The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
The snow billowed all around the old cottage as the night grew darker. This would be a storm to remember; for days the snow had piled up around the small houses of the village with no end in sight. Light from inside the small dwelling shone upon the drifts out of tiny windows. Inside the home, a fire crackled noisily in the fireplace and soup bubbled in a pot above the fire. Young ones gathered around the fire trying to get warm. This cottage, being the town meeting hall, was crowded with five families who had sought shelter from the storm and were all now living cosily, if cramped, sheltered from the elements. "Tell us another!" came a childish cry. A chorus of echoes begged the same of an old man sitting amid the dozen children. "But, children," the old man said, "It is almost bedtime and if I start another story, you shall be late to bed." "We don't care, tell another story!" The old man looked over to his aging wife and she nodded wearily, smiling. "All right, then." he said, settling himself for another tale. The children squealed with delight. Smiling, the storyteller took out his pipe and lit it. "Now children, have I told you of the story about Foghan and the dragon?" Amid the chorus of 'no's, a little boy shouted, "We don't wanna hear about some old dragon!" Shaking his head at the boy's disrespectful behaviour, the old man asked, "Then what do you wish to hear, young man?" "We wanna hear about Link!" shouted the boy. The children loudly agreed with him. The old man thought for a minute. "How about the tale of the Silver Rose?" Heads shook. "We've heard that one!" someone shouted. "What about the tale of the evil faerie king, Vaun?" "Heard it!" The old man smiled slyly as another story sprang to his mind. "Have I told you the tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice?" The room fell silent but for the sound of the village women preparing supper. "Ah! I thought not!" The man settled into his chair and drew a deep breath of smoke from his pipe before starting. "Now little ones, this story happened many years ago, after the faerie king had attempted to conquer Hyrule. The hero, Link, had killed the faerie, but some questions still remained. For instance: How had the Shades been found? How did they know Rothe? How did Vaun survive the destruction of the Forest Temple? No one knew it, but Vaun was merely a puppet, a distraction while darker things roamed the surrounding Shadows. One such shadow was Ashir, the apprentice of the wizard, Agahnim!"
PROLOGUE
The air was putrid. Deep in the bowels of the great Hyrule Castle, a dungeon dwelt. This dungeon was kept only for the vilest of criminals. Few guards passed through these halls. The only light to these rooms was a single dim lantern that illuminated the main chamber. Around this main chamber were a dozen cells, each locked. These prisoners were here to die. The air was musty and thick and the smell of rotting flesh and rancid meat hung heavy in the rooms. Inside one of these rooms lay a small man. He spent his days looking up at the ceiling and watching the air move. Sometimes he thought he could see shapes in the air, moving and bending and shifting; calling out to him, begging him to join them in their dark dance. This man had led a full life and was now awaiting the executioner's block, although he half fancied that he was now forgotten, since he had spent almost two years in this filthy cell with no hint of release. This man was Ashir, the pupil of the great Agahnim! He used his magic for fun now, for his cell was guarded against magical attacks and could not be opened with spells. Life was slow. That was about to change. The sound of running feet reached his ears first. Many feet; at least a dozen. Voices he heard second; hushed voices. The sound of the cell lock turning was heard last. The door to Ashir's cell creaked open and his room was flooded with a blinding light. One man ran to the magician and roughly picked him up, carrying him out the door. The others waited out in the main hall, men in dark clothes with concealing cloaks and masks upon their shoulders. Quickly, they ran up the stairs to the main dungeon and then up again to the castle itself. They moved very stealthily out into the castle grounds and then out of the city; the bright midnight light burning Ashir's eyes. His mind was cloudy in the sudden rush of events but one thought kept piercing his mental fog: He was free!
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS... Hyrule. Called by some the Jewel of the Seven Kingdoms. Hyrule was a land of majestic mountains, emerald rivers, and cavernous ravines. Mostly, though, Hyrule was a land of magic. Of course, all of the Seven Kingdoms had the power of magic, but for some reason, Hyrule had more. Its people, the Hylians, were all naturally gifted with magic; it came easy to them. In the surrounding lands, populated mainly with the humans, magic was not so plentiful. Generations of breeding had diluted the magical blood, so humans had trouble performing even the easiest of spells. Hyrule has for centuries been ruled over by the monarchies; the King and Queen, chosen by the gods themselves legends say. Inside their beautiful castle in the centre of Hyrule both were pillars of sanity as the rest of the castle fell into chaos; Ashir had escaped. Link, the protector of Hyrule, the Hero of Destiny, the guardian of the Triforce, was striding through the halls of the castle towards the throne room. Though only sixteen, those who do know him never place him below twenty; the pressures of leadership and destiny have pulled on him long. Passing a troop of guards, Link entered the giant throne room. No one ever entered the Hyrule throne room without stopping in awe. The walls were adorned with rich velvet curtains and tapestries made of the most brilliant colours; the floor was laid with ivory and gold; the ceiling plaited in silver and gems; the entire room centering on the thrones. Both towering above the room mounted on a raised dais, they shone with the light of the morning sun. Made entirely of ruby quartz, these thrones glittered red and reflected the sun's rays throughout the room. Upon these chairs of royalty sat the king and queen of Hyrule. King Torvus of East Hyrule sat in the right-hand throne, his golden sceptre shining in his hands, his red cape blending with the chair, his blue robes piercing the red room like a sword through bread. Queen Mira of West Hyrule sat upon the left chair, her flowing golden gown seemed to surround the seat, her silver crown resting gently on her brow. Both monarchs demanded honour from those around them. Link approached the dais and knelt quickly. "Your highnesses." "Rise Link." Mira said, "You know that it is we who should be bowing before you for the services you have given this country." Rising, Link said, "You summoned me?" "Yes." Torvus announced. "One of the prisoners has escaped, killing two guards on his way. We wish that you should track him down immediately." "Torvus!" Mira whispered scoldingly. Torvus seemed to relax a bit in his throne. "Sorry, Link. I am not yet used to being so informal with my subjects." "No problem, sir." Link said knowingly. Torvus had ascended to the throne when his wife, Princess Mira, was proclaimed Queen of Hyrule following the death of her father, King Gerrik. Link winced as he remembered the day Gerrik had died. Asleep in his room, an illness striking him, Gerrik had been murdered by the evil faerie, Vaun. "I'll do as you ask." "Thank you, Link." Mira said, smiling. Link turned around and marched out of the room to prepare for his mission.
