Author's Note: Sorry this came in later than usual. I do many things at once, and I'm not sure anymore about that comic I said I could do. Lazyness? Maybe. Anyway. At least I finished this chapter here! So, have a nice read! And don't forget to leave constructive criticism! Thanks!

The city of Naïbou was as large and populous as Hyrule's Castle Town. There were merchants everywhere calling out to people in the maze-like streets and people came from all over the land to trade, buy and sell. This city truly was a labyrinth, for the houses all looked the same; made out of dried earth, they were almost all modeled like large cubes with multiple decorations. This aspect made the city a lot more interesting, as the residents were very colorful in their decoration choices and clothes. The Gerudos here would wear veils and clothing with vribrant colors and motifs, as well as many trinkets and jewels in their hair and tribal painting on their tanned skin. All those aspects made the Gerudos very attractive and their friendly behaviour toward merchants helped making the city a good spot for trades. Because it was so well guarded and ruled by the city's head mistress, it held one of the most used prison in the land. Thieves, bandits and murderers would be sent there before any trial. It was said that this is where Ganondorf was before being sent to the Sages for his execution…

Once again passing himself as a mindless dog, Link had to follow Rusl and Colin, who were walking around the city since the morning, asking questions. When the storm ended, he had tried to locate Ilia's scent, but the wind had blown it away entirely, erasing any traces in the sand. They had really lost her. Now, they were asking questions about her, but there was still nothing yet.

"Excuse me," he heard Rusl say for the hundreth time that day, "have you seen a young woman pass through here? Maybe she was with some people?"

The wolf looked up at the guard; like all Gerudo guards, she was dressed lightly, with a sleeveless tank top, shoulder plates and a styled helmet that let her long braid out. Her puffed out pants helped giving her curves an even more appealing look, and her eyes, cold as ice, were long and seductive. That was the feeling a Gerudo normally gave to people. The guard looked at Rusl, moved her eyes to Colin, and down to himself. In capes and geared up like this, they probably looked more than simple merchants.

"How did she looked like?" she asked them.

"Well, about this tall," he said, gesturing everything, "short, brown hair, dressed like us."

While he was describing, Link looked around them. They began their search in the main market that morning; Beth and Talo left on their own side to look as well, but still they had no news about them yet. The wolf looked up at a peculiar wall that stood nearby as fence to separate a group of houses from the market itself. It had many small posters on it; all with a face, and a wanted price. From what he could see, many were worth quite a lot of rupees. Many were Moblins, others were Bulblins, and some were humans or others; Hyrulians, Gerudos, Zoras… There were so many.

"I'm sorry, no. I haven't seen anyone corresponding to that description. Is there anything I can help you with?"

As he was looking at all the faces, Link froze on one particular human. His face was that of a man that had lived a life of crimes and survived many battles, and his bounty was a generous four thousand rupees for his capture, alive. Placed on a beaten up face trying to hide scars with a three days beard, his eyes, even drawn, were in a piercing glare that dug a thousand daggers in one's back. However, no matter how dreadful they might seem, those eyes were… awfully familiar… but he was too far away to really see that well. He pulled on his leash, which Colin held, but the young man was taken by surprise and pulled back, saying:

"Woah, calm down, boy…"

Link turned to face him and pulled on his leash once more, trying to tell him that he wanted to see. Confused, Colin furrowed his brow and looked back at his father, who turned to see what the fuss was about. The moment his head turned, Link pulled as hard as he could and the man had to let go of the leash, setting him free. Link quickly turned and ran up to the wall, Colin on his tail.

"Link!" Rusl called out. "Come back here!"

"Your dog does not seem particularly obedient," the guard commented in a chuckle.

In front of the wall, Link stood up on his hind legs and held himself up against it to take a good look at the picture. Those eyes… Where had he seen those eyes…

"Bring that boy over here with the others!"

His eyes widened. Could it be…?

"Link?" Colin asked him, stepping next to him to hold the leash again. "What's wrong?"

The wolf started growling deeply as his memories flooded his mind. He had seen this man before, long ago. He looked at the name the wanted poster gave. Geis the Hunter. What was he hunting? was the first question to pop into his mind.

"Who is that?" Colin asked to the guard, who walked over with Rusl.

