The Hero of Time. Pretty nice title right? Well, it is if such a hero is needed. But when the bad guy is defeated and peace returns to the land, nobody needs a hero. They fade into the background. Just another commoner searching for his next meal. Such is my current situation. After I defeated Ganondorf I was welcomed as a hero, a feast was held in my honor and everybody wanted to know me. But that was years ago. Now I spend most of my days doing what I can to get by. Deliver milk for Lon Lon Ranch, deal with a troublesome poe in the graveyard. Odd jobs that pay just enough to get me to the next day. And speaking of, I think it's morning.
"Hey!" said a small, high-pitched voice as I slowly woke up. "Link!".
"What Navi?" I said groggily as I slowly opened my eyes to see a blue ball of light with wings hovering just in front of my face. "It's time to get up, the drawbridge is lowering" she said. I sat up rubbing my eyes and looked to my right and confirmed what Navi had said. The giant iron and wood bridge was lowering, opening the town beyond up to the rest of Hyrule. It does this every sunrise, and closes every sunset. I stood up stretched, yawning as I did so. I turned and bent down to pick up my belongings, which included my shield, adorned with the Hylian crest, my pack which contained all my various equipment and my sword. Not the Master Sword unfortunately. That sword is where it should be, inside the Temple of Time, sealed behind a door that only a few can open. This sword is just a standard issue Hylian sword, very similar to one you might find attached to the hip of a soldier. I picked up my wallet and opened it. Inside of it were three blue gems and one green one. "Only 16 Rupees?" asked Navi, who was hovering by my shoulder. "Yeah, Talon is getting stingy with his payments." I say "Says that business is slow lately and he can't afford to give me much". I close the wallet and tie it to my belt. "Come on Navi, let's go get some breakfest" I say as I start towards the now completely lowered drawbridge. It's suprisingly cool and breezy today, despite it being summer. As I approach the bridge a guard standing near the wall waves groggily. "Hey Link" he says without much emotion. The Hero of Time may not be needed, but everybody knows the guy in the green shirt. Me and the guards get along fine, so long as I dont try to show them how to do their job. Which I have done. And probably will do. I waved as I passed him and walked into Castle Town's main square. Already the place was bustling with activity. Stall owners were hawking their various wares. The Bazaar owner, Fado, was moving crates from his latest shipment into his store. Children were chasing a chicken around the square, giggling as they did so. The smell of something being cooked demanded my attention. I traced the source of the smell to a small stall with a red awning. A sign out front read "Freshly cooked meat stew!" And although it didnt specify what kind of meat, it smelled delicious. I walked over to the stall and was greeted by a short, round man with a grimy chef's hat on his head. "Why hello there young man!" he said "Want some stew?". I looked at the big pot which he was making it in and was slightly disgusted as it was a very ugly shade of yellow with bits of what looked like beef mixed in. "How much?" I asked.
"25 rupees a bowl" he says with a yellow smile. "Don't you think that's a bit high?" I asked, raising my left eyebrow. "25 rupees kid. If you cant afford it then move on, I got other customers to serve". I looked over my shoulder and there was indeed a line starting to form behind me. "Well what can I get for 16?" I ask. The cook bends down and pulls out a lump of stale bread from under the counter and holds it out in front of him. Not really wanting I think about just leaving, but my growling stomach makes me fork over the money and take the bread. I walk over to the fountain and sit against it, examining the bread. "That looks like a rock" observes Navi as I tear a chunk off and pop it in my mouth. "Yeah well it sure tastes like one" I say whilst attempting to chew it. I'm about halfway through when I hear someone call my name. I look up and see a streak of red hair in the crowd and know instantly who it is. "Hey Malon" I call as she walks over. She's wearing her usual farm girl outfit, a white dress with a purple bandana tied around her neck. She sets down a crate of milk bottles she was carrying, no doubt fresh from the ranch, and sits down next to me. "What are you eating?" she asks with a quizical look on her face. "Bread. I think".
"Dosen't look very bread-y" she says as she pulls out a bottle of milk from her crate. "Here, this'll help wash it down". She hands the bottle to me and I take it greatfully. Malon has always been nice to me. We knew each other when we were kids, although a large portion of my life was taken from me by the Master Sword, we still know each other better than most. "Hey Navi" she says as I start to down the bottle. "Hey Malon" Navi chimed cheerfully as she usually does around Malon. "So is Link annoying you yet?" Malon asked playfully "I mean he just dosent shut up does he?". "Never" says Navi "all day its just 'wah wah wah wah'".