Link returned to his room in the guest wing of the castle. What would he need? This was a tracking mission, so heavy armour was out of the question. Light mail should do. He bent down to pick up the shirt of chain links and his necklace fell out from beneath his tunic. The necklace. It was a small plain ring fastened onto a chain. Idly, Link fingered the item and fondly remembered his time with Malon. The farm girl had given it to him with the promise to return it. He still had that to do. At that moment, the door flew open and in flowed a young girl not much older than he. She was dressed in knee high riding boots, dark green breeches, and a loose tunic of blue belted with a silver belt. Atop her head was a silver circlet. Although she did not look it, she was a princess. But not just any princess- she was Princess Zelda, jewel of all the Seven Lands and youngest sister of Mira. Link stood straight and turned to his guest, putting on the mail. "What's up, Zelda?" he asked casually. "Link!" she said excitedly, "I just got a letter from Julia! She hasn't said anything in over two years! This is great!" Saying that, the young princess jumped onto the bed and began reading:
"Hello Zelda, dear. I hope I find you in good health. I am so sorry that I have not stayed in touch but out here in Delabor, communication is very rare over long distances. How is our dear older sister, Mira? I hear that she has become Queen of Hyrule! She shall make a wonderful queen. Is Torvus still as boring as ever? I do not doubt that he is! He will never change. I wrote to you to tell you of my future plans: I am coming down from Delabor soon to visit, so prepare my room! I am looking forward to revisiting all of our favourite places! I am sorry for the short notice, but word of this Link has spread even up in these frigid lands and Trine is expecting to meet the boy. And the sooner the better! He is getting restless, Zelda. There have been no border skirmishes for over six weeks and he has nothing to do! He is also looking forward to meeting his aunt, you two have not seen each other for so long, why it must be over ten years! Speaking of little ones, dear, have you married yet? If my counting is right, then you must be about the age to start looking, at least. I shall expect a list of suitable suitors when I arrive! Till then, good bye and give my love to the new queen!"
Zelda finished the letter and looked up at Link. "Julia's coming here! That's terrific, Link!" During Zelda's recital of the letter, Link had been busy preparing for his mission but now he stopped. "Who was Julia again?" Zelda tossed a pillow at the boy, laughing. "You remember, don't you? Julia is my older sister; she's the middle child with Mira being the oldest. About eighteen years ago, she and a noble wed and she gave birth to a boy, Trine. That was two years before I was born. Then ten years ago, her husband- I can't remember his name, now- ascended to the Delaborian throne and she left Hyrule to join him. That was the last time I saw her before she visited once, seven years ago. And she's coming home again!" "Good." Link said, busying himself once more with preparations, "Why don't you go tell Mira and Torvus the good news." Zelda jumped up. "That's right! I've got to tell them!" She rushed to the door but stopped short. "Link?" she said turning to face him, "Where are you going?" Link put his sword, the Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, into its scabbard and left the room. "A prisoner escaped last night and Torvus told me to track him down." "Oh," Zelda said as she followed Link out into the hall and towards the main gates. "Well, if you'll wait a bit, I'll go tell Mira the news and then join you! Ok?" Link smiled at her and agreed. "Ok, I'll meet you by the front gate in ten minutes." With that, the two parted company, Link headed for the gates and Zelda headed for the throne room.
Twenty minutes later, Link, Zelda, four guards, and a friend of Link's, Auldric, departed from the Royal Palace all mounted on the finest steeds. The going was slow, though, for Link had to constantly stop and look for the tracks of Ashir. The day was beautiful, Zelda thought; the warm air clinging to the countryside, the cool wind lightly whisking her golden hair; birds chirping happily in the trees. Even her mount, a sandy brown mare called Sufaina, after the beach clinging coral, seemed to help the serenity of the land with her hooves thudding lightly on the grass. Link had led the group in a southerly direction and at this rate, Zelda thought, they would reach the Calatian border in three days. She worried about those people, the Calatians. They were pleasant enough, in their own fashion, but to her they always seemed distrustful and guarded against new things. Really, she couldn't blame them, after all that country has been through. According to the legends and lore of Calatia, the land was once nearly as beautiful as Hyrule, but a fierce magical war had turned much of the territory into either deserted plains, baked by the sun; or strangling forests, were the sun never reached. After this war, the people had just began to recover when a powerful, evil wizard appeared. This wizard was said to be the vile warlock, Agahnim. The same Agahnim who had nearly delivered Hyrule into the hands of Ganon several years ago. Many scholars agree that, though Agahnim lived many centuries ago, it was the same one who Link killed in his pursuit of Ganon- revived by the vile one for his own evil purposes. This ancient Agahnim had ravished the land and killed many Calatians before he was stopped in a great battle with the ancient Calatian hero, Garin. The wizard supposedly died in that battle, but the tales are unclear as to the fate of him. A sudden thought struck the young princess. What would the Calatians do if they discover that Hyrule has been harbouring Agahnim's apprentice? They wouldn't be happy at all, that is for sure. Idly, Zelda twisted her ring as she thought of the possible outcomes: The Calatians could be so furious as to try and imprison or even execute Link and herself! Their hatred for the wizard runs deeper than anything else in their lives. It runs so deep, in fact, that their society scorns any that use magic frequently; including Hylians, like she and Link, who use magic constantly. Very few Calatians have any knowledge at all about magic. "Zelda!" The princess snapped out of her thoughts to see Link riding beside her. "What is it , Link?" she asked. "I said that the tracks we're following have been joined by more." "What do you mean?" Link stopped his horse, Silvermane, and dismounted. Kneeling, he pointed to the ground by his feet. "These tracks are those of Ashir and his friends," he pointed his hand west and swept it to join those tracks, "These, though, are from another group who joined our friend the wizard from the west. I'd say about six who joined the original party of twelve." "What were they doing in the west, I wonder?" Zelda said thoughtfully. "There's not much over there except Northern Calatia. Link, get the map out and check it please." Link opened a pouch on the side of Silvermane's saddle, took out a map, and looked at it for a minute. "Well, there's not much west except for Calatia and Turka. Why would these people come all the way from Turka just to meet with two-bit wizard? That's a lot of ground to cover." Putting the map away, he mounted his horse again and turned to Auldric, who had been silent for the trip so far. "Auldric, why don't you take two men and follow the new tracks and see were they start?" Auldric saluted mockingly. "Yes, sir! We'll meet back at the castle, OK?" Link saluted back and smiled, "Sure thing, Auldric. Good luck." With that, Auldric and two guards turned and headed west.
