A gentle breeze blew over the plains surrounding Hyrule Castle, or what was left of it after the clash of twilight and wrath. Slow as the restoration was, it progressed smoothly under the guidance of Princess Zelda. Naturally, the guard force had to be replenished due to the huge losses it had suffered when Zant originally invaded the kingdom. Some members of the resistance had offered to assist with this, as much as they could without any formal training. For the time being, the role of captain of the Royal Guard had been entrusted to...

"Link."

I make minimal effort to meet Zelda's gaze as she's finally found my position outside the castle's boundaries. I mean the monarch no disrespect, but I can't bring myself to look her in the eye with what I'm about to do.

"I'm surprised that you haven't left yet."

Her voice is as calm as always, but I've learned to pick up the traces of concern within her tone. Being by her side when death threatened both of us had that sort of effect, not to mention the following months I've spent acting as her right hand man while the training of the guard continued. By now, we had yet to train anyone capable of defeating myself in combat, but some have risen to the level of surpassing Rusl, which was good enough in my eyes. The shifting of Zelda's feet on the grass brings my attention back to the present, and I'm once again left with my own inability to meet Zelda's eyes.

Her impatience gets the better of her before my discomfort does, however. "Please say something."

Still avoiding her gaze, a sigh escapes my mouth. "I'm just going to Ordon like always."

"And that's fine," she shoots back immediately. "But if that were the case, why did you not wait for sir Rusl?."

Shit. She's right, I usually go back with him if I ever do take a trip to Ordon village, somehow I'd forgotten.

This time, it was Zelda's turn to sigh. "Link..."

"Don't," I hiss briskly.

Of course, she ignores the request and continues on. "I know what the reports say, I know what it sounds like. But please, I assure you. This is not going to go as you believe it will."

I click my tongue in frustration as the Princess continues her lecture. Since Midna had shattered the Mirror of Twilight, all gates that were once opened by Zant's shadow beasts had closed. Presumably all, at least. The first few months were relatively quiet, but recently there's been civilian reports of strange black doors suddenly appearing at dusk, and fading away just as quickly as if they were merely a hallucination. Conveniently, these reports were all contained the Gerudo Desert.

And she knows that. "Absolute silence for six months, and now we all these people coming to us about the stuff. Day after day, and you think I should just leave it?" My tipped ears begin to heat up from a mix of embarrassment at having snapped at my ruler, but also anger. Anger at who, I wonder. Maybe myself for not being ready to let go, maybe Midna for shattering the mirror. Hell, maybe even Ganondorf for starting all this to begin with.

All the while, Zelda remains silent. I still haven't met her eyes but I can feel that my outburst caught her off guard. Great, now I feel even worse. "I'm sorry," I quickly blurt out. "I have to go, Princess. Even if you're right, even if it's not her, I can't just ignore it. What if it's something even more dangerous than Zant?" The Triforce in my left hand tingles at the mention of the dark ruler. Time and time again, this gift from the goddesses spurs me into action in the bleakest of situations, regardless of the dangers.

As if sensing my thoughts, Zelda looks down to the matching mark on her right hand before flexing her fingers. She remains quiet for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "Queen," is all she says.

"What?"

"You called me Princess. It's Queen, now." Her reply is delivered with a voice as cold as ice and catches me off guard. "And you are the captain of the Hylian Royal Guard, which means you serve me."

Goddesses be damned. I don't even have time to open my mouth in protest before her highness utters her order.

"I, Queen Zelda of Hyrule, order you to travel to the Gerudo Desert and investigate the anomaly that has ignited the hero's courage within your heart once again. And once you are done, you are to return here alive." Just as quickly as the first time, her words have be dumbstruck yet again. For the first time since our conversation has begun, I look up at the monarch, only to be met with her wet eyes, tears daring to spill out.

"Zelda..." My voice is caught in my throat, but I manage to breathe out that one word.

"Please," she huffs. "I don't want anyone else to die under my watch."

There it is. Her honestly strikes me straight through the heart like an arrow. Queen or not, she's still just a girl, only a few years older than me. I may have been fighting my own battles, but so has she. With no other option left in my heart, I kneel down and take her right hand with my left. Our Triforce pieces shine brightly as they come into contact, covering us both in a golden light that can be seen from the Castle Town.

