Last time on AWIOK, Link and Kuura had entered into the Temple of Time, BACK in Time to where it was originally founded, to begin their training. Kuura summoned Zephyr to his side, where the Phantom Victor suggested it be better for Link and Kuura to train separately; being at different skill levels. Both agreed, but Zephyr also used this time to tell the young Summoner more about the dangers of trusting a god and the consequences of such actions. Meanwhile, Link met a strange, emerald-armored, swordsman and was challenged to battle. Back in Present Hyrule, Saria had stumbled across Shida's gate to Vriksha. Before she could go back and warn Zelda or the others however, she was found and captured by the Master Assassin, Kuda. What lies ahead for each of them? The only way to find out is to read on.

Credit to Nintendo for Legend of Zelda, Alim/Gumi for Brave Frontier, and myself for Kuura.

Would also like to thank my new Beta Reader, Thisamazingpanda, for reading for me after my previous Beta seemingly left without warning. Welcome aboard!

Remember to Rate and Review before leaving, it motivates me to write more and ultimately get chapters to you faster!

Chapter 11- Trouble Strikes… and Independent Souls…

Kuda arrived just in time to catch Shida making a check on the stability of his crudely made Gate. The Necromancer's crimson eyes gaze deep into the void, a mindless smirk on his lips.

"Necromancer," the Master Assassin started, "seems like we're getting noticed by the forest folk. I just found this one sticking her nose where it didn't belong…"

Kuda dropped Saria's unconscious body on the ground next to him before stretching his arm in slight relief.

"Did you now?" Shida remarked, finally breaking his gaze away from the Gate to look over Kuda's recent catch, "How nice of you to keep such a vigilant guard Kuda, might I say I truly appreciate such actions."

"Don't patronize me Necromancer," Kuda sharply returned as he crossed his arms, "if it were my choice there would already be dead bodies surrounding us right now… Yours and that idiot's especially."

"And I'm sure there would be, but whoever said I was patronizing you? Am I not allowed to express my gratitude freely?" The Necromancer stepped closer to Saria before he caught on to why the child was still alive, "Ahh… I can see now why you let her live…"

"Something's off about her, something I feel would be your specialty to look into."

"Indeed it is Kuda. I can feel it now, she houses an essence I could compare to that of a great priest or sage back in Grand Gaia..."

"That also is what I picked up at first, but of course what do I know, I'm only a lowly assassin who knows nothing of magic."

Shida looked up at the Master Assassin through his white hair with a smug grin, "Your sarcasm needs work Kuda, but, I suppose I'll give you an 'A' for effort."

Kuda only rolled his eyes and turned to leave the Necromancer to his work before Shida stopped him.

"Just to give you an update, my Gate is almost stabilized to the point where we could attempt to cross from this world to our own. When that time comes, we won't have to worry about being found out and can move to the next location."

"And that would be?"

"Very soon I hope, and I feel confident in saying so now that I may have found a new power source for my Gate. As for where we go next… I haven't fully decided yet, there are too many pleasing locations that could be potential worksites in the future…"

The Master Assassin left in silence, disappearing into the shadows to resume his patrol. Shida then went to work, using his scepter to lift the Sage of Forest off the ground and hold her in midair. If all went well, Shida would be able to use Saria's powers as a Sage to help keep his Gate open for as long as he wanted, and given what he still needed to collect back in Grand Gaia, he would likely need it to stay open longer than he originally figured. Would others wander too close to the Gate, especially to find Saria? Whether it was to rescue her or to siphon her power, Shida knew it was an outcome; in fact he actually counted on it to happen. Would those said persons succeed in their endeavor? That was a situation to be determined. What he would do in light of that situation was another matter entirely, but at the moment he needed to focus on the task at hand. Yes, his Gate successfully linked Hyrule's Lost Woods to Grand Gaia's Vriksha Duchy, but it was only stable enough to provide a semi-clear view from one side to the other, much like a faded window desperately needing to be cleaned. That would not do in the least, as Shida needed to be able to jump from one world to the next as he needed, and the power of a resident Sage would do the trick just fine.