She looked down at the picture, furrowing her brows.

"Mmh… That's one of those many bandits out there. A creature hiding as a man, I always thought. Your dog is smart if he sees a monster just looking at the picture."

Colin bent down next to him and petted him on the scruff of his neck, trying to calm him down.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. "You know this man?"

Link looked up at him and set himself back down on the ground. He nodded his head. Yes, he knew that man from somewhere. The only thing left was to find out where… or when… Rusl walked up to the poster and took a look at the man. However, where both Link and Colin had thought he would brush it off, he gasped in surprise and brought all the attention. His eyes were wide.

"I've seen him!" he declared in shock.

"Really?" the guard exclaimed. "Where?"

"It was long ago," he said, "when this man and his band of bandits came riding into our village."

His eyes moved on Link for a brief moment, in which Colin asked:

"Really? You never told me that!"

"You wouldn't remember. You weren't born yet."

"And that man left you all unscathed?" the guard asked curiously. "It is usually known that he kills all or kidnaps them."

"Two of our villagers didn't make it… We were lucky he didn't burn down the whole town!"

The Hero remembered it all. He knew where he had seen him. Why hadn't he thought of it? It was so long ago… yet none of these memories would leave him. He would make such terrifying nightmares that kept reminding him of that day. Now… that man… He quickly turned to Rusl and barked out loudly, making all turn to him. He barked some more, standing up to scratch the poster with his claws. Colin looked intently at him, before turning to the guard.

"You wouldn't happen to have an idea of that man's whereabouts?"

Rusl looked at him quizzically, as if he were crazy, and so did the guard, but still she answered:

"We know he's hiding far out at the end of the Valley, in some old fortress. Well, that's what he calls it, but it's gotten more like a ruin. It's near the Colossus."

"If you know where he hides, then why has no one stopped him yet?" Rusl couldn't help but ask.

"It takes courage to come sneaking in a thieves hideout," the Gerudo guard told him seriously. "Not many have it."

"Near the Colossus, huh…?"

Rusl looked down at his son.

"Do not even think of it," he told him harshly. "We don't have time for that. Think of Ilia."

"Maybe she's over there!" Colin argued. "It's even close to our destination."

"Nothing tells us she's there. She could be anywhere for all we know!"

Link sighed deeply and looked down the street. It would take a while for them to decide. For the moment, no one in this city knew anything about Ilia. Unless Talo and Beth came back with some good news, they would need to leave this city and look in the immense desert…

Talo sighed. They had been walking around the city since morning, and he was getting pretty tired. Further up ahead, Beth was finishing speaking with someone and waved to him.

"Come on, Talo! We've gotta get back to the others! There's nothing more to do here."

He waved back, as a sign he heard her, and slowly dragged his feet behind her. That sure was a waste of time, he told himself. Yawning, he was turning the corner of a rather large house, when he overheard some noises coming from a smaller street. He turned his head and saw a small lizard run out of the street, as if in a panic, and when he lifted his gaze, there were some people speaking, whispering to each other. Too curious for his own good, he looked at Beth, who was already down the street, and looked back at the hidden people. With a sneaky smile, he slowly walked toward the back alley and quickly hid behind the closest wall, lending an ear in to listen carefully. They were speaking to each other in the common commercial language, showing that they weren't Gerudos.

"So how do you plan on making it there in time?"

"We'll probably be late for a day or two, but at least we have a few new workers for him. He should be grateful that I'm taking the time to make the journey there!"

"A few new workers you say? It should calm him down, well, if they're useful. When are you leaving?"

"In an hour or so. My caravan is waiting just outside of town, I came here just to meet you. Again, be grateful I'm patient!"

"Oh, Geis will be, don't worry. Now where's my payment for that thing I took care of?"

"Here…"

Talo blinked many times. Just what were they talking about? New workers? You didn't need to be so sneaky when taking in new employees, except… they were slaves. Talo's eyes widened. Maybe… It was the only clue he had. He needed to tell this to the others! However, when he made the first step out in the street, his foot landed on the same lizard as before, and it suddenly shrieked out so loudly that many heads turned to him. His ears cringing, he stepped away from the lizard, stuttering:

"S-sorry, little guy!"

"That kid was listening in on us!" one of the voices of the street said. "Bring him here!"