"On my word as a knight, no matter how long it takes, I will return alive to serve by your side yet again. I swear to uphold this oath for as long as the power of the goddesses burns in my soul." I complete my oath, and I feel Zelda's fingers tense up briefly before relaxing in the rough grip of my own. A second hand is laid softly over my own as the world around us seems to slow down. We're left only with the sound of our breathing, and the soft hum of our two golden gifts.

"Go now, chosen hero of the divines. I sense that yet another quest may be beginning for you." The calm tone in her voice returns as she speaks softly, reminiscent of a saint speaking to her followers. Her declaration sends chills down my spine, but strengthens my resolve all the same.

Our hands separate and I slowly rise to my feet as the bright glow surrounding us fades away. I meet Zelda's gaze one more time before offering a resolute nod and turning away. Facing Hyrule Field, I dig out the whistle Ilia had given me months ago from my pouch and blow a familiar tune into it. Some moments later, Epona comes galloping towards me, just like always. I greet the loyal mare by stroking her soft mane before climbing atop her back. I cast another sidelong glance at Zelda before flicking the reins, urging Epona towards Lake Hylia.

Without the convenience of warping, my only option to get to the Gerudo Desert is through the air. We've begun establishing a road to the area but given its distance, the task is taking quite a while. I wouldn't dare ride Epona through that kind of climate either, so this works for me in the end. Ever since defeating Zant and Ganon, Hyrule Field is no longer plagued by an excess of monsters. The occasional Deku Baba or Bulblin can be seen, but they're swiftly executed either by Epona's hooves or my new sword; a gift from Zelda herself to commemorate my heroism. I've since sealed away the Master Sword back where it belongs, until I, or the next hero to follow me, may need it again.

I made a point to leave near the break of dawn to ensure that I reach Lake Hylia by midday at the latest. The desert gets cold at night, so I'd rather traverse it while it's still hot out. At some point during the reconstruction of Hyrule Castle, Darbus had descended down from Death Mountain to offer me a gift: an undergarment that resists high temperatures. To this day, I still have no clue how it was made, but I've taken to wearing it under my chain mail and tunic regularly. Combined with the magical hero's garment woven by the gods, I seem to be perfectly fine walking through fire now, provided I shield any exposed skin.

The trip down to the vast lake is a boring one, and I'm left to hum whatever tunes come to mind in order to pass the time. Finally, with the sun high in the sky above me, I reach a humble shack just outside the Great Bridge of Hylia; Falbi's Flight-by-Fowl. I hop down from Epona and gently pat the base of her neck, signaling that she's free to do as she wishes. I'm not concerned about her finding me again, she always does somehow. I enter the bizarre shack and immediately the familiar smell of Cucco feathers greets me. Forgoing the ladder, I hop down to the main area where Falbi is standing just like always.

"Well if this ain't a surprise!" he exclaims. "I haven't seen you in forever! Come back to play your luck, big guy?"

By now I've gotten used to Falbi's bizarre mannerisms. Hell, they're even a little welcoming after spending so much time in Hyrule Castle. "Sorry Falbi, I just need to get down to the lake. I need Fyer."

Despite the promise of no business, Falbi's cheerful expression remains. "Well, that's a shame! You've just got to stop by and play one of these days, yanno?"

I just can't get mad at this guy. "I'll be sure to. Sorry, but do you mind if I glide down there?"

Just as quickly, Falbi jumps to the side, giving me access to the platform leading down to the lake. "No trouble at all, mister hero! Just come on by some other time, okay?"

I reassure him before picking up one of the wandering Cuccos. As usual, it flails incessantly in my hands, but is more or less incapable of getting away. I take a running start before leaping off the narrow platform and begin my slow descent down to the same place where Fyer is always waiting.

The downcast clown's expression lights up at the sight of me. Whether it's because he's happy to see me or he knows he's getting business is another matter, but frankly one that I'm satisfied leaving as a mystery.

"Been a while, huh, pal." I'm sure news of my status as a hero's reached even down here at some point, but Fyer still greets me as casually as ever. It's a refreshing break from all the fanfare and formalities that I usually can only get back in Ordon.

"You look well, Fyer." Well, as good as he usually does. "I'll be needing an oasis flight."