"Oh shut up you two" I say grumpily, yet also trying to suppress a smile. Malon laughs, which attracts stares from onlookers. But she dosent seem to care. "Well unfortunately I have to go" She says "Dad will get mad if I take too long. Bye Link. See ya Navi!" she says as she walks away towards a stall. "See ya!" me and Navi say nearly at the same time. "We should probably get moving too huh?" says Navi. I look at the sky and see that its nearly midday and I still dont have a job yet. "Yeah, let's go see if Fado needs help with anything" I say. I get up and shove the last of the bread in my mouth. I notice that I forgot to give Malon her bottle back and since she seems to have vanished, I shove the bottle into my pack. I walk into the Bazaar and find the owner stacking various deadly weapons and such on his shelves, which are packed with everything from poison tipped arrows that will make you vomit your stomach out, to a fluffy toy animal with a big heart stitched onto its stomach. "Mornin' Fado" I say as I walk in. We weren't exactly friends but he had given me more jobs than most. He turns and looks over his shoulder at me, pre-occupied with attempting to balance a sword on its hilt against another such stack.
"Ey there Link. Come 'ere for more work?" he says. "Why else would I willingly choose to come in here?" I say with a half-grin. "Oh come now" he says "there's no need to be like that...and, got it" he declares as he moves his hand away from the stack of swords, hands on his hips, admiring his work. "Now" he says as he turns towards me "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, I have no jobs for ya'. The good news is, there's a job out on the board that's paying quite a bit of gem." I turn and look through the window at a large wooden board propped up on two legs with various pieces of parchment hanging off of it. The board was put up for people such as myself who had a knack for getting into trouble, but we're fairly good at swinging a sword. "I suppose I'll go have a look." I say. As I exit the shop I hear a large crash followed quickly by "DIN DAMN YOU!". As I turn my attention toward the front of the shop, Navi comes fluttering out and hides inside my cap. "Navi" I say. "What did you touch?"
"Um. I may or may not have unintentionally bumped one of his swords." I chuckle and, not wanting to get punched, walk over to the board. I find the parchment Fado had spoke about, which was fairly easy considering it was the largest piece on the board. The parchment had a rough sketch of what looked like a Stalfos. Below it, it read
"WANTED. This Stalfos has been seen terrorizing villages, attacking merchant caravans, and attacking military camps. Do not bother with capturing it alive, the Princess has declared that she wants it dead upon sight. Your reward shall be 500 rupees. Bring its head to the front gate of the castle to recieve your reward. Good luck."
"Strange" I say, mostly to myself "Stalfos usually dont crawl out of their various caves, much less without someone to lead them" Either way, I'm going to kill him. I shrug my pack off my shoulder to take a quick inventory. Most of the items I obtained on my various adventures I no longer have, as I sold them in exchange for a meal. What's left consists of my Hookshot, Bow and a dozen arrows, the Lens of Truth, the half-empty bottle of milk Malon gave me and three gems, each of a different color. I sling it back over my shoulder and head towards the drawbridge. "Uh Link?" Navi inquires "Do you have any idea where this Stalfos is?"
"No" I say matter-of-factly. "But if I were a criminal, there's one place that I would seek refuge" I walk out of the city and take a left where Epona is tethered to the fence I slept against last night, drinking water from the moat surrounding the town. "Come on girl" I say as I untie her reins from the fence and swing myself up onto the saddle. "Let's go visit the Gerudo" I turn her towards Hyrule field and jab my heel into her leg. "YAH!" I shout as she shoots forward, eager to run again. If you haven't done so before, riding a horse at full speed through a field with the sun shining down on your back, is one of the best experiences you can have. It takes a little bit of time but I finally arrive at the southern part of Hyrule and slow Epona down to a trot. The temperature changes from a nice cool day, to a sweltering hot one as I cross the bridge that seperates Gerudo Valley from the rest of the world. I take off my green cap and put it in my pack, shaking my blond hair loose. I dismount Epona at the foot of the stairs which lead up to the fortress and tie my pack to her saddle, as its already hot enough without it. I walk up the stairs and am greeted by two Gerudo guards, wearing their classic loose purple pants and top that leaves their stomach and shoulders exposed, which is where their tan comes from. As I get to the top the guards cross their spears in front of me. "What is your buisness here, boy?" she spit out the last word with disgust.
"I'm here to see Nabooru. She knows me, I'm Link" The guards look at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do, as they are clearly new at their jobs. "Go tell her" the guard on the left tells the other. The other guard thinks about it for a moment, then walks off towards the fortress. A massive structure composed of several sun-bleached buildings, carved out of sandstone. A few moments later the guard comes back, "She says to let him in." I start towards the fortress, following the guard. She leads me through a doorway, up a set of stairs, and into a medium sized room where Nabooru, leader of the Gerudo sits behind a table, counting rupees. "Link!" she says cheerfully as I enter the room "To what do I owe the honor of your company?" She's wearing her usual outfit, the same as the rest of her fellow thieves, but her top is white and her pants are a deep pink. She has her hair tied back into a ponytail and has jewels adorning her forehead. "Well it's not an honor anymore, but I came to ask a question" I stated as I leaned against the stone wall. "Ask away" she says as she stands up and sits on the table, cross-legged. "Any chance a Stalfos has passed through here lately?" I ask, trying not to eye the large pile of jewels behind Nabooru. "A Stalfos? I dont think I've seen one of them for a couple years now, much less in my own territory. Why do you ask?"
