Link opened his eyes with a start. The ceiling he was staring at was thick gray stone. He wasn't familiar with this place. How did he get here?

As he sat up, he remembered the events that had transpired the previous day - the attack on Hyrule Castle. Every muscle in his body ached, and those that had ached before now felt as if someone was taking a needle and stabbing him every few seconds. Just the simple act of reaching up to scratch his head sent fire through his arm.

Looking around, he appeared to be in a sort of...barracks? Beds and cots filled much of the room. Link was sitting in one now, on top of the covers. Square windows lined the walls, but they were blocked with what looked like red, transparent crystal. The light that filtered into the room was tainted red as a result.

A scraping sound came from the cot across from Link. He snapped his attention to the sound, fearing another Constellatia. It was just a soldier sharpening his sword.

"You're awake," the soldier said.

Link rubbed his unkempt hair. He found his hat on the floor beside his bed and risked the pain to his muscles by reaching down, grabbing it, and putting it back on his head.

"Where do you get one of those?" the soldier asked. He stopped sharpening his sword.

"One of what?"

"Those hats."

Link sighed. "Sorry. You have to be an official hero chosen by the goddesses to get one." The soldier continued staring at him. Link shrugged. "It's how I got mine."

The soldier resumed sharpening his sword. Link massaged his shoulders and looked out the crystalline window next to his bed. The red crystal made it hard to tell clearly, but it looked like the sun had completely risen.

"What time is it?" Link asked.

The soldier glanced out the window. "Oh...noonish, I'd say."

"Noonish?" Link exclaimed. His stomach rumbled on cue. He groaned. He hadn't wanted to sleep in this long, even if he had spent half the night fighting for his life.

The soldier pointed to a wooden table beside Link's bed. "The princess didn't want to wake you up without a good night's sleep. With this in mind, she gave you a few morning gifts so you could leave as soon as possible."

Link surveyed the table's contents. A red potion in a glass jar, a pack of dried meat, some food on a cloth, a canteen, and a note rested on top of the table while his bow and quiver - restocked with arrows, Link noticed - laid against it. He grabbed the note and began reading.

Dear Link,

I hope you have rested well, despite the events of the past days. You need your strength if you want to traverse the Gerudo Desert and eventually fight the Constellation King. As such, I didn't want to wake you, but I've prepared some items so you can leave quickly. On the table beside you, you should see a red potion, some food, and your bow and quiver. Byron had the quiver personally filled with as many arrows as it could safely hold. He extends his thanks for your assistance yesterday and says he regrets not being able to see you off.

The red potion should cure you of aches, pains, and minor injuries. Please drink it before you leave. The dried meat and canteen are meant for your journey. Water is scarce in the desert, so use them wisely. The rest of the food you see is your breakfast or lunch. I hope it isn't too stale by the time you read this.

If you still want to leave the Master Sword in our care, please set it on the table and we will come pick it up later. Its ability to repel evil should keep it safe, so don't worry about it.

Don't spend too much time in the desert, Link. If you don't find the Compass within a few days at most, come right back to Hyrule Castle. The Sword of the New Moon and your special talent will be critical in the war against the Constellation. We will be preparing for the worst-case scenario in the meantime. It's also in your best interest to locate some Great Fairy's Tears for your leg paralysis. If you remember where the cave with the Great Fairies is, I suggest you go there before leaving the desert.

Please come back safely.

Zelda

Link admired the princess's tact. His "special talent" was the Triforce of Courage. He set the letter back down on the table and reached to detach the Master Sword from his left hip. No wonder he was so sore - he'd slept with all his weapons on. He laid the sword on the floor for the time being, swung his legs over the bed, and grabbed the red potion, draining all of it in one sitting. Next, he carefully took the cloth with the bread and cheese on it and set it in his lap.

The soldier across from him sheathed his sword and leaned forward on his cot. "So, uh," he began, "did I hear right that you're off to the Gerudo Desert?" With his mouth too full of bread to answer, Link nodded. "That's a dangerous place. I remember going out with a regiment to catch a group of bandits hiding out in the desert once. It was terrible."

"I've been there before," Link responded. "Months ago."

The soldier nodded and slowly looked away. "Pretty nasty, isn't it? There's nothing but nothing there. Except for the moldorms. My regiment kept getting into trouble with those beasts. What brings you to the desert?"