He raises his eyebrows, but his sly grin hasn't left his face. "Oasis, eh? Got some more business up there?" He waves his hand before I can answer. "Well, none of my business anyways." He steps aside to allow me entry into the huge cannon, still as dark and intimidating as ever. I toss him a yellow rupee on my way in, which he catches with glee and immediately pockets.

The huge door shuts behind me and I hear the trademark carnival music, signaling that I have a few more seconds to brace myself as the cannon spring to life and begins to rumble underneath me. To be honest, I'm not too fond of using this cannon, but I've been through worse. I hear a loud clunk and the cannon stops shaking, which means it's about to fire. Protected by my divine garb, I simply cross my arms over my chest to limit the friction from the wind. A loud "boom" resonates throughout the chamber of the cannon and I'm sent hurtling through the air towards the far off desert.

Some minutes after hitting the peak of my arc, I notice the desert sands getting closer, indicating that I need to brace for a landing. I quickly whip around in the air, freeing the Hylian shield from my back and onto my right arm. I hold it beneath my feet to serve as a landing pad. I hit the sand rough as always, sending a shock through my legs, but the shield allows me to surf along the surface of the desert for a little bit, giving me time to recover. Once my momentum has run out, I step off of the shield and return it to its place upon my back.

I take a deep breath as the hot desert air fills my lungs and reminds me of my time hunting down the mirror shards here. "Alright." The first location I've decided to search is the Cave of Ordeals, where Midna and I had originally recaptured a Twilight Gate. It seems most likely that would be the cause of these supposed doors appearing around the desert. Fortunately, there are more boars around the area now that they're not being held in Bulblin camps, so the trip won't be as tiring. I climb on top of one relatively nearby and spur it in the side with the heel of my boot.

The beast rears back for a moment before charging off in the direction that I've goaded it into, forcing me to cling tightly to the shoddy attempt of a saddle strapped to its back. Nonetheless, after some time I find myself in front of the rock formation that leads up to the Cave of Ordeals. I hop off the boar's back, prompting it to march off and go about its own business. For the time being, everything seems natural, prompting me to investigate further. I don't have the clawshots with me anymore, so I'm forced to climb up the large structure with my own two hands. It takes me some minutes, but I manage to reach the top, standing before the entrance that leads down into the accursed cave.

I had spent some time braving the challenges put forth by this cave after defeating Ganondorf. Eventually, I had reached the bottom and been rewarded by the Great Fairy for my efforts. I pray that I won't have to fight my way down to the base of the dungeon yet again before stepping in carefully, looking around every so often for any signs of abnormalities.

I carry myself through the same motions I've done hundreds of times, cleaving through savage beasts and monsters alike until I find my way down to the tenth floor of the cave, the first resting place of the Great Fairy. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion when I notice that the spirit is nowhere to be found. I slowly walk towards the center of the room where her shallow pool resides. I didn't originally notice it from afar given the dark room, but as I draw closer, it's apparent that something is wrong. The modest spring has turned into a deep abyss filled with dark, murky water. It's not as severe as the massive walls that separated the Twilight from the light, but I can notice particles rising from the pool.

I take a moment to steel my senses before stepping up to the edge of the pool, prepared to delve in, even if it meant becoming a wolf again. The Triforce once again burns in my hand, encouraging me to press on. I lift my foot from the edge and take one step forward, allowing myself to fall in. I grit my teeth in expectation of the pain that always came with shifting to my wolf form, but instead I'm met with an unfamiliar pressure. I open my eyes and look around only to see flames surrounding me, baptizing me in a warm fire. It doesn't hurt, only baffles me. The pressure, on the other hand, weighs down on me and begins to make it hard to breathe. Struggling to keep my eyes open, I slip further and further into the unknown limbo before me until my senses are overwhelmed.

Fatigue. That's all I can feel right now. I've finally regained consciousness and find myself not in the Cave of Ordeals, nor the bizarre wasteland that is the Twilight World, but instead the sensation of regular grass beneath my fingers. I lay on the ground a few moments longer before opening my eyes to confirm what I was feeling, and just as I thought, I'm resting atop grass. A forest expands beyond my sight, loaded with dense foliage and tall trees.

But this isn't Hyrule.