"Now then…" Shida started, "let's draw out a little bit of that essence of yours… Sage… to give me an idea of what I'm working with."

With a wave of his hand, a pulse of dark energy circled the Sage of Forest's form; closing in on her chest near her heart. In response to the stimulation, a green aura slowly enveloped Saria's form in the manner of a barrier to keep the corrupt energy from entering her body. This interested the Necromancer as a grin grew on his face, but he was only just beginning as he stepped towards the Sage of Forest. Immediately he could feel an unseen force trying to push him back, though he was entirely unaffected as he continued his advance, one step at a time.

"Try as you will, Sage, but I'm afraid you have something I want…"

The resistance slowly got stronger against Shida as Saria slowly began to come around and shake her head to clear her focus.

"Uhhmmg…." She moaned, "Where am I-" Saria stopped when she realized that she had no control over her arm to rub her head. Quickly she looked around and saw the Necromancer standing before her. His appearance closely resembled that of some kind of demonic figure; seeing the bone-like tendrils sprouting from his back and resting on his shoulders, the red horns on his head, and the black markings around his eyes.

Shida's crimson eyes watched her intently as he offered her a grin, "How nice to see you awaken at last… I was beginning to think perhaps Kuda had struck you too hard and accidentally killed you."

"W-…Who're you?!" Saria exclaimed fearfully, "What're you doing to the forest!?"

"The forest itself has nothing to do with me, my dear." Shida coolly replied, "It's simply a location for me to conduct my work. However, seeing that you share some sort of affiliation to it… I guess you could say… the forest has something that I want…"

"YOU'RE the one that attacked Castle Town the other night! Just what're you trying to do?! I demand you let me go right now!"

"Ah ha ha… my aren't you a rambunctious little one? One statement at a time if you please, but to reply to your comments… Yes, I am the one who visited this world's castle just the other night. I am a Necromancer of the Bariura Empire of Grand Gaia… better known as the Death God, Shida. How nice to make your acquaintance…" Shida bent over slightly in a bowing motion before looking back up at her, "…Sage."

Saria began to worry a little more, but did her best not to show it, "How do you know… that I'm a Sage?"

"Ahh I could tell just by looking at you. You see, I have this… gift… thanks to my research into dark magic, that allows me to sense the magical energy in others. Mostly it's life energy I sense, and that I can see in almost everyone; compare it to a mere candle if you will…"

The Necromancer turned his back to her, holding his hands behind his back, "But then there are a select few… whose energy far exceeds that of an ordinary life energy. I can feel that flow within them… the untapped potential of those with abilities to even stand before gods… Compare that to, say, a majestic and mighty bonfire… burning ever so brightly… ever so hotly."

"What're you… getting at?"

"I can feel the power within you, my dear… that's how I knew you were a Sage. What's more… I can also sense that essence would be native to these thick Wood… would I be correct?" Shida turned his head to glimpse at Saria out of the corner of his eye, a crooked grin growing on his lips.

The Sage of Forest looked away in defiance, "I'll never tell! And I won't let you hurt the Forest either you freak!"

Shida turned more to face her, holding his free hand over the crystal on his chest, "Oh… your words sting my dear, there's no need to be to nasty about it."

"Let me go! NOW!" Saria began to try struggling against the Necromancer's dark hold on her, but to no avail as Shida's grin disappeared.

"So be it…" he sighed, "I suppose there's no further reasoning with you then."

Shida's grin returned as another wave of his scepter caused some of the gnarled roots of his Gate to suddenly grow from the ground underneath Saria and bind her by her wrists and ankles. His dark hold remained, but Saria's struggling ceased instantly, as there was now physical resistance holding her still. The Necromancer then materialized a crystal in his hand, similar to the one embedded in his chest, and walked towards her once more.