Talo turned and saw two tall men dressed in brown capes and gear, walking quickly toward him. They were wearing hoods and scarfs, hiding their face perfectly. Metal screeched against hardened leather as they drew their curved swords out of their scabbard. Talo's heart suddenly exploded in his chest. Run. That was the only word that came to him. Stepping back a few paces, he suddenly turned on his heels and ran out in the street, the two mercenaries on his tail. He had to run and dodge all the citizens in the traffic, yelling apologies everytime he hit someone. He finally saw Beth, on the far side of the road, and shouted out:

"Beth! Run!"

She turned back, saw him, then the two men pushing everyone out of the way, followed by a bunch of guards trying to catch up, and her mouth hung open. Talo ran next to her and caught her arm, dragging her along in the run.

"What are you doing!" she yelled at him, trying to follow as best as she could.

"All I want you to know, is that it's not my fault!" was his only answer.

After traversing nearly the whole town, they came in view of the rest of their group, on the other side of the market; he could even see Link attached to the cart with a leash, and Colin and Rusl putting boxes of supplies in the back. They had to get there! The market was full and as they ran they could hear the people panic as mercenaries and guards pushed all in pursuit. They dodged and slided between people, carriages and stalls. Talo tried to run between two rather large men, but they moved too quick trying to dodge as well, so he had to turn right to find himself in front of a fruit stall. At the last moment, he jumped on it and stepped on fruits trying to make it to the other side, answering to the yells of the merchants with:

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! Don't put your hand there! Careful! Sorry!"

He suddenly tripped on a large, round fruit and abruptly face-planted on the ground, where he lay for a couple of seconds, groaning.

"There he is!"

He looked behind him, spitting out sand, and saw the mercenaries running toward him at an alarming speed. Panicking, Talo quickly jumped to his feet and they carried him like he was flying toward Beth, who yelled at him:

"Hurry up!"

"I'm hurrying!"

He joined up with her, and they both tried to retrieve the speed they had. They could clearly see the cart now; Link was thrashing and jumping in place, pulling on his leash to go help them. Rusl and Colin both turned to look and their sudden gasp made them let go of the box they were carrying. As Rusl drew his sword and started his run toward them, Talo suddenly felt his clothes being pulled and he was harshly stopped and thrown to the ground, where a foot landed on his back. Beth shrieked, but he was seeing stars for a moment and only heard the man behind him mutter:

"You're gonna pay for that, kid…"

"Let go of him!"

The foot left his back and he was able to move, but Beth quickly came up to him and helped him stand up. He looked back, and saw Rusl blade to blade with one of the mercenaries, trying to push him back. Behind them, Link wouldn't stop barking and snarling. Colin came up to them, asking:

"Are you two okay?"

Before they could answer, the group of guards that had followed from all over the city finally caught up, and the melee became a total mess. They had to draw back to the cart, and Colin tried as best as he could to keep an eye on his father in that clash of swords; Rusl pushed back the taller man and attacked on the side, only meeting the air, but he skillfully dodged a hit by ducking, where he rolled to the side to evade another. The man was fast, faster than he was, but Rusl was agile and thus was able to easily evade his hits.

"Link, calm down!" Beth called out to the wolf, who was pulling on his leash with even more animosity. "It's alright, look, one of them is already tied up!"

Those words didn't even faze him and he sprang forward, with such strenght that the carriage moved a couple inches. Colin followed his gaze… and realized he wasn't even looking at the fight. He was looking a good meter to the right, toward a crowd of people trying to evade the fight and gawking at the melee. He didn't know what the wolf could see, however… He looked back at him. Ears flattened like horns, muzzle deformed, teeth ready to tear… and eyes red like two small suns. What? He leaned forward and took a closer look at his friend. Weren't his eyes… blue? Almost suddenly, the cries of the melee stopped, and it made him turn. The two mercenaries were sprawled on the ground, unconscious, and the guards were starting to drag them away to the notorious prison of Naïbou. His father was coming back, sheating his sword, and he saw Talo trying to walk away.

"Talo," Rusl almost growled, fists on his hips. "Stop right there, lad. What did you do?"

"What told you it was me! It could've been Beth!"

"That's because you're always the one getting in trouble, idiot!"