Everything's wrong about it. The grass is taller and even greener than that belonging to the forests of Hyrule. The trees before me are ones that I've never seen in all my time exploring the Faron region. Even the air feels different. I take a deep breath and a new smell graces my nostrils. I can smell moisture, but not like that of the Zora region; it's salty as if I had suddenly found myself by the sea. I take another breath and this time, the smell of smoke overtakes my attention. My body immediately tenses up and the hairs on my arm stand on ends. I quickly whip around and notice that I've been laying on a cliff-side, but more importantly, there's a village before me.

A burning village. I spring up from the ground and take off in the direction of the village with reckless abandon. After defeating Ganondorf, Zelda and I had discussed the nature of our Triforce pieces. As it happens, I bear the Triforce of Courage, which allows me to bear any burden and face any adversary without wavering, but it has another aspect to it. In the immediate face of danger, it strengthens my entire being. The divine power flows through my legs and allows me to charge much faster than any person normally would. As I get closer to the village, the smell of ash and smoke is overwhelming, but I'm still not deterred.

The new stimuli hits me in the face like a crashing wave; the people all around me are massive, some the size of Gorons. Their ears are rounded unlike that of Hylians, leading me to believe that they're human, just like the people of Ordon. And yet they're all so much bigger. The armor they're wearing is just as strange, almost primitive. Their weapons are weathered and brutal, even their swords are a far cry from the elegance my own blade bears. The houses around me are made in a similar fashion to the ones back home, but the differences in architecture are striking. Before I'm allowed to take in more of the confusing sights around me, a deafening roar brings my attention to the skies.

I look up and my skin pales as a gasp catches in my throat. The sky is filled with winged beasts, soaring back and forth. Their precise forms were unfamiliar to me, but it didn't take much knowledge to know that these were what legends called "dragons." The last and only dragon I had ever seen was Argorok, the beast terrorizing the City in the Sky which Midna had described as an overgrown bird. Most of these creatures above me were smaller than it by a large margin, but I could see a couple in the distance that drew close, maybe even rivaling his size.

In the midst of my confusion, I see one of the beasts setting its sights on me, the stationary target. It's a blue reptile with a large head, and a body lined with spines and boasting a dizzying speed to match. I don't have time to stand around and gawk anymore. The hero's spirit within me spurs me into action yet again and I dive to the side to avoid the flame spewing from the dragon's mouth. Missing its target, it returns to the skies to presumably search for another one.

I have so many questions, but this is no time to stop anyone to ask. Every direction I look, there's not a single soul cowering in fear. Every person has a weapon in hand and is poised to fight, regardless of the obvious disadvantage they're at. There's a woman covered head to toe in light armor hurling axes at a brown beast with an almost comically shaped body. A man wearing what could only be described as a leather tunic chasing after a much smaller almost lizard-like creature with a mace in hand. A blacksmith handing out weapons left and right to a seemingly endless line of people. The largest of them all, a burly man with a full red beard marches out of what appeared to be another blacksmith's shop, holding an axe larger than my torso.

"Oi, what's a scrawny runt like yourself doin' standin' around?!" A loud voice from behind interrupts my thoughts. Even though I had spurred myself to action, it looks like I still ended up gawking at the sights around me. "Get indoors or do somethin' with that sword at yer back!" The man quickly chastised me and ran off in the same direction as the bearded man from earlier. I shake my head and push the confusion to the back of my mind for now. My fingers wrap around the hilt of the royal sword, my body still flowing with courage. The sword sings as I free it from the metal sheath designed specifically to hone it every time it's drawn. Like clockwork, I'm immediately forced to dodge another plume of fire, this time from a larger red dragon with long sharp talons. I quickly regain my footing and charge off where the majority of the people seem to be heading.

That is until something else catches my attention. A small boy, even shorter than me compared to the rest of these people, running out from the blacksmith shop that I had observed earlier. No weapons, no armor, just the same reckless abandon that anyone looking at me would see. The difference between us, however, is that he may die.

I change my direction immediately and run towards him, grabbing him by the collar just in time to throw him out of the way of a puff of fire from above. I crouch down, covering my face and hands as the hail of fire rains down on me, spreading out around me thanks to the metal shield on my back and the enchanted garb protecting me. Assuming it had sufficiently roasted me, the beast descends to claim its kill, the same species as the very first one I had encountered, except a vibrant purple this time. From my crouched position, I roll to avoid the talons aimed at my mid section and neck. Springing up just as quickly, I carry my sword along the underside of the beast, drawing viscous blood out from the wound. It's not dead yet, but its desire to live spurs to fly away from me as quickly as it can. Cursing my lack of the Hero's Bow, I'm forced to let it fly off.