"I normally try to keep my… patients… as unhurt as possible," he began as the Sage of Forest was lowered to his eye level, "but… there are instances where pain cannot be avoided."

Saria's struggling had quickly rendered her exhausted, only able to look into Shida's glowing crimson eyes in fear, "W-What're you… doing?"

"Well you see my dear… I was able to successfully create a bridge between my world and yours. You can see the result of my work over there now. But unfortunately, it's not quite stable enough for anyone to use just yet, so there it sits … like a window for people to gaze into and see the landscape on the other side. But… that's where you come in. Your essence as a Sage will be just the energy force my Gate needs in order to completely stabilize… I do hope you don't mind… helping me… would you?"

The Sage of Forest did her best to offer a glare at the Necromancer, "Never!"

Shida sighed again as he turned his back to her once more, "Oh dear… then it seems you and I will be at a disagreement. Because I need your power, but you won't give it to me. However… since we've never met until now, I suppose it's only fair to explain how I deal with situations like this, and how I offer compromise to people like you…"

He then slowly looked over his shoulder at her, an evil gleam in his glowing eyes as he suddenly spun back around and forced the crystal in his hand into the center of her chest, "… I TAKE it!"

Dark energy began to pulse throughout Saria's small form as she began to scream in excruciating amounts of pain. Saria could feel his hold over her growing stronger by the second, and she began to feel her grip on her own power as a Sage fading just as quickly. Her dark green tunic and leggings began to change to a dark violet as the crystal, now firmly embedded in her chest as it glowed a bright red, began its work of siphoning her power and sending it to the Gate. Shida backed up as the gnarled roots around the Sage's wrists and ankles began to slowly envelop her completely and shut her away from the outside world in a small cocoon. As her screams became muffled by her new prison, Shida's Gate suddenly let out a pulse of energy as more gnarled roots anchored it to the ground; creating a more stable base as the opening within the Gate grew large enough to allow a person to enter and exit it as freely as they wished. The view of Vriksha on the other side suddenly became much clearer and translucent, showing that the gate was now complete and ready for use.

"At last!" The Necromancer laughed, "Phase Two of my plan has now begun building forward motion. Only time will tell now how much longer it will be before this world will fall to its knees before me as its new god!"

-000-

The sound of biting metal rang through the empty corridors of the Temple of Time, as Link put forth every ounce of energy he had into trying to match his emerald-armored combatant. Much like Logan was when they fought, Link instantly could feel his skill level far outmatched and easily put to shame by that of his opponent. The emerald warrior moved with ease and finesse, each step used to its fullest potential and almost never missing a beat; this truly was a sword master. Link however refused to let that stop him as he remained on his feet and continued advancing on his foe. More than once their blades locked in a contest of strength, the edges of the blades scratching each other in a struggle for friction superior to the other; and the Hero of Time couldn't see the face of his adversary underneath his helmet, but he knew that his gaze locked with his own as intensely as their blades were. The emerald warrior then forced Link backwards with a shove, powered only by the force of his forward leg, and completely shattered Link's stance; following with fist jab into his gut to send him reeling. The Hero finally called it as he clutched his stomach with a grimace on his face, but still standing nonetheless. Link couldn't tell what his opponent was feeling, but could tell that he no longer was interested in fighting as he stood upright.

"Your footwork is all wrong." He began, "You put no effort into ensuring you were grounded to the earth, and as a result I was able to break through your defense with ease."

"What're you…" Link huffed, letting his breath come back into his lungs, "getting at?"

"I'm saying, to put it bluntly, that you are a terrible swordsman. You show no strength in your form or in your movements, and failure to do so brings nothing but shame to your blade!"

The Hero has been called a lot of things in his career of a swordsman, both good and bad; but saying that his actions brought shame to his blade? That was a blow below the belt for him, "You trying to start another fight then?! Cuz I'm ready for round two!"

"I've no interest in battling one who shows his blade no respect, sheathe your sword."

