Chapter 1

The World They Lived In

Link frowned at the pain in his feet, introduced by the change from the outside dirt, to the hardwood floor of the toolshed he called his home.

"Hi, brother!"

Link glanced at his younger sister, Linkle, who was turning five the next day. That meant she would have to start working, just like he did.

He knew that her happy-go-lucky attitude wouldn't last long. He knew that being around them would break her, just like it did everyone else.

People like him; people like his sister...those with long ears...they were cursed to a lifetime of servitude to people who treated them worse than any animal, worse than even the monsters roaming the fields of Hyrule.

No...they were the true monsters... Those with rounded ears...

The Humans...

In Hyrule, people like Link and Linkle - whom are referred to as "Elves" by the Humans - work as slaves for the Humans from the day they turn five, to the day they can no longer work, when they are executed. Up until their fifth birthday, most slaves are taught to read by their parents, or an assigned caregiver, due to some jobs requiring a slave to be literate. Other - more common - jobs include a variety of manual labor, sex, and even acting as lab rats for a plethora of medical and scientific experiments. Slaves become eligible for manual labor and experimentation at age five, and for work of a sexual nature at age sixteen. Originally, they were only eligible at eighteen, but this was changed due to the high suicide rates of adult slaves, that mainly stemmed from the increase in workload, and the punishment they endured for not meeting the high standards of those who owned them.

Link knew that this was the fate that awaited his sister. And that's why he decided not to coddle her behavior like their mother.

"Mom!" Linkle shouted excitedly. She jumped to her feet to greet her mother with a tight hug.

Some would say Link and Linkle's mother had an easy job, because she didn't have to work in the fields or in a kitchen like many other slaves did.

On the other hand, though, others would say that she had the hardest job of all, because she was the sole housekeeper of their owner's household.

The owner of the slaves that lived on this particular territory was a wealthy Human named Philip, who many would consider a "religious" man.

"Here's your share." Link said as he brought a bowl of "food" to his mother.

The slaves were usually fed food that their owners did not want. From pig feet to nearly rotten fruit, and nearly stale bread, the slaves were forced to eat whatever they were given, or they risked starvation at the least, and severe punishment at the worst. When they were to be fed, either the slaves' owners or another Human who worked for them would bring food and the appropriate eating utensils and watch over the slaves as they got their shares, and as they are eating. Slaves who stole food from another, or took more than their share were punished however their owner saw fit.

The trio ate their food in a glum silence. The slaves rarely spoke in the presence of a Human.

After sundown, Link sat against a wall, and listened to the sudden downpour of rain, and let it drown out his otherwise bitter thoughts of his life, and the Humans who made him feel that way.

"Listen," he heard his mother say to Linkle, "tomorrow, you'll start working, like me and your brother. It's very important that you do exactly what you're told to do, no matter what it is!"

Linkle nodded with the innocent smile that seemed permanently etched on her face.

"And when you're done working, you look for your brother, and the two of you come straight home! Understand?"

Link turned to his mother and sister to watch. As his mother went on, he could the smile begin to fade from Linkle's face. Perhaps she was finally beginning to understand the situation she was in.

Linkle's mother gave her a long, tight hug after concluding her instructions.

"Good night, dear." she almost whispered before she finally let go.

"You forgot to kiss me goodnight, Mom." the girl responded.

Link turned away to watch the rain. He sighed. Was this all there was to life? To his life?

Morning time was usually the only time the slaves would see Philip. The man owned a large sum of land, and has his slaves' living quarters located at several points throughout his property, each group assigned to different tasks. Link and Linkle were tasked with fieldwork. Philip's morning routine usually entailed going to each of his groups of slaves to do a roll call.

Philip walked down the line made by his slaves, marking names on a sheet of paper supported by a clipboard as "present" as he passed those the names belonged to.

"I see I have a new pair of hands." Philip said as he paused in front of Linkle.

The girl stared at her feet as her owner towered over her. Her mother made sure to instruct her to never look Philip in the eye.

"Jeremy," he continued, "take her to the left field, and make sure she knows what she's doing."

"Let's go." called Jeremy, one of Philip's Human workers.

Linkle hesitated. After a nervous glance at her mother, she went on her way, along with her brother, and several other young slaves.

Ordinarily, slaves were to work from just after sunrise, to just before sundown, only getting breaks when nature calls.

Linkle's job was originally to plant seeds into her assigned part of a large field, along with other young slaves. Due to the previous night's rain, however, she and her workmates were separated, and moved to other parts of the field. Linkle was moved to the same part of the field as her brother.

"Since you won't be planting seeds today," Jeremy explained to Linkle, "you'll be helping these ones trim the leaves of these crops. If you cut too low, we'll kick your ass. If you move too slow, we'll kick your ass. If you talk unless it's an emergency, we'll kick your ass. Get the picture?"