My attention is brought back to the boy I had tossed from earlier. I open my mouth to chastise him just as I would Colin, but his astonished look interrupts any thought that I had. This boy was staring at me in absolute awe as if I were a deity. The look catches me off guard as my memory is brought back to the kids of Ordon watching with glee as I showed them how to use a sword. Brushing aside the distant thoughts, I sigh and sheath my sword before helping the young boy to his feet.

"That was- You-" He can't seem to form a cohesive sentence, be it from shyness or amazement. He swallows before straightening out his back and finally asking, "how did you do that?"

This isn't Hyrule. People won't know me as a hero, just a strange man clad in green that appeared to come from nowhere. Keeping this in mind, I pick my words carefully. "I'll answer any questions you have about me, but first I need to know; where am I?"

The question seems to catch the boy off guard, but he quickly scans my clothing before speaking. "This is Berk."

"Berk?" What kind of name is that? The brief answer puts the final nail in the coffin, assuring me that I'm nowhere in Hyrule anymore. I've read every map a hundred times, and even looked into the surrounding areas on occasion in case a new threat presented itself. Not once did I ever come across the name "Berk."

"You know, Berk," he continues. "Viking village, cliff-side terror-" His explanation is interrupted by another blast of fire, this time some distance behind me. He still jumps nonetheless, and my hand twitches as I almost grab for my sword again. "Dragon problem." He chuckles at an attempt of easing the mood and apparently calming himself down, but his expression falls once again when the confusion on my face is still present. "You... really don't know where this is?"

I shake my head quietly. The boy glances around before running back into the shop, gesturing for me to join him. He picks up a sword off the ground and takes it to a grindstone, but he begins talking anyways. "Alright, let me start over. This is Berk; It's twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death." He's an animated story teller, as he waves around his free hand accordingly, keeping the other on the sword he's sharpening.

"It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village, in a word? Sturdy." He pulls the sword from the grindstone to check its sharpness before pressing it back to the spinning wheel. "It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests."

I have a grasp of where this story is going, but I let him continue his monologue nonetheless. "You see, most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have-" He pauses to gesture outside, bringing my attention to a large dark red beast setting a building ablaze. "Dragons," he continues. "Most people would leave; not us. We're vikings. We have... stubbornness issues." He scoffs as I continue to take in his account of this unfamiliar land.

"My name's Hiccup," he says, switching up the focus of his explanation now. He notices the puzzled response I have to his name and laughs, "great name, I know. But it's not the worst." He pulls the sword off from the grindstone and puts it on a table behind him. He walks over to a rack and picks up a much larger axe, struggling with it as he carries it over to the same grindstone. "Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming viking demeanor wouldn't do that." He mutters the last part.

"Tell me about these beasts, then." I walk over to the sword he had freshly sharpened and check the temper in an attempt to pinpoint what kind of culture I'm dealing with here.

"Ah well, got your priorities straight I see," he drones. "Can't blame you though. Killing a dragon is everything around here. Now, a Nadder head is sure to get you at least noticed." He nods in the direction of one of the spiny dragons that I had familiarized myself with earlier. He turns his attention towards a more stubby, brown dragon that looks like something you'd find in a Goron village. "Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a gir- uh... get you some... admirers."

I'm beginning to get the impression that he's talking about his own expectations here, but I keep my mouth shut and listen on. I put down the sword, seeing as how it's given me enough information. To be frank, it's poorly made. It looks like it'd shatter upon contact with anything hard enough to deflect it. The edge is sharp, but unpolished and uneven. I'm questioning whether or not it's even steel or just cheap iron. Regardless, it seems apparent that whoever these people are, they're far less advanced than Hylians are.