That night, Link, Zelda, and the two remaining guards posted camp near the Ghanrian River. The river was hardly a river any more, for it had dried up ages ago and reduced to nothing more than a stream. With the crickets chirping all around them, the four made ready to sleep. Link took the first watch, for there were many creatures that roamed the land at night. The surrounding blackness was kept only at bay by the dwindling fire. Zelda was surprised when she awoke to find that the fire had almost died and Link was still on guard. She got up and walked over to were the boy sat. "You should be asleep. You're watch ended hours ago." she said, sitting next to him. Link looked at her in the gloom. "I know," he said, "but, I just can't think of any reason for Turkans to kidnap Ashir and take him to Calatia. If anyone saw him, he would be killed on sight." "I know." Zelda said. They fell into silence for some moments, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Suddenly she spoke up, "Link, when we find these kidnappers, what are we going to do? You said they have about eighteen men. We only have four." Link looked at the ground for some time before answering, "I don't know. We'll just have to hope that we sneak up on them. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Zelda wasn't too sure.
The next morning, the four travellers set out, once again on the trail of the wizard. As they rode, Zelda noticed that the Eridani Mountains could be seen easily; these mountains were the boundary between Hyrule and Calatia and the closer the mountains come, the greater chance that the wizard will not be caught this side of the boundary line. As the day wore on, Link noticed that Zelda seemed very preoccupied. She wasn't speaking much and looked to be thinking a lot. This worried the boy, for Zelda was usually a happy, outgoing person. Something was wrong. Keeping his eyes on the trail, Link found himself remembering the first time he had met the princess. Although it was only two years ago, it seemed to him to be ages. Fighting his way down into the depths of Hyrule Castle and finding at the end, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She was his age but held a certain charm that made her seem much older. Her shoulder length golden hair and astonishing features were captivating. Of course, Link had said nothing of his attraction to her, but she had sometimes hinted that she knew how he felt and shared the feeling. After freeing Zelda from the dungeon, Link had helped her escape to the Sanctuary were she could be safe. Since that day, he and she had been the best of friends, always by each other's side. They had been on many adventures, and through these adventures Link had gained more popularity than he had ever dreamed of; everyone in Hyrule knew him. His talents had greatly increased and he was considered by many to be the best swordsman in all the Seven Lands, yet still he longed for more. Staying as honoured guest at Hyrule Castle and the constant duty of commanding the Praetorian Guard was wearing on him; he wanted more. As his uncle would have said, "The soul is getting restless." Link had bested everything that rose against him. Creatures were so afraid of him now that most would run at the sight of him. This thought jarred Link out of his thoughts and back into reality: Where were the creatures? This part of Hyrule was usually crawling with nasty things, now there were none to be seen or even heard. "Zelda?" he asked. "Yes?" "Have you noticed that these lands are empty? There are no monsters." Zelda looked quickly around her at the rolling hills and saw nothing. "That's odd." she said, "There should be at least some." They rode in silence, all of them looking around to find a trace of an enemy, but could find none. Suddenly Link caught a little detail. "Birds." The others looked at him. "Birds, sir?" one of the guards asked. "I hear birds. I don't think I've ever heard birds this far south." The others agreed. This was indeed strange. Where were the creatures?
The rest of the day was passed in near silence, as the companions rode on through the strangely safe lands. That night, they camped under the boughs of a large oak tree. After they had eaten their small supper, Zelda lay near Link on her back looking at the night sky. Link looked down at her. "What are you thinking about?" Zelda did not shift her gaze from the heavens. "I was thinking about my family." "You're family?" "Yes. I hardly know them, Link. My mother died when I was very little; I never knew her. My father died almost six months ago; Mira and Torvus became the leaders of Hyrule and now spend all of their time ruling the land; Julia and Trine live on the other side of the world, ruling Delabor. I don't really have anyone to talk to; to confide in, you know? The closest thing I have is probably you, Link." Link chuckled softly. "Am I not good enough for you?" Zelda smiled slightly. "You're the best I could ask for. You've been my friend for over two years now and we've been through a lot together but it won't last forever. You know that. One day, we'll have to stop running around on adventures and leave that to younger people who have all the time and none of the responsibilities." Link laid back onto the grassy ground. "And when do you think that will be, princess?" "Most likely the day I marry." It was a few moments before any other word was said between them. Link murmured softly an agreement. "Yeah, when you get married..." Zelda pushed herself up onto one elbow and looked Link in the eyes. "Link, I know how you feel about me," she could see the astonishment in his eyes, "and the Gods willing I may feel the same about you, too, but I don't think anything could happen between us. I'm of royal blood and it's expected of me to marry a nobleman." She reclined again and resumed her stare at the stars waiting for a response. It never came.