Link finished his loaf of bread and went on to the wedge of cheese. "I, uh...I'm looking for something important in the war against the Constellation. With luck - a lot of luck - we'll be able to nip it in the bud, and there won't be much of a war at all."

The soldier's expression lifted at this news. "I hope so. I'm not looking forward to going into battle against those things. Yesterday was enough for me." He watched Link eat the cheese for a bit. "And...what do you do for a living? Are you a mercenary or something?"

Link hesitated. "Goat wrangler."

The soldier blinked in surprise. Link took a large bite of cheese to avoid having to answer another question.

To his relief, the soldier didn't inquire any further. Link finished his meal, stored the dried meat in his tunic pocket, and hung the canteen from his waist. After attaching his quiver and bow to him, he stood up, feeling much less achey as a result of the red potion. He said goodbye to the soldier, took a swig of his canteen, and left the barracks.

The Gerudo Desert could be reached on foot, but it was quicker and easier to launch there from a cannon in Lake Hylia. He wasn't giddy at the prospect of exploring the "peak of fantastification," but sacrifices had to be made on his journey.

He wanted to refill his current food and water supply before leaving for the desert. He knew the market wouldn't exactly be "open" in current circumstances, so he asked a soldier guarding Hyrule Castle where he could go to restore his supply. After being pointed in the right direction, he walked off the castle grounds, hand resting on the Moon Sword on his back just in case he met any Constellation.

The soldier's directions took him into the eastern part of Castle Town, winding down stone alleys to take shortcuts. Every so often, something skittered away in his peripheral vision. When he turned to see it more clearly, it was gone. He readjusted his grip on the Moon Sword.

The silence was disturbing. Castle Town was meant to be a joyful, loud, almost festive place, but now, not a soul was out. Everywhere he went, he was reminded of the dark times he was living in. First Ganondorf, and now the Constellation...he seemed to get himself wrapped up into every major event.

He stopped in front of a one-floor stone building. The glass windows around it appeared to be barricaded by various things. One window had been cracked open, and a gouge mark buried itself in the wooden barricade behind it. He stepped forward and rapped on the door.

"Who is it?" a female voice called through the door.

"My name is Link," he replied. "I'm here for food and water. This is the right place, right?"

A few seconds passed before sounds were heard behind the door and it swung inward. Link quickly stepped inside and dropped his hand from his sword hilt. The girl, hiding behind the door, slammed it shut. A man helped her push a bookcase in front of it.

The market had essentially been moved inside this large building. Several stalls - most of them empty - were scattered about the room. Light came from fires, and as such the room was very dim. The wooden floor made a thump every time he set his boot down.

The girl who had opened the door for him strode past him and whispered a few words to someone who looked like a merchant. The man's face brightened. He walked over to Link, introduced himself, and led him to a stall.

Several minutes later, Link walked out of the building with enough meat and water to last him several days. Satisfied, he found his way back to the center of town, went down the south road, and exited through the gate. He was on his way.

Reaching Lake Hylia on foot would take an hour or two. Since Epona wouldn't have anywhere safe to stay if he rode her out, he had decided to leave her back in Castle Town. Even without her, he knew a quick (if unorthodox) way to get to Lake Hylia.

Link was standing in a portion of Hyrule Field, a vast expanse of green that stretched all the way around the town he'd just left. Lake Hylia was in the west. Normally, it would take a long time to reach even the outer fringe of the lake, but he knew a shortcut. To Link's right was a wide, circular cliff that led straight down to a river, and the river, in turn, led to Lake Hylia. Lake Hylia, finally, bordered the Gerudo Desert.

Within a few minutes, Link stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down. A fast-paced river ran down below. The sound of rushing water filled his ears. He closed his eyes and laughed silently.

Was what he was about to do stupid? Yes. Was he going to do it anyway? Yes.

Stretching his arms out, he jumped off the cliff and held himself in a diving position. Ten seconds later, he burst through the surface of the water. He instantly felt his body being tugged down the river. Before he had time to gather his bearings, he went over a small waterfall and tumbled over, losing his sense of equilibrium. He spun around, trying to get a feel for where he was. He finally broke through the surface of the water and gulped in air. His chin bobbed dangerously above and below the river. Mist and water sprayed his face constantly, making it feel like he was being attacked.