Was he mocking him? Telling Link to sheathe his sword, that he had no interest in battling someone who brought 'shame to his blade', the comments only added coals to the fire as Link rushed his opponent the moment his back was turned. When he was within striking distance, the Hero suddenly noticed that the emerald warrior had easily spun around and back-stepped to evade the incoming sword swipe; and then in one swift motion had effortlessly kicked Link to the ground, pinned him there underneath his metal boot, and then held the tip of his ornate blade to his throat.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand who holds it shows courage!" He harshly scolded in a loud and dominating voice, "Remember these words, boy!"

Link could only glare back as he clenched his sword and shield tightly in his hands, visibly fuming that he had been so easily shown up and let his pride dictate his actions. But… the swordsman was right. In many cases, Link's best judgement was to try and find a way to topple his aggressor and finish the fight, but given the skill and dexterity this opponent showed, backing down was likely the best course of action if he wanted to walk away with his life.

"Drop. Your. Sword."

With a heavy sigh, Link released his grip on both hands as his sword and shield hit the ground with a pair of metallic clangs.

"A wise choice," the emerald warrior then said as he removed his boot from the Hero's chest, "now, stand before me."

Link said nothing as he shakily rolled over and started to lift himself on his hands and feet, before stretching his back and turning to face him; a look of obvious disapproval glued in his eyes.

"While your skills in the blade are indeed shameful and embarrassing to your sword, I must commend you on your resolve to continue to stand against me. However, resolve that is misplaced always leads to death, remember this."

"So you ARE capable of giving compliments." Link huffed, still somewhat annoyed that a complete stranger was lecturing him on something he had been seemingly doing just fine for years.

"Your sarcasm shows me that you are immature and not worthy of being called a swordsman. But… I can see potential in you to one day be a great one. That day however, is still far off for you."

"Just who are you to tell me that exactly!? I don't even know who you are or where in Hyrule you've come from, and you think you can just order me around and say that I'm not good enough to be called a swordsman?! What are you?!"

Link himself was taken aback slightly as his outburst, but he did mean every word of it. He had no patience for people that showed him up the way this person did, and then lecture him on how to do it RIGHT, when he had been doing it that way for years without a problem. Granted, Link knew that he wasn't in the best of conditions to fight, but that still, at least to him anyway, gave them no excuse to act high and mighty whenever they wielded a sword better than him. The emerald warrior remained silent for a moment before responding.

"I do believe you have a point," he said at last, "while your skills are pitiful, I suppose I am in no place to say such things since we only just met. Apologies are in order, and I offer you mine."

The Hero of Time furrowed a brow as he crossed his arms, "Who are you though? You suddenly appeared through some kind of portal and then challenged me to a fight, so I suppose the least you could do is explain a little bit."

"Agreed, then allow me to introduce myself…"

He put his blade around his shoulder as the branches around his form wrapped around it like a sheath and secured it to his back. His hands free, he removed his helmet as long, wavy locks of black-silver hair fell down and around his face. To Link's surprise, he had about eight smaller branches, almost kind of like roots, rest very lightly on his face like some sort of brace; two under each eye, and then the remaining four resting on his forehead. Link guessed that the strange branches coming out of his armor seemingly acted like an under-armor. Aged brown eyes looked into Link's young cerulean ones, the physical height difference between Link and the emerald warrior now much more evident than before as the emerald warrior looked down upon the Hero.

A demure expression was present on his face, "I am not Zelban, but I am the man who once was the Zelban. If you're fine with that, I shall lend you a hand. I am Dolk, Founder and Master of the Veda-Fencing style of swordsmanship in La Veda."

Experience was right! Link could now see why he was so adept in battle, how every move was planned and used to the fullest, how easily he had bested him. His form was overflowing with vast knowledge and countless years of training and mastery; and he had the ageing marks on his face to prove such. He could see that this, Dolk, had spent a great deal of his life mastering the art of the sword and perfecting it to the letter; even going as far to say that his sword almost developed a mind of its own, and the two of them were in perfect sync. But, now that he had introduced himself, Link felt that he should do the same.

