~chapter 3~
   Link went along the castle walls. He found a spot where a few stones were jutting out of the wall. He put his foot on the first stone and pushed off, jumping up and grabbing another stone with his hand. He used this method until he reached the top. He saw a gnoll standing below him so he jumped off, the creature softening his impact and falling unconscious. Link followed the castle around until he reached an iron gate that was partially open. Before he was about to go under the gate, a second group of monsters ran out. The group consisted of four gnolls, three lizalfos, a manticore, and two lizardos. A lizalfo first ran forward, swiping at Link with its sword. Link easily dodged and slashed it in the back. The lizalfo jumped back as a gnoll and lizardo teamed up on Link. The lizardo shot an arrow at Link, who jumped to the side but was struck on the shoulder by the gnolls mace. Link whirled around and sliced through the gnolls chest. Then Link jumped forward, bringing his sword down on the injured lizalfo and quickly spinning his sword to the side, taking out another gnoll. Link had to do some fancy footwork to avoid becoming a Link- ka-bob by the two lizardos, which were now both firing arrows. Link stabbed one of the lizardos repeatedly, killing it. A lizalfo then jumped at him, swiping its sword. Link barely managed to dodge, coming within inches from the blade, then stabbed the lizalfo in the throat, causing green blood to squirt out as it fell to the ground twitching. The manticore then tackled Link, sending him rolling forward. Link stabbed the manticore in the paw, then sliced through a charging lizalfo. Link killed the third gnoll, sliced through the last lizardo, and did a spin attack killing the manticore. The remaining gnoll dropped its mace and ran as Link cleaned off his sword and stepped inside. No sooner had he taken five steps before there was a loud explosion. Link ran through the halls, making his way through the castle and up stairs until he entered doors that lead him outside. About 30 feet away, a huge cannon rested on a platform. A group of gnolls charged at Link, who easily spun and sliced through them all. Suddenly a voice echoed around him.
   "20 seconds till fire." the voice announced. A strange magical aurora enveloped the cannon . Link ran over to an engineer who cowered then ran.
   "Geez, how to stop this thing..." he murmured over the booming voice.
   "5 seconds..." the voice warned. Suddenly, Link took his sword back and jammed it deep into a section where two steel plates met. There was a large crackle of electricity. The cannon began to glow and rumble. The whole castle shook, knocking Link off his feet. Then the cannon went silent for a few seconds, then erupted as a series of explosions began to rock through it and Link was thrown back against the wall.
   Link ran through the halls as walls all around him were crumbling down. He made a mad dash and burst through a door and outside just as the hallway collapsed behind him. He ran out through a hole in the outer wall knocked out from the rumbling and jumped away from the castle as the rest of the structure fell. He panted and sighed.
   "I did it..." he muttered out of breath. He slowly stood and looked back at the pile of rubble.
   "I wonder what happened to Gondar....and Jared and Justin..." he slowly walked toward the fallen stone, but then saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Jared and Justin unconscious on the grass a few feet from the fallen wall. He went over and saw how badly they were bruised up. Picking then up and placing one on each shoulder, he made his way back toward the boat.
   "So that's how the cannon was destroyed." Jared said. "But Gondar said it wouldn't stop him...I think he's got other plans."
   "Do you think he'll build another cannon?" Link asked. Jared shook his head.
   "I overheard him talking to Theo...He mentioned something about essences." Jared replied.
   "I bet he built that cannon so there wouldn't be anything to get in the way when he would go looking for whatever that is." Link thought out loud.
   "Where's Justin?" Jared asked, suddenly remembering he had brought him out of the castle.
   "He's fine. You two were beat up pretty badly. It's a good thing this hospital just got in a shipment of red potions." Link told him.
   "They worked. My leg feels good as new." Jared said giving his leg a pat. "Well, maybe not as good..." he winced. After a little more resting, Jared, Justin and Link were ready to leave. As they walked through the city towards the docks, Justin asked an important question.
   "So where are we supposed to go now?" was the question.
   "I have a great uncle in Valea." Jared said. "He knows everything. He's like a scholar. I bet he'd know about these essences." When they got to the docks, they approached the old man, still talking away.
   "...but I guess there is. SO, I hope you boys have fun on Foagy Island." the man said finally finishing his story.
   "We aren't going to Foagy..." Jared mumbled.
   "What? Oh...eh...whatever. 20 rupees." the man shrugged. They paid the man and picked a large row boat. Link took the oars and began rowing out into the sea.
Several hours later...
   "We're lost..." Jared muttered. The sun was about to set, casting an array of orange and pink across the sky. The three lay draped around the boat, tired physically and mentally.
   "Whose turn is it to row..." Justin asked in a dull voice.
   "Yours..." Link replied sighing.
   "I'm too tired to row..." Justin grumbled in response. Jared hung his arm over the edge of the boat. Suddenly he lifted his hand up, finding sand in it.
 "Oh...We've hit land..." he mumbled. The three sat there for a few minutes before it hit them.
   "Hey! We're here!" Justin jumped up. The three jumped out of the boat, happy to be out of the waters. Their celebration, however, was suddenly cut short by a low gurgle behind them.