The boy who called himself Hiccup continues on with his breakdown of the dragons around us. "A Zippleback?" He points to a bizarre two-headed monster with necks longer than a Kargaroc's body. "Two heads; twice the status." Another dark red dragon swoops down to attack what appears to be a tower fitted with a catapult, this being one of the few dragons comparing to Argorok's size. "And then, there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire." Like clockwork, the beast's entire body goes up in an armor of flame as it crawls up the base of the tower, where the large bearded man I stopped earlier was standing. Rather than running, the man swings his hammer at it haphazardly, bashing it across the face twice before it has a chance to bite at him.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little impressed, but I've little time to admire the effort as the boy continues talking. "But the ultimate prize is the one dragon no one's ever seen." I raise an eyebrow at the peculiar statement. "We call it the-"

Before he can finish his sentence, an unfamiliar sound catches his attention. It's indescribable to me, and all my senses cry out imminent danger. The shrill sound of the very wind shearing serves as a warning for all the people in the village.

"Night Fury!" I hear someone shout. Before the man even finishes his last syllable, another voice cries out, "get down!"

Not even a second later, an explosion strikes a distant tower. The blast is so potent that I can see the purple shockwave from here. I stop breathing for a moment and the Triforce threatens to burn a hole in my hand to keep my fear from mounting.

Hiccup's explanation rouses me from my stupor. "This thing never steals food, never shows itself and-" The sound again. With even less warning this time, the same explosion strikes the tower again, this time bringing it to crumble. "Never misses," he finishes.

Even the power of the Triforce doesn't stop a cold sweat from coating my forehead. I haven't felt this fear in a while, but this beast certainly deserves it. In the short time I've been here, none of these creatures compare to what I just saw. A blast that powerful could rip my shield right out of my hand, assuming it doesn't just shatter both the slab of metal and my arm in one go. The sheer speed of which it seems to fire off a second shot baffles me. I'd die, I'd surely die.

I close my eyes for a brief moment and memories of all the hellish creatures I've carved through in the past flash through my mind, ironically calming me. I can't count how many times I've thought "I'll die" while on my adventure. I've witnessed power that toppled Hyrule Castle like it was nothing, and still lived to tell the tale. These thoughts slow my heart beat and calm me down, prompting the Triforce to cease its burning sensation. I bring myself back to reality only to see Hiccup fumbling about with a large contraption, appearing to be a small wooden cannon.

"What are you doing?"

"No one has ever killed a Night Fury." Is he really still wrapped up in his idea of fame? "That's why I'm going to be the first."

I've seen Gorons less thick-headed than this kid. He bolts out the shop with his contraption on wheels before I can stop him. As I run out to pursue him the same purple dragon I had slashed through before lands in front of me, its eyes red and filled with rage. I only have an instant to drop behind my shield before it lets out a stream of fire. The shield heats up, but it holds. Noticing that its surprise attack was foiled, the beast attempts to take flight again.

"No you don't!" I huff out before leaping, barely managing to grab onto its leg. It roars and fusses in protest, but has no time to wrench me off before I pull myself onto its back, being careful to avoid the many sharp spines adorning its spine. I feel it beginning to twist in an attempt to force me off, but there's no time. I draw my sword and slash at its left wing in one fluid motion, eliciting a cry of pain from the creature. It's going down now, but I'm not stopping my assault. I take another strike at its remaining wing to ensure that there's no chance of it escaping. It crashes into the dirt, my extra weight preventing it from making a proper landing. Not wasting another moment, my blade finds its mark deep in the beast's skull, drawing out one final roar before it falls limp.

The skirmish over, I let out a breath of relief and return my sword to its sheath, flicking off the blood first. There are some gawking at me, others commending my effort, but the majority of the people here are still focused at the main task at hand; preserving their village. I look around for the boy before hearing the telltale sound of the wind shearing yet again. My grip on my shield tightens in case the strike is aimed for me. Another explosion rings out in the distance, this time at a metal tower. In the midst of the resulting flame, I catch a glimpse of a shadow falling towards the forest along with a pained yelp.

I'm not the only one confused, as I see some of the so-called "vikings" that took cover now looking around in the same direction to determine what just happened. Suddenly, I think back to Hiccup's proclamation just moments ago and change the focus of my search instead from the dragon to the boy.

No. You cannot be serious. My brain won't allow me to believe that this symbol of death itself was brought down by that kid. And yet, my vision locks itself onto a small figure in the distance jumping in celebration, the silhouette of his contraption next to him, albeit looking different now. Despite my bewilderment, I can't stop the corners of my mouth from raising into a smile. "The kid actually did it," I mutter to myself. This reminds me of when Colin saved Beth, even if the situation is different.