"You have some major explaining to do."

Colin looked back at Link while Talo started his tale in a stutter. The blue-eyed beast was back, calm, and was looking up at him, suddenly wagging his tail. Had he imagined what had just happened? He must've had a concerned look, for the wolf bent his head to the side and whined, as if asking a question. Colin blinked. What just happened?

Her head was throbbing. It was the only thing she was aware of for the longest time. Everything else felt numb. After only the Goddesses knew how much time, her eyes fluttered open, as if waking up from a deep coma. She couldn't make out her surroundings, or remember what had happened… She had been waiting for Link… She had smelled something horrid… And then nothing. Blackness had engulfed her, and now here she was, tied to what seemed to be a pole. Her head dangling, she groaned in pain and tried to move, but the ropes were too tight.

"Shh, don't move. It's no use."

Her eyes rolled up forward. She was sitting in what seemed to be a rather large cage. There were many wooden poles all around, to all which there were people tied to. They were men, women, and a few children even… At least a dozen of them all around her. Hylians, Gerudos… all travelers it seemed. At the front of the caravan, there were other people, however, these were dressed differently, like they wanted to act like camouflage in the desert. There was no city around; just distant canyons and dunes… Confused, she looked next to her and came face to face with a Gerudo; she was young, perhaps even her age, and, like her, dressed like a travelling merchant. Her long hair was a mess, but it still held on as a braid, and she had a bruise on her left cheek.

"Good to see you're awake," she told her softly with her rich accent. "You were hit pretty good."

Ilia blinked a few times, trying to clear her head.

"Wha…? What happened…?"

"The same thing that happened to all of us," she answered.

Ilia observed her surroundings. She took in a deep breath. It wasn't the first time she was captured, but it definitely did not mean that she was getting used to it, nor that she knew what to do.

"Where are they taking us?" she asked her.

"I don't know. I've never been this far out in the valley. There are no cities in this direction, well, I think so. Were you alone when they took you?"

Ilia remembered Link, setting off to fetch the others. The cave was so beautiful…

"No… Well, just for a moment. My friend was going to get the others. We discovered this cave we could've used to shelter from the storm, but… I guess it was occupied…"

"At least your friends are alive," she told her, a small smile stretching her pulpy lips. "What's your name?"

"Ilia. Yours?"

"Kene. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here. If we're all going to the same place, I guess we'll all need to get acquainted, no?"

"Yes. Most people here are from my group."

She pointed to all those she knew and told her who they were; there was her mother, two aunts, her little sister, and a Zora, a friend of the family. To survive in the desert, he was wearing some strange clothes that, by an unknown magic of their people, seemed to always remain damp. This leather was covered with thousands of miniature scales, suggesting it belonged to a fish. Everytime Kene would introduce someone, that someone would turn as much as she or he could and would crack a smile; they were definitely worried about what might happen to them. Most of them looked like they had gotten into quite a fight.

It took them two more days to arrive. They entered the maze of an immense canyon, whose walls cast long and welcomed shadows on the caravan. Many horse riding bandits came running to meet them and escort them, but what shocked Ilia the most were the animals that accompanied them; Wolfos, whose jaws were kept closed with muzzles and movements restricted by leashes. They didn't seem wild, instead used to the presence of humans… The large, monster-like wolves growled at the caravan and all pulled on their leash to go and sniff them out, but their masters held them tightly, and the caravan advanced further in the canyon. They came on a headland hidden between walls, and Ilia couldn't help but hund her mouth open, much like all the others around her, whom cast looks of disbelief all around. The immense building here looked like a fortress of sort; or what was left of it. Some of the walls were falling appart, and the oasis growing all around it had invaded its interior, as they could see moss growing out of the windows and a tall tree sprouting out of one of the roofs, seeking out the sun coming down in the canyon. There were bandits on the roofs, pointing bows with arrows at them, and Wolfos attached everywhere to poles with chains and fences to keep them in. The caravan stopped. One of the mercenaries opened the cage and untied everyone.

"All right all of you! Come out! From now on, you belong to the Hunter, and you'll do as you're told!"

As she stepped out and helped Kene's aunt get out as well, Ilia gulped down her nervousness. She was definitely in a lot of trouble.