The next morning, it was a blood red sun that crested the mountains surrounding Hyrule. The morning light fell upon Link, Zelda, and the two guards already riding towards the Calatian border. By midday, the mountains loomed over them and Zelda called for a halt. The party stood in a deep ravine that cut through the mountains; in the middle of ravine was a small path- the road to Calatia. "Link, this could be trouble." she said. "Ashir has already crossed the border. I suppose we'll have to tell the Calatian king." Neither one of them enjoyed the task. They both knew that King Eridanus would be furious at the news. An evil sorcerer loose in the land was bad enough, but he was also Agahnim's apprentice; not good news at all. Wordlessly, the decision was made. Zelda turned to one of the guards, "Go back and inform Queen Mira and King Torvus that Link and I are following Ashir into Calatia. Go now!" With a salute, the man turned his mount around and headed back to the castle. The remaining three kicked their own mounts forward into the realm of Calatia.
Auldric and his two companions were having difficulty. The land to the west was very rocky, so a clear trail could never be seen. Once or twice they had come to a dead end and had to retrace their tracks to pick up the trail again. By the end of the first day they had made small progress, coming only five miles from the trail of the wizard. The night passed uneventfully and the new day dawned. That day proved to be better for the trackers for the path was clearer. While Auldric did not posses the same hunting skills as Link, he was above the average. The trio followed the trail as it turned from west to a northerly direction. Noting this, he could be reasonably sure that the trail would lead him to the freezing forests of Turka. Looking at his map, Auldric noticed that the path seemed to be headed towards a small town called North Ridge, which sat along the Western Mountains that divided Hyrule from Turka. They would have to get provisions for a long, cold trip there if the trail did not end at the town. The day passed and night fell. Settling down in the soft dirt surrounding the fire, blankets around them, the three men began to talk. "So," one asked Auldric, "how did you meet Link? You two seem to be pretty good friends." "Well," Auldric said, "about two years ago, I was fishing in the Jarul River when one of those pesky Zoras jumped out at me. I guess I screamed, because before I knew it, there was Link, sword in hand, fighting this Zora before my eyes. I moved away from the fight, not wanting to get in Link's way, when I slipped on a rock and fell headfirst into the river!" The guards laughed at this, "The next thing I know, I'm all wet laying on the riverbank with Link kneeling next to me. He was all wet too, so I guess he jumped in and saved me from drowning. After that, Link and I have been pretty good friends." "You were lucky that Link was there, huh?" Auldric laughed, "Yeah, I guess I was. But since then, I have helped Link out now and then. I saved his life once, you know." The other two laughed, not believing him. "No, really! I saved Link! There he was, surrounded by a group of tektites, with only his sword for a weapon. The tektites didn't see me, so I snuck up on them and cast a fire spell that burned almost half of them! They never knew what hit them! I was coming in, sword slashing, from behind, and Link was still fighting his way through them on the other side. Needless to say, we slew them all." "Get off! You are saying that you saved the Hero of Hyrule?! No way!" "True, true. It's all true." Laughing, the men all drifted off to sleep.
The next day, the three broke camp and continued on their way, following the tracks northwards. The going went peaceably and swiftly and before nightfall, the town of North Ridge was within sight. Cresting a small hill, the men could easily view all of the small town. Before them, they saw many golden lights glowing in the fading sunlight, the mountains beyond shedding long shadows by the red dusk. Riding into town, Auldric quickly found an inn at the edge of the settlement where they spent the night.
North Ridge was the sort of town where everyone knew each other and strangers were easily recognized. It was a typical border town in that the houses were every close to each other; a tightly built town. Also like border towns, North Ridge had very few places of recreation; there was only one small pub that doubled as an inn and the town hall, there was one town fountain in the centre of town, and one small store. When Auldric and his companions had awakened, they had breakfasted and immediately began to search for someone who knew of the six mysterious kidnappers. They met nothing but walls. No one in town was willing to speak with them about the strange men. After several hours, Auldric just gave up; he was going to get nothing from these people. They had just sat down in the pub when a tall man walked up to them. "Sirs," he said, "You are looking for the strange men who passed through town several nights ago?" Auldric eyed the man carefully before replying. "Yes, we are. Do you know of any useful information about these men?" The man looked quickly around him, "Yes. I do. If you would follow, I can show you all the information you need." Saying that, he turned around and left the pub. One of the guards spoke as he watched the man depart. "I do not trust him, Auldric. He is shifty." "I don't trust him either, but he's the first person to even offer us information in this town. Let's check it out." Auldric said, rising from the table. The three men left the pub and followed the strange man down the main street and out of the town into the surrounding grasslands. When they had reached a small shack, the man stopped and faced his followers. "In here are all of the answers you seek. If you would follow me..." He opened the door and entered the hut. Auldric and the two guards followed and were immediately surrounded by blackness. Behind them, they heard the door slam shut making the darkness complete. A faint snickering rose around them and suddenly the house was filled with light. The man had lit a lamp and was smiling evilly. Around him and three travellers were half a dozen battle-hardened bandits, each with a curved blade in his hand pointed at Auldric. The strange man walked up to the trio and took their weapons saying, "All the answers you will ever need." Something hit the back of Auldric's head and he fell into blackness, hearing no more.