"Link," he returned, "I'm the Hero of this world, Hyrule."

"Hyrule?" Dolk repeated, his face contorting slightly into a confused one, "Never heard of such a world. Perhaps an island in the Palmyna Archipelago?"

Link thought it over before it clicked. Dolk said he hailed from La Veda… that meant that he was a native of Grand Gaia! He had somehow been pulled from that world and into Hyrule, the only question, was how? Shida was back in the Present, but that explained nothing of how someone from Grand Gaia was able to come to Hyrule's PAST. This needed answers, and most likely was going to require a little chat with Kuura and Zephyr.

"I uh… hate to say it…" Link sighed, scratching his head and looking to the side, "But you're not in Grand Gaia anymore."

"What do you mean? I was traversing on my way from Vriksha only a short time ago, before a strange portal appeared and sucked me in!"

"And you don't think that's a little strange?"

"Well, now that you mention it I suppose I wasn't fully paying attention either. You see, I had just finished battling a god's disciple only a short time prior, so I suppose I was a little exhausted…"

This was beginning to become more of a problem. If Shida had successfully managed to create a portal linking Hyrule to Grand Gaia, who knew what other people from that world would wander into the kingdom… whether by choice or not, and vice-versa into Grand Gaia? And what if a god or disciple had come in? What would Link do then? What would the others do since he wasn't there to protect them?

Dolk could see a deep musing evident on Link's face, "I see we both are rather confused by this ordeal. Perhaps we could form a truce and try to find answers together?"

Link's head returned to reality as he saw the Veda-Master's hand stretched to him. Zelda and the others needed to know immediately, and since it seems that Dolk looks to be no longer interested in lecturing him about his swordsmanship, perhaps an armistice could be in order. However, something else piqued his curiosity, when Dolk said that if he was 'fine with that, then he would lend a hand.' What did that mean? The Hero could only ask as he took his hand and shook, "Agreed, but now I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"What did you mean when you said… that you would lend me a hand?"

Dolk retracted his hand, his expression unchanged from its original reserved one, "I meant, that I would train you."

Link blinked a couple times, wondering if he heard that correctly, "Excuse me?"

"I said I was going to train you. Your skills in the blade are clearly lacking and comparable to a wild beast with no clear sense of direction, at best. But despite this, I am choosing to take you under my wing and teach you the ways of Veda-Fencing, to turn you into a true swordsman! To be trained by a former Zelban, you should consider yourself privileged."

Yeah, that's what Link thought he heard.

The insults to Link's skills were still readily available to Dolk as he took more chances to cut down the Hero's abilities, and pride, and criticize them. But… he did have a point now that Link thought about it more carefully. He had been sent here to the Temple of Time to train and recover what skills he had lost, so taking the Veda-Master's offer would be beneficial, but there were too many unknowns to properly consider it. Firstly, he knew absolutely nothing of 'Veda-Fencing', or even Fencing in general if they were even similar. And secondly, Link wasn't so sure that he wanted to give someone permission to critique his skills and point out everything he was doing wrong. Link felt that he worked and practiced better when he was alone; teaching himself the skill and learning more techniques as the time or need came around or revealed themselves. However, it seemed that Dolk was a rather impatient type as he made up Link's mind for him.

"It has been decided!" He exclaimed as he crossed his arms, "You are now, as of this moment, my pupil; and as your instructor I will teach you the art of Veda-Fencing. But beware, I will be no easy teacher, and I will require much of you."

"Well hold on a seco-"

"Take up your sword and shield! We start with a ten-kilometer run, on the double!"

"But I dunno if this Temple is even te-"

"I SAID MOVE! DOUBLE TIME!" Dolk barked, "I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DEBATE MY ORDER!"