He swam thus for about ten minutes. The rocky ceiling above him began breaking away to reveal the mouth of the river tunnel. At last, he plunged over another short waterfall and into Lake Hylia's territory. He treaded water and looked into the distance. Fyer's cannon was a long ways away. All Link needed to do was swim to the island closest to him and walk to the cannon from there.

Fyer ran a sort of "amusement ride" in partnership with a (creepy) man named Falbi. Fyer's end of the amusement business consisted of blasting customers to Falbi's spot via a super-sized cannon. Falbi would let customers sail by Cucco wing back down to the lake and repeat the process. Link had never found any of it particularly thrilling, especially the feeling of being shot from a cannon.

He reached a small island after ten minutes of hard swimming. His limbs burned from the strain. He sat on the island for five more minutes, water lapping at his back. When he felt he was rested enough to continue, he stood back up, climbed up the island, and limped down the bridge. Most of the islands in Lake Hylia were linked by wooden bridges unless they were too small or too isolated.

"Well, look who it is!" Fyer called. Link raised his hand in greeting as he approached. Fyer was a short old man with a slightly hunched back. Like Falbi, he wore brightly-colored clothes and face paint in an apparent attempt to make himself look more "fun." Link thought the bright-pink sweater was a little outrageous, and deep down, he believed Fyer thought the same thing.

"Been going for a swim?" Fyer chuckled as Link stopped in front of him, soaking wet. "You're that eager to see me, eh? What'll it be? Another trip to the top of the lake?"

Link wiped the dripping water off his forehead. "Oasis flight."

"Oasis flight?" Fyer repeated. "Sure thing, pal. Just remember, you're getting back on foot."

Fyer moved out of the way and turned a crank, opening the metal hatch in front of Link. The cannon could pass for a tall house with a pink roof to the casual observer. Swallowing, Link stepped past the hatch and into the tiny dark room it had covered. The hatch slammed shut behind him.

"Alright, just a second," Fyer's voice yelled. "I'll get this thingamajig turned around so you don't wind up halfway across the eastern forest... Kidding, of course. And, uh, as always, if you could recommend me to other people you meet, as I'm sure you're a traveling man, that would be much appreciated..."

Link ignored him and prepared himself for the blast. He didn't know how Fyer had managed to safely blast people out of a cannon miles at a time, but the important thing was that it was safe. The giant cannon he was in began spinning around slowly. Over the noise of the rotation, he thought he heard Fyer whistling. He felt the cannon elevating, getting ready for the launch. Come on, just get it over with. Perhaps Fyer's other customers enjoyed the suspense of waiting for the launch, but Link had never used the cannon for amusement, only to get quickly from one point to another.

The cannon turned sideways, throwing Link to the floor. It rocked up and down for a bit, steadying itself. Power built up for the blast. Link scrambled to his feet. As soon as he did, he was thrown from the cannon. Wind streamed past him. The lake below him sped by faster than Link thought possible. Water soon became land, and land became desert. He was traveling miles in moments. The Gerudo Desert was known for its many cliffs and fissures. He'd never fallen down one before, but if Fyer had miscalculated something with the blast...

The ground below him slowly grew closer as Link's flight path descended. Sand blew into his face. He'd already well-entered the desert. He watched the ground carefully. Alright, Link. Epic landing. Come on.

The ground seemed to rise up to meet him. Link attempted to land solidly on both feet and skid to a stop. The moment he hit the ground, his paralyzed leg gave out and he fell into a roll. His momentum carried his tumble onwards, creating a cloud of sand and dust around him. He tumbled off a ledge, rolled in the air, and landed on his stomach thirteen feet below. The wind whooshed out of his lungs.

As the dust settled, he sat up and coughed. What a ride. The sun beat down on him from above. No clouds obscured the sun's rays, which would make for a very hot stay in the vacinity. It was a beautiful view with the blue sky and orange sand, but Link would have traded it for cooler temperatures. He stood up and surveyed the land before him.

This was the Gerudo Desert.

And just as before, Link had no idea where he was. The top of the Arbiter's Grounds protruded from the horizon on the right. Otherwise, Link saw no definable landmarks. Sand dunes, cliffs, some rock structures, and more sand dunes made up all he could see. The occasianal Peahat - a hovering plant with mobile roots - floated above the landscape.

Link turned around. If he needed to find his way back, he could just follow Death Mountain in the distance. That would lead him back to either Lake Hylia or Hyrule Field. He decided if he couldn't find the Constellation Compass by the end of the third day in the Gerudo Desert, he'd head back. He only had enough food and water to last him five or six days at best, and moldorm meat wasn't high on his list of edible foods.

