Link sat under the awning outside of his uncle's shop in the quiet, little port town of Outset Village. The village was a peaceful place, full of niceness and generosity. That's how Link and his friends always remembered it to be.
"Not long before you were born," said Link's uncle, who sat beside him in the shade, "things were far different. Nary a month would conclude without incident."
"I know, Uncle," said Link said with a bored yawn. "The pirates would keep attacking the village. You've told us this story a thousand times."
"Ah, those forsaken pirates," his uncle continued, ignoring Link's complaint. "They'd invade again and again, raiding the shops and taking over the inn. They were nothing but foul pillagers and fiends!"
Link acted as if he was sick of his uncle's story, but in reality, he was just as captivated as ever. His best friend, Fado, sat next to him, listening gleefully.
"The villagers put up a fight, of course, but by the end of the day, they were far outnumbered. Whatever more could they do but hold steady and wait for the raids to blow over, every single time?"
"Here comes the best part," Fado exclaimed, beaming.
"The day finally came when I had just about enough of the pirates' villainous actions," said Link's uncle. He stood up from chair and stepped into the sunlight, striking a heroic pose. "I, Sturgeon the Great, took up my blade and I sought to fend off that pirate scum. Ah, but don't be fooled. They didn't go down without a fight. Night fell and still, the sounds of iron clashing against steel could be heard echoing across the village. It wasn't until I led the charge that day that our village finally showed its true grit. Whatever remained of those filthy pirate scoundrels ran back to their ships—the ones we hadn't yet lit aflame, that is—and sailed away, back to the hellish lands from whence they were birthed. And that, as they say, is that."
Fado jumped from his chair with applause and Link couldn't help but smile. He was proud to be of his uncle's heroic lineage and he hoped that one day he would find the opportunity to show his bravery and make a name for himself. Link, too, would be a hero. That is what he believed.
"Ah, but that's all in the past," Sturgeon said with a cough. "I'm just old man now and things are as peaceful as they'll ever be. Still, it doesn't hurt to relish in my heroic status for just a bit, now does it?"
Link's uncle let out a hearty laugh. Just then, Fado's older sister stepped up to the shop.
"Well, well, Mister Hero," said the young woman. "Looks like you're teaching the kids their local history. Again."
"Oh, don't you give me that pout, Sue-Belle. Putting myself on a pedestal every now and then is good for the soul, let me tell ya!"
"I know," said Sue-Belle with a sigh. "It's great that you're such a big legend and all that, 'Sturgeon the Great', but can't you please stop giving my brother bad ideas? Before you know it, he's going to start swinging around swords and goodness knows what else!"
"Come on, Sis," said Fado. "Mr. Sturgeon's story is great! What's the big deal?"
"Fado, you're going to end up hurting yourself," Sue-Belle said, sternly. "It's just a matter of when. I know firsthand how dangerous weapons are. I may have been a little girl during the pirate raids, but I still remember everything I witnessed. Stop letting Sturgeon fill both of your heads with thoughts of grandeur. And that goes double for you, Link!"
"Wait, what?" said Link with surprise.
"Don't think it's not obvious that you want to be a Knight of Hyrule," said Sue-Belle, pointing her outstretched finger at Link. "I am so tired of having this conversation all the time. You think just because your uncle is famous, you're obligated to live up to his name. But you're not, Link! Just…" Sue-Belle trailed off and sighed again.
For a moment, she went silent and Link, Fado, and even Sturgeon looked down at their boots, neither of them willing to argue back.
"Listen," she said, after clearing her throat. "That's not why I came here. Sturgeon, we need you over at the inn. Mayor Kaepora and the others are going over the plans for the ambassador's trip to Hyrule. Some of the councilmen are trying to make last minute adjustments to the plans and everybody is getting really heated and it's all just such a big ruckus. I could really use your help."
"No problem, Sue-Bell! Sturgeon the Great, to the rescue," Link's uncle said with a laugh. "The two of you can hold down the fort, I trust?"
Link and Fado both nodded in agreement and Sturgeon and Sue-Belle walked alongside the shops and buildings that lined the port until they disappeared around a curve, just past one of Outset's many piers.
It was a bright, sunny afternoon. The fishermen had already gone home after returning from a long morning on the open sea. Herring gulls flew in thick flocks, round and round, laughing and cawing over the waves. A sure indicator that the sea's harvest was still ever bountiful, even after generations of villagers fishing in these very same waters.