"A job was posted on the board in town" I say, somewhat dissapointed "said it would pay quite a price for his head". Nabooru seems to think about it for a moment, "Well I havent seen any lately, but a contact of mine in Kakariko says that someone has been attacking her caravans lately" she says, hopping off the table. "You might go ask her".
"Thanks for the info" I say as I stand up straight "great to see you again as always" As I walk down the stairs I hear Nabooru call my name. I turn and look at her "Yeah?" she reaches behind her and tosses a red rupee into my hands. "Your wallet seems a little light" I smile, silently thanking her and continue walking down the stairs, putting the red gem into my wallet. I exit the fortress and walk back into the heat, although its lessened now that it's nearly sunset. I get back to Epona and notice that someone has left her a bucket of water to drink. I consider taking a drink myself but decide against it as I have no idea where her mouth has been. I mount her and tug on her reins, aiming her towards the direction I came in. "YAH!" I shout as she takes off. The sun drops ever closer to the horizon as I ride across Hyrule Field, pleased that the temperature has dropped again. The sun finally sets just as I reach Lon Lon Ranch. I think about going inside to ask for a bed for the night but decide that since they're all probably asleep already, I'll just sleep against this tree instead. I hop down off of Epona and tie her to the trunk of the tree. She instantly lies down and droops her head, tired from running around all day. I take off my scabbard and place my sword and shield on the ground as I sit back against the tree. I stroke Epona's white mane and gaze at the stars, as they're quite abundant tonight. I slowly drift off into sleep, greeted with a dream. Most nights I have nightmares, visions of torment and pain. But tonight seemed to be a dream, rather than the alternative, which was a pleasent suprise. In the dream I recounted my various adventures. Saving princess Ruto from Jabu-Jabu's belly as a child, winning Epona in a race with Ingo. Then my dream transported me to somewhere else. I'm standing on a small island, with a single, bare tree. The island is surrounded by water, but its not even an inch deep. I step off and look around, but there's nothing here. Just water as far as the eye can see. I turn back around and am suprised to see someone standing there. He's all black, skin included. And, if I'm not mistaken, seems to be identical to me, save his color. He's staring at the floor, unmoving. I walk closer to him, sword in hand. As I arrive at the edge of the island he looks up at me and his eyes, his eyes are pure red, glowing menacingly. I start to back up, taking care not to look away as I fear it might take it as submission. Then without warning, he lunges.
"AHH!" I shout as I am forcefully ripped out of my sleep. I calm down, realizing it was a dream. But then I start to panic as I look down and see ropes tied around my lower torso, binding me to the tree. I look around alarmed, Epona is also gone, as is Navi. I think about shouting for help when I hear a voice behind me.
"Ah, you've awakened" says a deep, smooth voice behind me "I was hoping you would." He walks around the tree and crouches in front of me.
"You're him" I say cooly, more angry than scared "The Stalfos everyone's looking for." He smiles, or maybe that's his regular face, considering he's a skeleton. He's wearing a long black leather coat that goes down to his ankles and a pair of black trousers with black boots. Call me crazy, but I think his favorite color is black.
"Clap clap" he says "Give the Hylian a prize" he gets up and starts fishing through my pack, pulling things out and tossing them on the ground. "Where is it?" he demands, rather than asks. I have a feeling I know what he's talking about, but unsure, I play stupid.
"Where's what?" I ask. Looking around for my sword, which is now resting too far away for me to reach.
"The Ocarina. I know Zelda gave it to you after you killed Ganon." What he said was true, however I've hidden it since then, predicting that this would happen. The Ocarina is the key to opening the door to the Dark Realm, where Ganondorf is trapped.
"I dont have it." I say, "I dropped it long ago, could be anywhere by now." He puts down my bag and walks over to where I am, barely making any noise. He puts a skeletal finger under my chin and lifts my face to his.
"Now Link" he says, like a mother disiplining her child "We both know you're lying. Now, where is it?" I spit in his face in response, which he wipes away with one finger.
"I'll die before I tell you where it is." I say defiantly, which is true. He stands up and places his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Well" he says, drawing his sword "If that's what you want" Suddenly he thrusts the sword into my gut. Searing pain engulfs my body as I scream and cough up blood. The sword pushed all the way up to the hilt, embedded in the tree behind me.
"I can just interrogate your little fairy friend." He says without emotion, as if my death has somewhat bored him "I'm sure she'll tell me." I'm losing a lot of blood, it's running down stomach into a rapidly forming puddle below me. He yanks the sword out, which causes even more pain to shoot through me. I try to stay sitting but I'm losing conciousness.
"Well I suppose this is goodbye" he says "It's quite sad really, we've only just met." He suddenly gasps "Oh goodness me, where are my manners? My name is Horuda." he chuckles to himself as I slowly bleed out on the ground. "Well" I think to myself "at least the view is nice" The stars seem to get brighter, my vision turns white. And I am no more.