Linkle nodded as she struggled to maintain a grip on the dull scythe given to her.

"And if you all don't trim this entire field," Jeremy called to the rest of the slaves, "not only will you get your asses kicked, but you won't be eating tonight. Am I understood?."

Silence...

"Good. Now get to work."

The manual labor Philip put his slaves through was designed to leave his slaves without an ounce of energy at the end of the day. This was mainly to keep the adults from turning against him. This strategy worked well on said adults, and even more so on children.

Hours into her day, Linkle gave a weary sigh. Her limbs were beginning to ache from her repetitive movements before she spotted one of the Humans assigned to watch over she and the other slaves on the field walking by her.

"Excuse me," she called, "I'm tired. Can I-"

SMACK!

The force of the blow sent the girl onto her rear. She covered her cheek in shock.

"...Why did you hit me?" she asked, "I jus-"

Linkle's words were then met with a boot to the face.

"Quit your bitching." the Human told her, "Any more out of you, and these leaves won't be the only things that get cut today. Now get to work."

Link paused to glance at his sister as she held in her sobs, her face now covered with mud and possibly worse. He sighed as he turned his attention back to his work. A growing part of him truly sympathized for his sister. But this was her life now, and even she had no other choice but to adapt to it.

After work, as instructed by his mother, Link went to look for Linkle, having been separated while performing their duties. He found her in no time at all, seated against a short wooden fence used to separate the field from the dirt road they were on.

"Come on." he told her.

Linkle glanced up at her brother. He could see how tired she was from just one day of work by the sullen look in her eye.

"Carry me?" she barely squeaked as she reached for him.

"No." Link told her. "Get up. We need to go home and eat."

Linkle lowered her head, "...Do you and Mom go through this everyday?"

Link paused, "...Yeah. It was easier today because we had more people in the field."

"...I'm sorry." Linkle apologized suddenly.

"For what?"

"I was thinking about how I always bothered you and Mom after you got home. It must have been annoying to put up with me after going through all of this..."

Link blinked in disbelief, "That's what you're upset about?"

Linkle hesitated before she barely nodded. "I'm sorry..." she apologized again.

"...Let's go." Link told her again.

"Okay..."

Link, Linkle, and their mother ate in a silence that continued for an hour past their finishing of their meals. Linkle's mother would finally break the silence after an hour of hesitation.

"How was it today?" she asked.

"It was terrible." Linkle answered, her head lowered, "I never want to work like that again."

Linkle's mother stared silently for a moment. She elected to not further the conversation.

Hours later, night had fallen. The moon rose and broke through the darkness of the tool shed. Though, it failed to penetrate the collective darkness of the hearts of those who lived inside.

Every night, Linkle and her family slept close together for warmth near the left wall adjacent to the entrance, facing inside the shed. Her mother would always sleep closest to the entrance, with Linkle in the middle, and Link closest to the corner.

Lying on her back, Linkle stared at the ceiling for hours until she looked to her left at her brother. She poked him gently on the shoulder once. Then she nudged him.

He was asleep.

"Mom?" she barely spoke.

"Yes?" she answered. She always made it a point to not sleep until she knew her children were asleep as well.

"Does brother have a hard time at work?"

"...Yes. We all do. Why do you ask?"

"...Is...that why he's always mad?"

Linkle's mother stared forward as she lie on her back, choosing her words carefully.

"No." she said.

"Then...does he hate me?"

"No, dear."

"Then why is he always angry?"

Silence...

...

...

"...You don't remember your dad...do you?"

"No."

"...Well...your brother wasn't always 'angry' like you say he is."

"...What happened?"

"Your father died. Two years ago. He was beaten to death by three boys, and...your brother never got over it."

Linkle stared for a moment.

"Why did they kill him?" she asked.

Silence...

"...Linkle...dear... Sometimes people treat you differently because you look different from them. Have you noticed that all of us in here have long ears?"

"Yeah."

"And that the people who tell you what to do have round ears?"

"Yeah."

"Well...that's why they killed him. Because he was different."

Linkle thought for a moment, "...Mom?"

"Hm?"

"...One of those people with round ears...they were mean to me..."

"What did they do?"

"I was going to ask him if I could take a break, and then he hit me... Was it because I have long ears?"

Linkle's mother knew the answer - it was obvious - but she couldn't force it past her lips. She turned pulled her daughter into an embrace. She knew this world was cruel, she knew her daughter had many, many harsh days ahead of her and she knew that she couldn't protect her from any of them.

But she couldn't help it. This was the world they were born into.

This was the world they lived in.

To be Continued!

Author's Note: This chapter was one of four that'll be uploaded every day. After the fourth chapter is up, I'll get started on the next group of chapters. I'm doing this so I don't get burned out like I did near the end of the original story, and start to rush.