There was no need for a tent or blanket. Link had marked the locations of a few shelters on his first journey to the desert. Since moldorms lived underground, staying on wide expanses of rock generally kept you safe from them. Cliffs and dead trees could provide relief from the desert wind. Now if only he could remember where exactly those shelters were...

He took a step forward. He didn't know where the heck he was supposed to begin searching for the Compass, especially considering the ones who had hidden it in the desert in the first place were masters of disguise and deception. The Gerudo were supposedly an ancient race consisting almost entirely of women who operated in the desert and stole to make their living. Men were rare, and (so Link had been told) always became king when they were born. Ganondorf himself had been a male Gerudo. The Gerudo slowly faded out of history until they disappeared entirely. Nobody knew what had become of them, and as far as anyone could tell, they were no longer in the desert.

Twenty feet in front of him, the sand bulged upward. The bulge rapidly progressed toward Link, getting faster. Link put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Out of the sand, a worm-like creature with a stubby brown body and a wide mouth with three teeth placed in a triangular pattern jumped out at him. Link drew the Moon Sword and sliced downward. The creature fell in two halves beside Link, still writhing impulsively. Link flung the blood off his sword and sheathed it. He hated moldorms.

He wandered almost aimlessly around the desert for the next few hours. Several dozen moldorms and carnivorous plant-like creatures called leevers assailed him during that time. An even worse feeling was the aura of hopelessness that descended on him with each passing hour. It was one thing to search an entire desert for one artifact. It was another thing to search the desert for an artifact and not know what the heck you were doing or where you were going.

Two more hours passed, and the sun began to set. The desert, as unforgivingly hot as it had been during the daytime, was almost as harsh with the cold during the night. He found a large slab of rock, sat down on it, and took out the dried meat. After finishing his dinner, he went in search of the nearest shelter, which took him another hour. Covering himself with leaves from a dying tree, he curled up underneath the tree, rested his head against the flat rock he was lying on, and tried to ignore the cold.

The next day was much the same. After eating a small breakfast of more dried meat, he resumed his search. He paid careful attention to the sand, hoping to find a trapdoor or something similar. He groaned and put his hands on his hips. For all he knew, he was going in circles. And he still had an entire desert to search. In two days. Things did not look hopeful.

For the umpteenth time since his stay in the desert, he sat down, took out the Moon Sword, and stared at it. "Please," he mumbled, "give me some answers. Please." Feeling like a mystic, he placed the sword on the ground and held his hands above it. "Some answers...just tell me where to go..."

The sun reflected off the blade. Thankfully, Link's obsession with shiny objects had worn off long before. Bored, Link picked up his sword and turned it in the light. He adjusted his body and looked at it from a different angle. The light shifted to the left side of the sword.

He didn't think much of this until he noticed something unnatural about the reflection. It was light blue, which was a color consistent with the magic of the Moon Sword. It also didn't behave like a typical reflection. With the sun almost directly overhead Link, he didn't think the reflection would change much no matter which direction he faced, yet here the light clearly shifted to the left side of the blade. He turned the sword over slowly. The light visibly crept from one side of the blade to the other. Butterflies flew in his stomach. Could he have discovered something?

Actually, the more Link thought about it, the more he realized the Moon Sword might have been doing this all along. It always did seem to have that light blue sheen at the tip. He'd always just written it off as a simple reflection. Was it really pointing him towards the Constellation Compass?

He had no better leads, so with his Moon Sword by his side, he stood up and walked in the direction it indicated. Judging by the location of Death Mountain, he guessed he was walking northeast.

Monotonous hours passed. Link desperately hoped the Moon Sword was leading him in the right direction. If he got horribly lost in the desert, his food supply might not last long enough for him to arrive back in Hyrule proper. He also had a nagging feeling that the light on his sword really was just a reflection.

Around what Link guessed was noon, he sat down on another small rock plateau, pulled out the dried meat, and feasted away. He didn't eat nearly enough to satisfy him, but it was enough to keep going. That was all he needed.

Several more hours passed. Link's legs burned, and he was really getting annoyed of the moldorms leaping out at him. One had caught him unawares and nearly wrenched the shield from his arm. The dents and bite marks on his shield were still visible.