~end~
   Link went along the castle walls. He found a spot where a few stones were jutting out of the wall. He put his foot on the first stone and pushed off, jumping up and grabbing another stone with his hand. He used this method until he reached the top. He saw a gnoll standing below him so he jumped off, the creature softening his impact and falling unconscious. Link followed the castle around until he reached an iron gate that was partially open. Before he was about to go under the gate, a second group of monsters ran out. The group consisted of four gnolls, three lizalfos, a manticore, and two lizardos. A lizalfo first ran forward, swiping at Link with its sword. Link easily dodged and slashed it in the back. The lizalfo jumped back as a gnoll and lizardo teamed up on Link. The lizardo shot an arrow at Link, who jumped to the side but was struck on the shoulder by the gnolls mace. Link whirled around and sliced through the gnolls chest. Then Link jumped forward, bringing his sword down on the injured lizalfo and quickly spinning his sword to the side, taking out another gnoll. Link had to do some fancy footwork to avoid becoming a Link- ka-bob by the two lizardos, which were now both firing arrows. Link stabbed one of the lizardos repeatedly, killing it. A lizalfo then jumped at him, swiping its sword. Link barely managed to dodge, coming within inches from the blade, then stabbed the lizalfo in the throat, causing green blood to squirt out as it fell to the ground twitching. The manticore then tackled Link, sending him rolling forward. Link stabbed the manticore in the paw, then sliced through a charging lizalfo. Link killed the third gnoll, sliced through the last lizardo, and did a spin attack killing the manticore. The remaining gnoll dropped its mace and ran as Link cleaned off his sword and stepped inside. No sooner had he taken five steps before there was a loud explosion. Link ran through the halls, making his way through the castle and up stairs until he entered doors that lead him outside. About 30 feet away, a huge cannon rested on a platform. A group of gnolls charged at Link, who easily spun and sliced through them all. Suddenly a voice echoed around him.
   "20 seconds till fire." the voice announced. A strange magical aurora enveloped the cannon . Link ran over to an engineer who cowered then ran.
   "Geez, how to stop this thing..." he murmured over the booming voice.
   "5 seconds..." the voice warned. Suddenly, Link took his sword back and jammed it deep into a section where two steel plates met. There was a large crackle of electricity. The cannon began to glow and rumble. The whole castle shook, knocking Link off his feet. Then the cannon went silent for a few seconds, then erupted as a series of explosions began to rock through it and Link was thrown back against the wall.
   Link ran through the halls as walls all around him were crumbling down. He made a mad dash and burst through a door and outside just as the hallway collapsed behind him. He ran out through a hole in the outer wall knocked out from the rumbling and jumped away from the castle as the rest of the structure fell. He panted and sighed.
   "I did it..." he muttered out of breath. He slowly stood and looked back at the pile of rubble.
   "I wonder what happened to Gondar....and Jared and Justin..." he slowly walked toward the fallen stone, but then saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Jared and Justin unconscious on the grass a few feet from the fallen wall. He went over and saw how badly they were bruised up. Picking then up and placing one on each shoulder, he made his way back toward the boat.
   "So that's how the cannon was destroyed." Jared said. "But Gondar said it wouldn't stop him...I think he's got other plans."
   "Do you think he'll build another cannon?" Link asked. Jared shook his head.
   "I overheard him talking to Theo...He mentioned something about essences." Jared replied.
   "I bet he built that cannon so there wouldn't be anything to get in the way when he would go looking for whatever that is." Link thought out loud.
   "Where's Justin?" Jared asked, suddenly remembering he had brought him out of the castle.
   "He's fine. You two were beat up pretty badly. It's a good thing this hospital just got in a shipment of red potions." Link told him.
   "They worked. My leg feels good as new." Jared said giving his leg a pat. "Well, maybe not as good..." he winced. After a little more resting, Jared, Justin and Link were ready to leave. As they walked through the city towards the docks, Justin asked an important question.
   "So where are we supposed to go now?" was the question.
   "I have a great uncle in Valea." Jared said. "He knows everything. He's like a scholar. I bet he'd know about these essences." When they got to the docks, they approached the old man, still talking away.
   "...but I guess there is. SO, I hope you boys have fun on Foagy Island." the man said finally finishing his story.
   "We aren't going to Foagy..." Jared mumbled.
   "What? Oh...eh...whatever. 20 rupees." the man shrugged. They paid the man and picked a large row boat. Link took the oars and began rowing out into the sea.
Several hours later...
   "We're lost..." Jared muttered. The sun was about to set, casting an array of orange and pink across the sky. The three lay draped around the boat, tired physically and mentally.
   "Whose turn is it to row..." Justin asked in a dull voice.
   "Yours..." Link replied sighing.
   "I'm too tired to row..." Justin grumbled in response. Jared hung his arm over the edge of the boat. Suddenly he lifted his hand up, finding sand in it.
 "Oh...We've hit land..." he mumbled. The three sat there for a few minutes before it hit them.
   "Hey! We're here!" Justin jumped up. The three jumped out of the boat, happy to be out of the waters. Their celebration, however, was suddenly cut short by a low gurgle behind them.
~end~