine, but dad is still gone. The others are back, though. Who are they?" he asked, pointing to Wynn's companions.

Wynn introduced them, then added, "They are some friends I met recently."

The Goron smiled, and said, "I'm Link of the Gorons. I was named after the old hero that killed the king of Dodongos."

Tane smiled at him, and pulled a piece of paper out of his pouch. It had scribbles that looked like they may represent something, and the words 'Treasure Map' written at the top. Tane handed it to Link. "Do you know anything about the treasure this map leads to?" he asked politely.

Link looked at the map, and laughed. "I know about it, all right. I drew this map."

Tane looked at him anxiously, and asked, "You did?"

"Yep. I drew it with a few friends of mine, and we went on a treasure hunt," Link said, grinning.

Tane's face fell. "You mean that there isn't any treasure?"

"No. Did you think it was a real map?" Link asked, laughing.

Wynn glared at Tane. "Good job, Tane." Tane blushed.

"Wynn!" a voice came from the stairs. Wynn turned. It was an adult Goron, running toward them down the stairs. "Good to see you!"

"Been awhile, pal. I came to visit a while back, but no one was here but the little guy there. Where were you?" Wynn inquired curiously.

"You didn't hear? We were all captured by the servants of the evil Ganondorf, and were going to be fed to the dragon Volvagia. We were saved by the hero Link," the Goron informed him.

"You are joking! Wow. Well, it's good to hear you are all okay. So, where is Darunia?" he asked, referring to the leader of the Goron's.

"He isn't here now. So, are you looking for work?" the Goron inquired.

"Sure, since we are short on rupees. Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce my friends!" he said, and told him their names.

The Goron introduced himself, then said, "It's good you are looking for work. We need some help. A few days ago, about a day after the celebration when Ganondorf was killed, a Dinolfos came to our city. He ordered us to give him all our rupees. When we refused, he ordered his men to destroy our crop of Bomb Flowers, which we had just planted. We were helpless to stop him. He then threatened that next time he would destroy our city, and left, saying he would give us time to reconsider. We were going to sell those plants. Without the crop, things could get difficult for the city. If Big Brother Darunia had been here, he could have stopped them, but he wasn't, and I couldn't," he explained.

"Let me guess. You want me to get rid of him for you," Wynn prompted.

"Yes. But it easier said than done. He is at the top of the mountain, with several guards. But to prevent anyone from reaching him, he has extra protection. He has brought a monster to the path leading to where he dwells. It is a giant Dodongo, a fire-breathing reptile. To get to the Dinolfos, you must slay the Dodongo," the Goron elaborated.

"Exactly how much does this job pay?" Wynn asked.

"Five-hundred rupees. It is almost all we have, but it is worth it to get rid of him," the Goron told him.

Wynn looked at his comrades. They all nodded. "You have a deal."

******

Wynn and his friends walked on toward the exit to the trail. "Wait up!" yelled a voice from behind them. They turned. It was the young Goron, Link. "Wait!" he yelled again, breathless. He was clutching something in his hand. As he came closer, Wynn could tell it was a short sword.

"What is it, little one?" Wynn asked.

"I want to come with you!" Link said, finally catching up to them.

"No way. It is going to be too dangerous," Wynn told him sternly.

"Yes, please. I am old enough. Anyway, you will need help to get past the Dodongo. I can distract it while you go to kill the bad guys," he insisted.

Wynn started to refuse, but Fami cut him off, "Why do you want to come so bad?"

"My dad named me after the hero of the Gorons. I want to live up to that name, to show I deserve it," he replied after some thought.

"I guess it will be okay. Just don't get hurt. I don't want to be the one that has to tell Darunia his son got turned into Dodongo-food," Wynn accepted.

And so they left the city. They were suprised to see, standing outside the exit, a huge Goron, about five times as tall as Wynn. "Biggoron!" Wynn yelled, and ran to him.

"How are you, Wynn?" Biggoron rumbled.

"Fine. How's business?" Wynn asked.

"Great. I just finished another sword. Would you be interested in buying it?"

Wynn frowned. "How much?"

"It isn't cheap. Two thousand rupees."

Tane whistled low, shocked. "Sorry. I'm broke," Wynn told him. "See you around."

"See you, Wynn. Come back if you get the rupees."

They then walked up to a trail. After a short climb, they came to a place where they could see a long path with tall walls on both sides. Standing in the middle of the path was the Dodongo. It was huge, nearly taking up the width of the path. It had two columnlike legs, and a large, powerful maw. It had a long muscular tail, which was its only weak point, Wynn recalled, remembering the stories of these creatures his father had told him.

"Good luck, kid," Tane told Link.

With a yell, Link leaped into battle. While the beast was distracted, the others ran past it. They then came to a dead end, but the wall was rough enough to climb. It took them awhile, but they reached the top of Death Mountain.

With suprise, they looked upon the Dinolfos. He was sitting on a throne, and was surrounded by four guards, all Lizalfos. He was wearing a bejeweled crown. He looked at the heroes with a sneer, and said, "I am the mighty King Dinofosss. Who daresss intrude on my home?"

"None of your business, your mightiness," Tane said very sarcastically.

"We have been hired to kill you," Wynn told him, and drew his sword, "and we aim to complete our mission."

The king hissed, and stood. He was human-formed, but resembled a lizard. He was wearing armor. He drew his own sword, and said, "You shall die for your foolishnesss." And with that, he charged into battle, his guards behind him.

The battle began. Wynn fell into combat with the king, and the others attacked his guards. Wynn defended himself with his sword as the king stabbed at him. He deflected one, two, three blows, then took to the offensive. The king jumped back, but too slowly. Wynn's sword carved a thin red line into his scales. Wynn smiled, then dodged as the king leapt at him. Wynn slashed, but the king dodged effortlessly. They circled one another warily. The king then charged. Wynn tried to dodge, but the sword of the king left a mark deep in his armor. He was hurt, but not badly. The king laughed, and said, "Die!" Wynn smiled at the over-confidence of the king. He wasn't dead yet. He waited till the king attacked again, then defended, acting weak. He fell to his knees. The king laughed, and raised his sword over his head, ready to finish his weakling enemy. He was rather suprised when his enemy then stabbed him deep in the chest with his sword, amazingly swift for one wounded. He had been tricked, and the short reign of King Dinolfos was ended. He fell to the ground.

Wynn stood, and looked around. The guards had met their end. He interpreted this from the fact that there was three Lizalfos corpses. The other had probably been tossed off the cliff by the magic of Nerah or Fami.

Suddenly, he heard the king mumble something from the ground. "Who...who are you, that ssslaid me?" he requested.

"I am Wynn."

"Ssson of Baro?" the king rasped.

"Yes."

"I now understand. My master warned that you may come here. I did not listen. I have paid the price for that mistake."

"Your master? Who?"

"Icarnosss. He is in the Forest Temple. He... your parentsss..." and with those words, the king died.

Wynn frowned. He then turned his back on the corpse, and looked for Link. He saw him, standing next to a dead Dodongo. Link had earned his name. "Wynn?" Fami called. The others had started climbing down the wall.

"Go on. I'll catch up."

He then looked down the mountain. From here, he could see most of Hyrule. He thought about what the king had said. Icarnos had been the name of the master of that fiend, Silver Knuckle. Could this Icarnos be responsible for his parents' death? There was only one way to find out. He stepped away from the ledge, and walked to join his friends. His journey had only begun, and his destiny would be fulfilled soon.

The beginning...