The snow billowed all around the old cottage as the night grew darker. This would be a storm to remember; for days the snow had piled up around the small houses of the village with no end in sight. Light from inside the small dwelling shone upon the drifts out of tiny windows. Inside the home, a fire crackled noisily in the fireplace and soup bubbled in a pot above the fire. Young ones gathered around the fire trying to get warm. This cottage, being the town meeting hall, was crowded with five families who had sought shelter from the storm and were all now living cosily, if cramped, sheltered from the elements. "Tell us another!" came a childish cry. A chorus of echoes begged the same of an old man sitting amid the dozen children. "But, children," the old man said, "It is almost bedtime and if I start another story, you shall be late to bed." "We don't care, tell another story!" The old man looked over to his aging wife and she nodded wearily, smiling. "All right, then." he said, settling himself for another tale. The children squealed with delight. Smiling, the storyteller took out his pipe and lit it. "Now children, have I told you of the story about Foghan and the dragon?" Amid the chorus of 'no's, a little boy shouted, "We don't wanna hear about some old dragon!" Shaking his head at the boy's disrespectful behaviour, the old man asked, "Then what do you wish to hear, young man?" "We wanna hear about Link!" shouted the boy. The children loudly agreed with him. The old man thought for a minute. "How about the tale of the Silver Rose?" Heads shook. "We've heard that one!" someone shouted. "What about the tale of the evil faerie king, Vaun?" "Heard it!" The old man smiled slyly as another story sprang to his mind. "Have I told you the tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice?" The room fell silent but for the sound of the village women preparing supper. "Ah! I thought not!" The man settled into his chair and drew a deep breath of smoke from his pipe before starting. "Now little ones, this story happened many years ago, after the faerie king had attempted to conquer Hyrule. The hero, Link, had killed the faerie, but some questions still remained. For instance: How had the Shades been found? How did they know Rothe? How did Vaun survive the destruction of the Forest Temple? No one knew it, but Vaun was merely a puppet, a distraction while darker things roamed the surrounding Shadows. One such shadow was Ashir, the apprentice of the wizard, Agahnim!"
PROLOGUE
The air was putrid. Deep in the bowels of the great Hyrule Castle, a dungeon dwelt. This dungeon was kept only for the vilest of criminals. Few guards passed through these halls. The only light to these rooms was a single dim lantern that illuminated the main chamber. Around this main chamber were a dozen cells, each locked. These prisoners were here to die. The air was musty and thick and the smell of rotting flesh and rancid meat hung heavy in the rooms. Inside one of these rooms lay a small man. He spent his days looking up at the ceiling and watching the air move. Sometimes he thought he could see shapes in the air, moving and bending and shifting; calling out to him, begging him to join them in their dark dance. This man had led a full life and was now awaiting the executioner's block, although he half fancied that he was now forgotten, since he had spent almost two years in this filthy cell with no hint of release. This man was Ashir, the pupil of the great Agahnim! He used his magic for fun now, for his cell was guarded against magical attacks and could not be opened with spells. Life was slow. That was about to change. The sound of running feet reached his ears first. Many feet; at least a dozen. Voices he heard second; hushed voices. The sound of the cell lock turning was heard last. The door to Ashir's cell creaked open and his room was flooded with a blinding light. One man ran to the magician and roughly picked him up, carrying him out the door. The others waited out in the main hall, men in dark clothes with concealing cloaks and masks upon their shoulders. Quickly, they ran up the stairs to the main dungeon and then up again to the castle itself. They moved very stealthily out into the castle grounds and then out of the city; the bright midnight light burning Ashir's eyes. His mind was cloudy in the sudden rush of events but one thought kept piercing his mental fog: He was free!
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS... Hyrule. Called by some the Jewel of the Seven Kingdoms. Hyrule was a land of majestic mountains, emerald rivers, and cavernous ravines. Mostly, though, Hyrule was a land of magic. Of course, all of the Seven Kingdoms had the power of magic, but for some reason, Hyrule had more. Its people, the Hylians, were all naturally gifted with magic; it came easy to them. In the surrounding lands, populated mainly with the humans, magic was not so plentiful. Generations of breeding had diluted the magical blood, so humans had trouble performing even the easiest of spells. Hyrule has for centuries been ruled over by the monarchies; the King and Queen, chosen by the gods themselves legends say. Inside their beautiful castle in the centre of Hyrule both were pillars of sanity as the rest of the castle fell into chaos; Ashir had escaped. Link, the protector of Hyrule, the Hero of Destiny, the guardian of the Triforce, was striding through the halls of the castle towards the throne room. Though only sixteen, those who do know him never place him below twenty; the pressures of leadership and destiny have pulled on him long. Passing a troop of guards, Link entered the giant throne room. No one ever entered the Hyrule throne room without stopping in awe. The walls were adorned with rich velvet curtains and tapestries made of the most brilliant colours; the floor was laid with ivory and gold; the ceiling plaited in silver and gems; the entire room centering on the thrones. Both towering above the room mounted on a raised dais, they shone with the light of the morning sun. Made entirely of ruby quartz, these thrones glittered red and reflected the sun's rays throughout the room. Upon these chairs of royalty sat the king and queen of Hyrule. King Torvus of East Hyrule sat in the right-hand throne, his golden sceptre shining in his hands, his red cape blending with the chair, his blue robes piercing the red room like a sword through bread. Queen Mira of West Hyrule sat upon the left chair, her flowing golden gown seemed to surround the seat, her silver crown resting gently on her brow. Both monarchs demanded honour from those around them. Link approached the dais and knelt quickly. "Your highnesses." "Rise Link." Mira said, "You know that it is we who should be bowing before you for the services you have given this country." Rising, Link said, "You summoned me?" "Yes." Torvus announced. "One of the prisoners has escaped, killing two guards on his way. We wish that you should track him down immediately." "Torvus!" Mira whispered scoldingly. Torvus seemed to relax a bit in his throne. "Sorry, Link. I am not yet used to being so informal with my subjects." "No problem, sir." Link said knowingly. Torvus had ascended to the throne when his wife, Princess Mira, was proclaimed Queen of Hyrule following the death of her father, King Gerrik. Link winced as he remembered the day Gerrik had died. Asleep in his room, an illness striking him, Gerrik had been murdered by the evil faerie, Vaun. "I'll do as you ask." "Thank you, Link." Mira said, smiling. Link turned around and marched out of the room to prepare for his mission.