Link sighed heavily as he quickly picked up his sword and shield and sheathed them on his back, and then started at a casual walking speed for the nearest corridor, "This is going to be a looong training session…"

Dolk gave Link a forceful shove from behind as he jogged past him at a steady pace down the hallway, "Start jogging boy! We've ten kilometers to cover!"

-000-

Back in present Hyrule, Zelda had remained confined to the castle as requested by Impa. Under normal circumstances she would be in agreement that overseeing from a distance would be the best solution, and only advancing when the time and opportunity presented itself; but in this case, neither she nor anyone else knew where or when Shida would strike next. That was concern enough for the Sage of Shadow, as well as agreement from the others present, to keep the Queen in hiding for the time being.

Zelda however, hated it.

She always was one that rolled up her sleeves and put forth as much work as a commoner when the going got tough; and being forced to sit idly on her hands was something that she simply could not do. The Queen tried to channel her energy by wandering through the corridors of the castle, but after a while it began to get old and her antsy feelings returned. Figuring that perhaps the gardens would take her mind off of it in some way, as well as the fresh air, Zelda eventually found herself sitting on the side of one of the stone fountains and watch her reflection in the water.

"I can only hope that Link and Kuura will be alright…" She sighed softly, "But at the same time I very much hate feeling useless. There has to be something I can do to help them. We do not know when or where Shida will strike next, and for all we know he could very well be getting ready to do so at this moment. Unfortunately, it came as a hard lesson that we unfortunately don't stand much of a chance in our current state. I can only wonder though how long I will be able to maintain peace among the people before the chaos gets out of hand. Last night was a disaster, on a special holiday no less, so I'm sure the people are already whispering amongst themselves about what could be happening…"

The Queen was interrupted from her musing from someone calling, "Are you feeling alright, your Highness?" She looked up and over her shoulder to see a servant girl waiting patiently for a response. Zelda could tell she knew next to nothing of what was going on, but her eyes however told her that she was still willing to offer an ear for her Queen if she was able to.

Zelda took a breath, showing a faint smile towards her, "I'm fine, thank you for asking."

"Are you sure, your Highness? Can I get you anything to eat or drink at all? I was given special orders by Madame Impa to watch over you today, I'm not really sure why it sounded more urgent than normal though…"

Of course, Impa had planned ahead and requested of her servants to watch her more closely than usual; she was her closest bodyguard and confidant after all, outside of her duties as the Sage of Shadow.

"I am not in need of anything at the moment, but I appreciate the concern." The Queen responded, "Please do not fret over what Impa had requested, she only does this to look after me whenever she is away."

"Ah yes, I suppose that could be the case. So, there isn't anything I can do or get for you?"

"I am fine at the moment, but what about our special guests? Are they comfortable?"

"Very much so your Highness, it took me about fifteen minutes to convince them that you had prepared rooms for them to remain here on extended stay, because they wouldn't believe me at first."

Zelda couldn't help but giggle a little. Malon and Elise have indeed never seen much of the inside of the castle, outside of the Throne Room, so she was certain that news of being able to stay inside it was for the most part hard to believe at first. While Impa had ordered her to remain within the castle, Malon and Elise had offered to keep her company while they waited for Link and Kuura; Elise insisting that three heads working towards a solution were better than one.

"I see, and what are they doing now?"

"I had them escorted to the Washroom to bathe while their clothes were being washed and dried. Perhaps, joining them would ease your mind a little?"

"A tempting offer, as a hot bath honestly does sound quite nice, but I would not want to impose on them while they enjoy their time here. Perhaps after they finish I will meet with them later. In the meantime, please ensure that they are taken care of."

"Understood, your Highness." The servant girl bowed, "But before I leave I do have something to give you."

"Oh? And that would be?"

The servant girl disappeared around the corner for a moment and returned with a small tray with a small plate, a cup of tea, and a couple small cookies. She then lay the plate down next to the Queen and took a step back.

