Hello! LocalTalent53 here with Chapter 10! This one is a bit "meh-ish" in my opinion. Too short. Still, the most exciting chapter of Part 1 has yet to come. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: All characters and places are copyright by Nintendo and its respected companies. However, Nintendo does not own the Pendant of Peril, the dark wizard, and some other characters I did not name here.

Chapter 10: The Pendant of Peril

The dark returns.

I need the perfect soul… The same wicked voice from earlier. A chain rattles.

Suddenly, the black becomes a dim room. The man is in the shadows, at least, that is where his voice comes from. A girl, with waist length red hair in a plain dress. She is shackled to the cold wall.

Tell me, girl, where would the perfect soul be?

…I-I don't know what you're talking about…

And what of the Pendant?

…I-I…do not understand…

The room grew colder.

You lie. Do you want to end up like THEM??? A wall nearby slid open, revealing a pile of corpses, all of young maidens. The girl's eyes widened, but she did not say a word.

Now, my little ranch worker, where did he go? Did he take the Pendant? No response. Or is it that YOU have the Pendant?! A shadow, cloaked in an ash black robe, hood and all, proceeded briskly toward the girl, almost floating over, it would seem. Do you have it? Are you going to speak? Or do you…DEFY ME?!? The room darkened once more, but the girl did not reveal or utter a single phrase. The room lightened up. You, little girl, leave me with no choice.

A flash of sorcery dimmed the room, and the girl was now shackled the opposite way; she was now facing the wall. The dark man then drew a whip, a most particularly foul whip with serrated bristles. He then cast it upon the girl's back. She screamed in agony. The result was a tear in the back of the dress, red fluid oozing out. Blood.

What's the matter, girl? Are you going to cry? And he cast the whip again and again and again. Each attack left its mark.

Then he stopped. The girl's dress was ravaged, and countless scars were now visible. Blood had dried upon her back. The man raised the whip one last time. However, before he could strike it down, the girl gasped only three phrases.

Lyna Forest! Mycenia Village! Up the River!

My terrified shouts echoed throughout my bedroom. I glanced outside to see it was still dark. Still an hour before the rising of the sun. I knew I couldn't sleep, so I did what I thought was best; I left the room, and hurried down the tower. I made my way to the opposite tower, and managed to reach an elegant door. I opened it, and stepped inside.

Zelda was sleeping in an enormous canopy bed, designed of silk. I crept over, and lightly shook her awake.

"Wuh-what?" She sat up slowly. "Archie? It's…early in the morning…"

"I know, but I woke up, and I cannot sleep-"

"Shouldn't you be in bed, young hero?" murmured a quiet voice. I gazed over at Ceaye.

"Oi, your time wit' the princess is up," came a rough voice. I was suddenly grasped by Kingsley, Zelda's personal servant.

"B-but I had a dream! A nightmare!" Zelda's eyes shot open.

"Release him." Kingsley obliged.

"You saw a man?" Zelda asked, sitting lazily on the throne. I nodded. "And a girl? And you say she tipped this man off to your village?"

"Yes. And there was talk about a pendant-"

That did it. Zelda leapt up from the throne. "I think I know what's causing this problem," she declared, and reached into the top of my shirt.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted. She gasped, and pulled her hand out. A trickle of blood ran down her glove. Her finger had been pricked through the glove. "What?" I asked, and reached in my shirt. Something was poking my chest, and it was sharp.

I pulled out the pendant.

"It didn't look like this before," I stated in confusion. Indeed, it was not the same. The silver curves of the pendant had now curved into points!

"What's happened to it?" I asked.

Zelda was taken aback. "…it's, …it's the pendant! The Pendant of Peril!"

"Huh? The 'Pendant of Peril'? What?" I inquired. Ceaye was frowning by now, and Kingsley had left the room. Zelda stepped toward me, and explained.

"The Pendant of Peril is a magical pendant that brings peril to those who bear it." Well, that pretty much explains the attack on the village, the death of Caw, the kidnapping of Uunco, the attack from the pig like creature, the brawl at Kakariko, the failure demonstration, the underwear dilemma, the magic armor, the pathetic first day of training, and now this, among other things.

Zelda continued. "It must want to return to its creator. It wants you to bring it to…the dark wizard."

I gapped my mouth open. "This pendant was created by a wizard?!"

"No, a sorcerer. The dark wizard, to be exact. He forged this monstrosity for the Evil King. We haven't seen or heard from the wretched sorcerer since the fall of the Evil King. This pendant was created to pull the evil one out of his prison. It was meant as a last resort. However, when the King himself was sealed, the pendant disappeared. For years, so did the dark wizard. If you had a dream of the sorcerer, then he is obviously at work once more."

This was a lot to handle in the mind. "So my pendant is the Pendant of Peril, and an evil wizard wants it to…?"

"To bring a reign of darkness to the land of Hyrule. Your village was destroyed because someone had this pendant."

"But, that means…Jaq…how could he…?"

Zelda patted my shoulder. "Have faith. We have the Pendant. The dark wizard does not. Your journey will begin tomorrow if you pass Ceaye's test."

Oh, joy. "Still, I want to learn wizardry."

"No! Magic is dangerous, and only a fool would think of meddling into it. Do not even think it."

I sighed, but began walking off anyway. "I'll see you in the morning then, I guess," I called to them.

"It already is morning," Ceaye noted, "and you test begins now."

A cliffhanger! Why do I write cliffhangers anyway? Read and review!