Link returned to his room in the guest wing of the castle. What would he need? This was a tracking mission, so heavy armour was out of the question. Light mail should do. He bent down to pick up the shirt of chain links and his necklace fell out from beneath his tunic. The necklace. It was a small plain ring fastened onto a chain. Idly, Link fingered the item and fondly remembered his time with Malon. The farm girl had given it to him with the promise to return it. He still had that to do. At that moment, the door flew open and in flowed a young girl not much older than he. She was dressed in knee high riding boots, dark green breeches, and a loose tunic of blue belted with a silver belt. Atop her head was a silver circlet. Although she did not look it, she was a princess. But not just any princess- she was Princess Zelda, jewel of all the Seven Lands and youngest sister of Mira. Link stood straight and turned to his guest, putting on the mail. "What's up, Zelda?" he asked casually. "Link!" she said excitedly, "I just got a letter from Julia! She hasn't said anything in over two years! This is great!" Saying that, the young princess jumped onto the bed and began reading:
"Hello Zelda, dear. I hope I find you in good health. I am so sorry that I have not stayed in touch but out here in Delabor, communication is very rare over long distances. How is our dear older sister, Mira? I hear that she has become Queen of Hyrule! She shall make a wonderful queen. Is Torvus still as boring as ever? I do not doubt that he is! He will never change. I wrote to you to tell you of my future plans: I am coming down from Delabor soon to visit, so prepare my room! I am looking forward to revisiting all of our favourite places! I am sorry for the short notice, but word of this Link has spread even up in these frigid lands and Trine is expecting to meet the boy. And the sooner the better! He is getting restless, Zelda. There have been no border skirmishes for over six weeks and he has nothing to do! He is also looking forward to meeting his aunt, you two have not seen each other for so long, why it must be over ten years! Speaking of little ones, dear, have you married yet? If my counting is right, then you must be about the age to start looking, at least. I shall expect a list of suitable suitors when I arrive! Till then, good bye and give my love to the new queen!"
Zelda finished the letter and looked up at Link. "Julia's coming here! That's terrific, Link!" During Zelda's recital of the letter, Link had been busy preparing for his mission but now he stopped. "Who was Julia again?" Zelda tossed a pillow at the boy, laughing. "You remember, don't you? Julia is my older sister; she's the middle child with Mira being the oldest. About eighteen years ago, she and a noble wed and she gave birth to a boy, Trine. That was two years before I was born. Then ten years ago, her husband- I can't remember his name, now- ascended to the Delaborian throne and she left Hyrule to join him. That was the last time I saw her before she visited once, seven years ago. And she's coming home again!" "Good." Link said, busying himself once more with preparations, "Why don't you go tell Mira and Torvus the good news." Zelda jumped up. "That's right! I've got to tell them!" She rushed to the door but stopped short. "Link?" she said turning to face him, "Where are you going?" Link put his sword, the Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, into its scabbard and left the room. "A prisoner escaped last night and Torvus told me to track him down." "Oh," Zelda said as she followed Link out into the hall and towards the main gates. "Well, if you'll wait a bit, I'll go tell Mira the news and then join you! Ok?" Link smiled at her and agreed. "Ok, I'll meet you by the front gate in ten minutes." With that, the two parted company, Link headed for the gates and Zelda headed for the throne room.
Twenty minutes later, Link, Zelda, four guards, and a friend of Link's, Auldric, departed from the Royal Palace all mounted on the finest steeds. The going was slow, though, for Link had to constantly stop and look for the tracks of Ashir. The day was beautiful, Zelda thought; the warm air clinging to the countryside, the cool wind lightly whisking her golden hair; birds chirping happily in the trees. Even her mount, a sandy brown mare called Sufaina, after the beach clinging coral, seemed to help the serenity of the land with her hooves thudding lightly on the grass. Link had led the group in a southerly direction and at this rate, Zelda thought, they would reach the Calatian border in three days. She worried about those people, the Calatians. They were pleasant enough, in their own fashion, but to her they always seemed distrustful and guarded against new things. Really, she couldn't blame them, after all that country has been through. According to the legends and lore of Calatia, the land was once nearly as beautiful as Hyrule, but a fierce magical war had turned much of the territory into either deserted plains, baked by the sun; or strangling forests, were the sun never reached. After this war, the people had just began to recover when a powerful, evil wizard appeared. This wizard was said to be the vile warlock, Agahnim. The same Agahnim who had nearly delivered Hyrule into the hands of Ganon several years ago. Many scholars agree that, though Agahnim lived many centuries ago, it was the same one who Link killed in his pursuit of Ganon- revived by the vile one for his own evil purposes. This ancient Agahnim had ravished the land and killed many Calatians before he was stopped in a great battle with the ancient Calatian hero, Garin. The wizard supposedly died in that battle, but the tales are unclear as to the fate of him. A sudden thought struck the young princess. What would the Calatians do if they discover that Hyrule has been harbouring Agahnim's apprentice? They wouldn't be happy at all, that is for sure. Idly, Zelda twisted her ring as she thought of the possible outcomes: The Calatians could be so furious as to try and imprison or even execute Link and herself! Their hatred for the wizard runs deeper than anything else in their lives. It runs so deep, in fact, that their society scorns any that use magic frequently; including Hylians, like she and Link, who use magic constantly. Very few Calatians have any knowledge at all about magic. "Zelda!" The princess snapped out of her thoughts to see Link riding beside her. "What is it , Link?" she asked. "I said that the tracks we're following have been joined by more." "What do you mean?" Link stopped his horse, Silvermane, and dismounted. Kneeling, he pointed to the ground by his feet. "These tracks are those of Ashir and his friends," he pointed his hand west and swept it to join those tracks, "These, though, are from another group who joined our friend the wizard from the west. I'd say about six who joined the original party of twelve." "What were they doing in the west, I wonder?" Zelda said thoughtfully. "There's not much over there except Northern Calatia. Link, get the map out and check it please." Link opened a pouch on the side of Silvermane's saddle, took out a map, and looked at it for a minute. "Well, there's not much west except for Calatia and Turka. Why would these people come all the way from Turka just to meet with two-bit wizard? That's a lot of ground to cover." Putting the map away, he mounted his horse again and turned to Auldric, who had been silent for the trip so far. "Auldric, why don't you take two men and follow the new tracks and see were they start?" Auldric saluted mockingly. "Yes, sir! We'll meet back at the castle, OK?" Link saluted back and smiled, "Sure thing, Auldric. Good luck." With that, Auldric and two guards turned and headed west.