"I understand you said there was nothing I could get you for now, but as I passed by you in the hallways earlier I could tell there was something troubling you. So I had the chef prepare a small snack and your favorite tea for you to ease your nerves."

Zelda looked down at the plate and the steaming cup of tea. Hylian Lemon with honey and a pinch of Deku Cane Sugar. She could tell without even having to taste it. She loved that flavor of tea, and no matter the situation it never failed to calm her nerves whenever something was bothering her. She then offered the servant girl a little more of a smile.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me," the Queen answered, "I am greatly appreciative of your time and effort."

"Anything to please our Queen," the servant girl bowed again, a smile evident on her face that she did a good job, "now if you will excuse me, I shall tend to our other guests if you have no further need of me."

She turned to leave, but was stopped as Zelda said "A moment, if you will."

"Perhaps, a little company would do me well." Zelda stated, patting the edge of the fountain next to her, "If you would like to sit with me that is."

The servant girl's cheeks flushed slightly at the Queen's invitation, but quietly complied as she took a seat next to her.

"I do apologize for this, but having so many servants does make it somewhat difficult to remember everyone at once. Could you tell me your name please?"

"M-Mina." The servant girl answered, not giving the Queen eye contact, "I started working here about four months ago, when Madame Impa approved the recent batch of new hires."

"I see, so you are still learning your way around the castle I assume?" Zelda inquired.

"A little, but the Head Mistress was really careful in showing us around when we started working here; so it didn't take too long for me to get used to the castle layout."

"That's good, have you enjoyed working here?"

"Oh yes! Very much so your Highness! I mean, the days can be a little long and demanding, depending on what we need to do for that day, but at the end of the day it's not so bad. After all, I have a way to support my family with this job, so I shouldn't complain."

The Queen cocked her head slightly as she lightly sipped on her tea, "You are supporting your family?"

Mina, feeling a little more comfortable now, looked up to Zelda, "Yeah. My Mother passed away after she gave birth to my younger brothers. And since my brothers are too young to work, and my Father serving in your army, it fell upon me to keep food on the table."

"How old are your brothers, if you don't mind my asking?"

"They're both ten years old, twins."

"And you are…?"

"Eighteen."

"A little young for you to have such a demanding occupation, is it not?"

"That's what I was told going in…" Mina sighed, "But, as I said it's up to me to support my brothers, and Father whenever he's home. And I worked at a local tavern in Castle Town for a couple years before I tried for this job, so while it's much more demanding here than it was there, I'm not falling behind as badly since I already have a little experience."

"Indeed, and I must commend you on your tenacity and commitment to see to your family's needs. It is a truly invaluable and generous personality that is evident in you."

"I like to think so too, and it has been fun working here whenever things like sword or archery training was going on. Master Reginald is really skilled in using the bow and arrow."

"And it is because of people like him that my army, and your Father, are so well trained. Master Reginald in indeed a skilled man."

A moment of silence ensued as the sound of the bubbling fountain behind them was the only sound to be heard in the gardens. A couple guards had wandered here and there as time went on, carrying out their patrols of the inner walls of the castle. Zelda was the first to speak up after a short time, deciding to open up a little to Mina.

"Tell me, Mina…" She began as she put her cup down, "If you wanted to help someone you trust deeply, but could not think of a way to do it, what would you do?"

"Me?" Mina verified, "What would I do?"

"Yes."

She thought about it for a minute as her eyes mindlessly searched the ground, "Well… I suppose I'd go to a friend or someone I know and ask for advice. Certainly there had to be SOMETHING I could do if I asked around for someone who needed help."

Zelda tilted her head, "Interesting answer, care to explain?"

"Well I learned from my Mother before she passed away, there's always something you can do for someone, no matter what it was. That's honestly how I got that first job at the tavern, I was simply asking around for anyone that needed help, and the bartender said he had something I could do for him. After a couple weeks, he offered me a permanent job, and I did whatever I could to be helpful while I was there. Before that however, it was normally things like helping clean someone's house or deliver a letter or package to the Postman before he took off."