The sun began to set, indicating the end of the second day's exploration. Link found a shelter early and sat down. Was he really any closer to the Constellation Compass? Had he passed it? Was it even leading him to the Compass at all? At this point, he was sure the light was magic-based and was leading him somewhere. He turned his body 180 degrees and held the sword up. The light shifted to the hilt of his sword. No, he hadn't passed it. Whatever it was.

With no dead tree leaves to cover himself with, Link huddled close to the cliff wall shielding him from the sandy wind. He couldn't wait for morning.

The third day. Link was tired, hungry, thirsty, and beginning to feel like the crazy man who chases a mirage looking for water. Could the light on his sword at least get brighter to tell him he was getting close? Talk to him? Anything? Link hoped pushing himself to his physical limits was really going to be worth it.

The day passed by as the previous couple of days had. Link felt more unsteady on his feet and much weaker. He had enough food to last for about two days, three if he virtually punished himself. He caught and ate a moldorm here and there, cooking them where he could, but they were so disgusting he could hardly get more than a few bites out of them. In his opinion, very little of them was truly edible unless you appreciated slimy glands, tough muscles, and bones in unnatural places.

He reassured himself with one thought: it'll all be worth it. He would reach the Constellation Compass if he just kept moving. Surely he would reach it. He had to.

Night of the third day came. Link, feeling thoroughly exhausted, found another shelter for the night and rested under a dying tree. He glared at the Moon Sword. "I really hope you know what you're talking about."

Morning of the fourth day. Link was supposed to be leaving for Hyrule by this time. Worried thoughts flitted through his mind. Had the Constellation King breached the surface yet? If he had, what kind of carnage was he wreaking? Maybe they still had a few more days. Maybe continuing to search for the Compass really would pay off. He hoped Zelda wouldn't think too badly of him.

To his surprise, he had encountered very few Constellation in the desert. He supposed that was because the Constellation had been banished to the heart of the earth in Hyrule and thus would naturally resurface in Hyrule. The few he did see were the young. He killed them before they could scurry away.

Noon. Link sat down and sorted through his food. Not a great deal was left. If he didn't find the Compass by that day, he would have no choice but to depart from Hyrule. The Compass wasn't much good in his hands if he was dead. And without the Moon Sword, Hyrule was essentially doomed.

After his lunch, he continued stumbling across the sand. A half hour passed before a small humming noise filled the air. Link looked around cautiously. Enemies? There was nothing in sight. It took him a few seconds to realize the noise was coming from his sword. The light on it glowed brighter, expanding outside the blade. An excited feeling filled Link, quickening his pace. It meant he was getting closer. He knew it.

The more he walked, the louder the humming and the brighter the light grew. Ten minutes later, the magic reached its climax. Link stopped. Nearly a hundred feet away from him was a wide gorge with a river running through it. The roar of a waterfall could be heard. It was an ample place to get water, at least. Still, he couldn't see any structure that looked like it could contain an item. Not a rock or plant of decent size was in sight. To be safe, he looked up. He saw nothing there, either. That only left the ground.

He bent down on his knees and wiped the sand in front of him. He was looking for a buried treasure chest, or maybe a trapdoor. Perhaps the Compass itself was simply buried in the sand. Link looked around the area. The only noteworthy things he saw on the ground were a couple of small plants. Neither looked big enough to hold a compass, and how would they get a compass in there, anyway? He took note of the plants, though. They were placed parallel to each other. By measuring the distance with his feet, he guessed they were about ten feet apart. He felt each plant to see if it contained any secrets. He didn't find anything, but he realized they were rather healthy for vegetation in the desert.

I'm close, Link thought, and these two plants will help me find the way.

He hopped lightly on the sand, testing the pressure. Next he felt along the ground near the plants, digging his fingers into the soil. He hit something hard. After a bit more digging, he found he could grab whatever it was he hit. With a bit of effort, he heaved upwards. The trapdoor opened, flinging sand off the sides. He held the hatch open with one hand and placed the other on his hip, panting.

Below was a dark tunnel going deeper into the earth. Metal rungs were attached to one side of the tunnel, leading the way down. There wasn't much light to go around; Link couldn't see the bottom. However, this was where the Moon Sword had led him, and he wasn't about to give up now that he'd spent three and a half days wandering around a desert.

Taking a breath, he lowered himself into the tunnel and slowly closed the hatch above him, sealing him in darkness.