That night, Link, Zelda, and the two remaining guards posted camp near the Ghanrian River. The river was hardly a river any more, for it had dried up ages ago and reduced to nothing more than a stream. With the crickets chirping all around them, the four made ready to sleep. Link took the first watch, for there were many creatures that roamed the land at night. The surrounding blackness was kept only at bay by the dwindling fire. Zelda was surprised when she awoke to find that the fire had almost died and Link was still on guard. She got up and walked over to were the boy sat. "You should be asleep. You're watch ended hours ago." she said, sitting next to him. Link looked at her in the gloom. "I know," he said, "but, I just can't think of any reason for Turkans to kidnap Ashir and take him to Calatia. If anyone saw him, he would be killed on sight." "I know." Zelda said. They fell into silence for some moments, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Suddenly she spoke up, "Link, when we find these kidnappers, what are we going to do? You said they have about eighteen men. We only have four." Link looked at the ground for some time before answering, "I don't know. We'll just have to hope that we sneak up on them. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Zelda wasn't too sure.
The next morning, the four travellers set out, once again on the trail of the wizard. As they rode, Zelda noticed that the Eridani Mountains could be seen easily; these mountains were the boundary between Hyrule and Calatia and the closer the mountains come, the greater chance that the wizard will not be caught this side of the boundary line. As the day wore on, Link noticed that Zelda seemed very preoccupied. She wasn't speaking much and looked to be thinking a lot. This worried the boy, for Zelda was usually a happy, outgoing person. Something was wrong. Keeping his eyes on the trail, Link found himself remembering the first time he had met the princess. Although it was only two years ago, it seemed to him to be ages. Fighting his way down into the depths of Hyrule Castle and finding at the end, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. She was his age but held a certain charm that made her seem much older. Her shoulder length golden hair and astonishing features were captivating. Of course, Link had said nothing of his attraction to her, but she had sometimes hinted that she knew how he felt and shared the feeling. After freeing Zelda from the dungeon, Link had helped her escape to the Sanctuary were she could be safe. Since that day, he and she had been the best of friends, always by each other's side. They had been on many adventures, and through these adventures Link had gained more popularity than he had ever dreamed of; everyone in Hyrule knew him. His talents had greatly increased and he was considered by many to be the best swordsman in all the Seven Lands, yet still he longed for more. Staying as honoured guest at Hyrule Castle and the constant duty of commanding the Praetorian Guard was wearing on him; he wanted more. As his uncle would have said, "The soul is getting restless." Link had bested everything that rose against him. Creatures were so afraid of him now that most would run at the sight of him. This thought jarred Link out of his thoughts and back into reality: Where were the creatures? This part of Hyrule was usually crawling with nasty things, now there were none to be seen or even heard. "Zelda?" he asked. "Yes?" "Have you noticed that these lands are empty? There are no monsters." Zelda looked quickly around her at the rolling hills and saw nothing. "That's odd." she said, "There should be at least some." They rode in silence, all of them looking around to find a trace of an enemy, but could find none. Suddenly Link caught a little detail. "Birds." The others looked at him. "Birds, sir?" one of the guards asked. "I hear birds. I don't think I've ever heard birds this far south." The others agreed. This was indeed strange. Where were the creatures?
The rest of the day was passed in near silence, as the companions rode on through the strangely safe lands. That night, they camped under the boughs of a large oak tree. After they had eaten their small supper, Zelda lay near Link on her back looking at the night sky. Link looked down at her. "What are you thinking about?" Zelda did not shift her gaze from the heavens. "I was thinking about my family." "You're family?" "Yes. I hardly know them, Link. My mother died when I was very little; I never knew her. My father died almost six months ago; Mira and Torvus became the leaders of Hyrule and now spend all of their time ruling the land; Julia and Trine live on the other side of the world, ruling Delabor. I don't really have anyone to talk to; to confide in, you know? The closest thing I have is probably you, Link." Link chuckled softly. "Am I not good enough for you?" Zelda smiled slightly. "You're the best I could ask for. You've been my friend for over two years now and we've been through a lot together but it won't last forever. You know that. One day, we'll have to stop running around on adventures and leave that to younger people who have all the time and none of the responsibilities." Link laid back onto the grassy ground. "And when do you think that will be, princess?" "Most likely the day I marry." It was a few moments before any other word was said between them. Link murmured softly an agreement. "Yeah, when you get married..." Zelda pushed herself up onto one elbow and looked Link in the eyes. "Link, I know how you feel about me," she could see the astonishment in his eyes, "and the Gods willing I may feel the same about you, too, but I don't think anything could happen between us. I'm of royal blood and it's expected of me to marry a nobleman." She reclined again and resumed her stare at the stars waiting for a response. It never came.