But not everyone's as impressed as I am. Namely, not the dragons. I notice one climbing over the edge of the cliff that Hiccup's standing on and suddenly my body is an arrow. Silently thanking my enhanced speed, I push my legs to their limits as Hiccup pushes his in an attempt to escape from the beast. It's in full view now, and it's the one that he had described as a "nightmare." Hiccup finds a hiding place behind a reinforced pillar, which at least blocks him from the onslaught of fire. It's not done, though. I can see the overgrown reptile attempting to creep around the pillar, and hasten myself even further. I'm not the only one; I can see someone running towards Hiccup in the corner of my eye. I'm faster, though. The maw of the beast opens to strike at the cowering boy, but my shield collides with its snout first, sending it careening back.

"Move!" I howl at him. I'm standing between the huge beast and the boy now, sword and shield raised. I don't look back to see whether or not he heeded the warning, as the dragon before me doesn't seem to be too happy about being battered with metal. It roars furiously before its entire body goes up in flames, once again donning its infernal armor.

I've dealt with this situation once before when I was forced to defeat Darbus' Twilit-cursed form, so I don't feel much fear or tension mounting within me. But nonetheless, this thing is faster and I can't ignore that. I let it strike first, an invitation it gleefully takes. The Nightmare lunges forth with a predictable bite, but catches me off guard by immediately turning to lash at me with its tail. I throw up my shield and catch the blow, sending vibrations through my arm.

I grit my teeth and grunt, but that's it. This dragon is strong for sure, but my shield absorbs most of the force. It's definitely intelligent, as it tries to take advantage of the brief time I'm spending recoiling by spewing flames. My right arm is still numb from blocking the tail, so I can't raise it quickly enough. I drop to the ground in an instant, the flames passing just over me. I hear a gasp of surprise behind me, but no screams, so I'm free to continue fighting. The dragon notices my position on the ground and breaths in again, but I'm already on the move. I push myself off the ground and charge straight under the beast's wing. The action catches it off guard, but my target is clear. My blade makes an arc in the air above me and cleaves off the entirety of the wing at the base, eliciting a shrill howl from its owner.

"Not yet!" I respond in kind with my own war cry. Despite losing a wing, the dragon attempts to take flight, lopsided from the lack of balance. Its other wing is revealed to me and I quickly take my stance for a Jump Strike. My feet leave the group and my first slash rips through the flesh of its wing, impeding any slim chance of escape the creature had. The second overhead strike cleaves off a section of the appendage and draws out another roar of pain. Only left with hind legs as support, the dragon's head crashes to the ground, narrowly missing me as I jump out of the way. I leap into the air, sword raised with intent of delivering a Finishing Blow. The beast looks up at me with what little strength it has left as my entire body falls towards the center of its skull.

But all I see is fear.

There's no rage, no fury, not even confusion.

Only fear.

"Wait," I gasp. But it's too late. By the time I realized my mistake, the royal sword's already found its place through its head, just like before.

I stand over the head in silent shock for a moment, but a deafening roar of cheers bursts from around me. I pull my sword out and sheathe it quickly, not even remembering to wipe away the blood covering it.

That wasn't right. That wasn't right.

My thoughts are racing and each one is screaming at me in objection of what I had just done.

They're not supposed to look at me like that. Nothing ever has. Every Deku Serpent keeps trying to kill until the moment it turns into ash. The humanoid Bulblins always howl and curse up until their death. Even the intelligent bosses I've slaughtered don't look at me like that.

So why did you?

My hands are shaking, but the cheers around me continue. Someone pats me on the back so hard that I almost fall over. It's all too much and I feel like I'm about to vomit. But the crowd begins to quiet down at the peak of my anxiety, and the soft burning of the Triforce calms me down ever so slightly. I turn around and I see the bearded man from earlier walking towards me. He's much bigger than I thought, almost as tall as Darbus and certainly as strong looking.

I'm expecting questions, but receive none. Only a soft and low, "thank you."

My mouth is probably still open from my previous thoughts, and all I can do is blink in response. He stutters a bit, but continues.

"For saving... my son."

Your son? I shift my gaze towards Hiccup, who was not-so-discretely trying to escape from the situation. "He is your son?"