"I see…"

"Could that possibly… be what was bothering you before?"

The Queen mused over her servant's answer in silence. 'There was always something I could do for someone, no matter what it was', she said. As Zelda tried to compare that to her current situation, it suddenly clicked that there indeed could be something she could do besides wait patiently for Link and Kuura's return. Shida said that he wanted them all to try and figure out what he wanted before he came back, perhaps a visit to the library and inner archives of Hyrule's early History could provide as least a hint to the answer they sought. Additionally, Zelda also realized that she was doing what she almost always did when she was stressed about a situation; she tried to handle it all herself. Impa had warned her several times of this in the past, as it leads to unnecessary stress and sickness of the body, as well as reminded her that she had several confidants to speak with regarding what course of action was to be taken. Being the carrier of the Triforce of Wisdom, she had a very good intuition and judgement, but her caretaker was indeed correct. If the stresses of running a kingdom by herself piled up, before long she would be working herself into an early grave. Perhaps speaking with others and collaborating on the subject may be the best course of action. Zelda then looked over at Mina with a more tender smile.

"Yes… indeed it was Mina." Zelda nodded, "And I believe that you've helped me find the answer I was looking for."

Her response surprised Mina, "R-Really? How so?"

"I am afraid I do not feel quite ready to share those details just yet, but I do have a few requests for you in the meantime."

"Anything your Highness!" Mina returned as she quickly stood up and bowed, "What would you like me to do?"

The Queen offered her one of the small cookies on the plate, "First, I would like to share the last of my little snack with you, if you would like to that is."

The servant girl blinked a couple times before hesitantly accepting the cookie from her.

"Secondly, I need you to go to the library and have the Seer pull out for me a list of records on Hyrule's early History; specifically, on Great Hylia and the Golden Three."

"U-Understood."

"And lastly…" Zelda then stood up and stretched slightly, "If you could have a fresh dress ready for me in the Washroom, I think I will join our guests for a nice bath."

"Absolutely your Highness, I'll get to it immediately!"

"Oh, one more thing, Mina."

"Yes, your Highness?"

The Queen offered a small hug to her servant girl, gently resting Mina's head on her chest, "Thank you for sitting with me and listening. Words cannot express how thankful I am for individuals like you."

"W-W-Well it's o-only my duty, your Hi-Highness…" Mina replied, caught off guard by the sudden embrace.

"Well I still wished to express my gratitude to you for your time. I promise that such kindness will not go unrepaid."

"O-Oh no no no it's alright your Highness, working here is kindness enough!"

Zelda giggled a little, "If you so insist then. Now, about those requests…"

Mina stood back upright and bowed once more, "Yes, I shall get on them immediately!"

She turned to leave, curiously eyeing the cookie in her hands before nibbling on it as she hurried inside the castle. Zelda's spirits restored, she watched Mina disappear from view before she headed to the Washroom to join Malon and Elise for a hot bath.

"She seems like a very sweet and determined girl…" The Queen mused to herself, "I'll see to it that her and her family are taken care of, and that she won't have to work as hard in order to support them anymore. Working for funds are one thing, but I can see Mina puts her money only into supporting her family, without keeping any for herself. Your generous heart is your greatest feature, young one, and I thank you for sharing it with me. It has revealed to me what I must do."

Shida seems to have gained more ground in setting his plan in motion, at the cost of siphoning Saria's power and using it to power his gate. Meanwhile, Link's training has gotten to rather rough start under his new "Master". What will happen to everyone as time goes on? Will Kuura and Link be able to gain the skills needed to properly combat the Necromancer and his subordinates? And in light of what happened to Saria, are the other Sages also at risk of the same fate? Only time will tell…

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Until next time Summoners!

( -Chapter's Unit Library- )

Master Assassin Kuda

Death God Shida

Imperial Blade Dolk