The next morning, it was a blood red sun that crested the mountains surrounding Hyrule. The morning light fell upon Link, Zelda, and the two guards already riding towards the Calatian border. By midday, the mountains loomed over them and Zelda called for a halt. The party stood in a deep ravine that cut through the mountains; in the middle of ravine was a small path- the road to Calatia. "Link, this could be trouble." she said. "Ashir has already crossed the border. I suppose we'll have to tell the Calatian king." Neither one of them enjoyed the task. They both knew that King Eridanus would be furious at the news. An evil sorcerer loose in the land was bad enough, but he was also Agahnim's apprentice; not good news at all. Wordlessly, the decision was made. Zelda turned to one of the guards, "Go back and inform Queen Mira and King Torvus that Link and I are following Ashir into Calatia. Go now!" With a salute, the man turned his mount around and headed back to the castle. The remaining three kicked their own mounts forward into the realm of Calatia.
Auldric and his two companions were having difficulty. The land to the west was very rocky, so a clear trail could never be seen. Once or twice they had come to a dead end and had to retrace their tracks to pick up the trail again. By the end of the first day they had made small progress, coming only five miles from the trail of the wizard. The night passed uneventfully and the new day dawned. That day proved to be better for the trackers for the path was clearer. While Auldric did not posses the same hunting skills as Link, he was above the average. The trio followed the trail as it turned from west to a northerly direction. Noting this, he could be reasonably sure that the trail would lead him to the freezing forests of Turka. Looking at his map, Auldric noticed that the path seemed to be headed towards a small town called North Ridge, which sat along the Western Mountains that divided Hyrule from Turka. They would have to get provisions for a long, cold trip there if the trail did not end at the town. The day passed and night fell. Settling down in the soft dirt surrounding the fire, blankets around them, the three men began to talk. "So," one asked Auldric, "how did you meet Link? You two seem to be pretty good friends." "Well," Auldric said, "about two years ago, I was fishing in the Jarul River when one of those pesky Zoras jumped out at me. I guess I screamed, because before I knew it, there was Link, sword in hand, fighting this Zora before my eyes. I moved away from the fight, not wanting to get in Link's way, when I slipped on a rock and fell headfirst into the river!" The guards laughed at this, "The next thing I know, I'm all wet laying on the riverbank with Link kneeling next to me. He was all wet too, so I guess he jumped in and saved me from drowning. After that, Link and I have been pretty good friends." "You were lucky that Link was there, huh?" Auldric laughed, "Yeah, I guess I was. But since then, I have helped Link out now and then. I saved his life once, you know." The other two laughed, not believing him. "No, really! I saved Link! There he was, surrounded by a group of tektites, with only his sword for a weapon. The tektites didn't see me, so I snuck up on them and cast a fire spell that burned almost half of them! They never knew what hit them! I was coming in, sword slashing, from behind, and Link was still fighting his way through them on the other side. Needless to say, we slew them all." "Get off! You are saying that you saved the Hero of Hyrule?! No way!" "True, true. It's all true." Laughing, the men all drifted off to sleep.
The next day, the three broke camp and continued on their way, following the tracks northwards. The going went peaceably and swiftly and before nightfall, the town of North Ridge was within sight. Cresting a small hill, the men could easily view all of the small town. Before them, they saw many golden lights glowing in the fading sunlight, the mountains beyond shedding long shadows by the red dusk. Riding into town, Auldric quickly found an inn at the edge of the settlement where they spent the night.
North Ridge was the sort of town where everyone knew each other and strangers were easily recognized. It was a typical border town in that the houses were every close to each other; a tightly built town. Also like border towns, North Ridge had very few places of recreation; there was only one small pub that doubled as an inn and the town hall, there was one town fountain in the centre of town, and one small store. When Auldric and his companions had awakened, they had breakfasted and immediately began to search for someone who knew of the six mysterious kidnappers. They met nothing but walls. No one in town was willing to speak with them about the strange men. After several hours, Auldric just gave up; he was going to get nothing from these people. They had just sat down in the pub when a tall man walked up to them. "Sirs," he said, "You are looking for the strange men who passed through town several nights ago?" Auldric eyed the man carefully before replying. "Yes, we are. Do you know of any useful information about these men?" The man looked quickly around him, "Yes. I do. If you would follow, I can show you all the information you need." Saying that, he turned around and left the pub. One of the guards spoke as he watched the man depart. "I do not trust him, Auldric. He is shifty." "I don't trust him either, but he's the first person to even offer us information in this town. Let's check it out." Auldric said, rising from the table. The three men left the pub and followed the strange man down the main street and out of the town into the surrounding grasslands. When they had reached a small shack, the man stopped and faced his followers. "In here are all of the answers you seek. If you would follow me..." He opened the door and entered the hut. Auldric and the two guards followed and were immediately surrounded by blackness. Behind them, they heard the door slam shut making the darkness complete. A faint snickering rose around them and suddenly the house was filled with light. The man had lit a lamp and was smiling evilly. Around him and three travellers were half a dozen battle-hardened bandits, each with a curved blade in his hand pointed at Auldric. The strange man walked up to the trio and took their weapons saying, "All the answers you will ever need." Something hit the back of Auldric's head and he fell into blackness, hearing no more.