The man glances over at the boy, who offers a wry smile in response, now that he can't get away. The father's expression falls and the mood changes.

An awkward pause lingers over everyone before Hiccup blurts out, "okay but I hit a Night Fury."

Any tension breaks as the large man marches over and picks up his son by the collar of his clothes and begins carrying him off, sounds of protest fading into the distance. Once again, I'm left by my lonesome with the conflicting thoughts that had bubbled up after killing that dragon. Or I would be if not for the large crowd that had gathered around me.

I'm bombarded with questions and praise yet again, a feeling that I'm frankly not used to. I notice an opening in the crowd and slip through, chasing after Hiccup and his father. The people behind me don't make much attempt to catch up, but even if they wanted to, I'd still be outrunning them. As I get close to the duo again, it sounds like he's being chastised, albeit understandably so. Not interested in eavesdropping, I clear my throat loudly enough to interrupt them. They both turn to face me, Hiccup looking grateful that he doesn't have to endure any more of the lecture.

"Are you the leader of this village?" Applying Goron knowledge to these people, I assume that the largest one must be the chief.

"Aye, that I am." He steps away from his son to properly face me. Seems that they're not as primitive as I had previously assumed; at the very least they had manners. "Stoick the Vast. Chief of Berk. And you are?"

I draw my sword and thrust it into the dirt between us, keeping a grip on its hilt. In the months I've spent under Zelda's watch, I've gotten used to this formal greeting that I didn't even realize the possible difference in customs. "I am Link. Captain of the Hyrule Castle Royal Guard and sworn protector of Prince-" I clear my throat to correct myself. "Queen Zelda."

My introduction falls on deaf ears, however. "Hyrule? Queen Zelda? Are those names I should know?"

Ah. I'd forgotten in all the chaos. If I've never heard of their village, of course I should expect that they may not know where Hyrule is. I attempt to think of an excuse, before Hiccup cuts in for me.

"Oh, I've heard all about it, dad, don't worry. It's uh... across the sea!"

Farore's mercy, he's bad at lying. And yet-

"Across the sea, is it?" Stoick turns back to me. "What brings you to Berk then?"

My turn to lie. "I was traveling to a distant island on behalf of my Queen, but it seems that I got caught up in a storm and drifted here. My boat was destroyed and I washed up on the shore. I happened to find your village by chance." I can see the skepticism on his face, but he doesn't seem wary of me.

"I'm not sure I get it, but what I do get is you saved my son and even killed a Monstrous Nightmare. That earns you a place here." Despite his huge size, the man appears to be quite warm towards others, at least when he wants. I initially think about rejecting his offer, but remember the bizarre circumstances that brought me here in the first place. I've no concept of where in the world I am, and I can't even contact Zelda like this. Perhaps staying here to gather information is for the best.

"Thank you." I pull my sword from out of the dirt and return it to its sheath, prompting a strong nod from the massive chief. My mind left idle yet again, the dragon I had just killed is brought back to the forefront. "If you don't mind me asking..." I can't be so blunt as to inquire about what I just saw, but I can at least try to broaden my horizons. "That attack just now. Is that a common occurrence?"

Stoick's entire body heaves as he lets out a heavy sigh. "Aye, unfortunately. The devils seem to attack us about once a week now, but it's not always that high in numbers. I don't know what they're after, but we have to find a way to put an end to their constant assaults."

Zelda's words resonate in my head as he continues on. I don't know much about these creatures, but I know this village needs help. Perhaps if I get directly involved here, I can piece together more information about why I've been brought here as well.

"As a knight, I can't turn a blind eye if your village is in need." I shift my tone to the formal commanding presence I had built up over the past six months, catching both Stoick and his son off guard. "Let me help defend your village from the dragon threat." I pull off one of my gauntlets and hold out my hand towards the burly chief. He looks at it for little more than a second before meeting me with his own firm grasp.

"If you can fight like that, they won't stand a chance."

I nod in response before pulling back my hand and putting the gauntlet back on. I can't keep thinking about the dragon forever. Whether or not they're malevolent, it doesn't change the fact that this village is under attack by those same creatures. Whether I've been brought here by chance or by the will of the goddesses isn't a concern in my mind. The hero's spirit burns within me, even if these people aren't my own. I've made up my mind, and my new quest presents itself.

I will protect these people.