Chapter 5: The Evil Eye

The store was just a small room with a long wooden desk with which a man stood behind. There were some assorted swords of stone and bone and some shields of several different unidentifiable materials. There was one shield that caught Link's eye. It had, consequently enough, an eye carved into it. It seems to watch everything and everyone that moved, it was like the Gossip Stones that he had back home. It was made of what looked like very hard and durable bone, with a wooden rim around it. There were a few other scattered designs around the edge and such, but nothing was more intimidating than that eye. It was drawing him in. He quickly shook his head of the image of the eye but it was now too far burned into his mind. Anytime he tried to look away the burning intensified threefold. Link thought that if he didn't do something with that shield soon it would eat him alive. He quickly walked up to the scantily clad man and asked if he could buy it.

"Why yes, if you have what I ask for to trade," The man said. His voice was strangely high for being the muscular, grungey man that he was. Link simply assumed that this was a village of Sopranos and went on with his trade.

"What is that you ask for? I have nothing to trade, I'm...er...new in town," Link said, choosing his words carefully. He didn't wish to frighten the locals with his weird story, not when he had just arrived.

"Well, you are dressed very funny, I thought you were a foreigner. All I ask for is a bottle of Spring Water from the Spring of Life on the East Side of town. I noticed your weapon and see that you are an adventurer, it's odd because we don't see many human adventurers. But unfortunately all the Garos are out saving one village or another, so I must trust this stranger to carry out my wish. I would normally never trade my wares for something so simple. But since monsters have started to invade the area around the Spring, no one has been able to venture in there and come back. So all I ask to trade is a bottle of Spring Water. I will await your return and will hold this shield for you. It's strange that you picked this particular one though..." The man said.

"Why's that?" Link asked.

"This was brought back from Sir Potio on one of his jobs. No one has dared even get near it, afraid that it holds the same power he does. And now you, this foreign adventurer, come in here and practically beg for it. I saw you when you came in; the evil thing had you in its glare. Bad thing to do...but that's just my opinion," The man paused for emphasis of his point. "But anyway, I'll hold this for you, and I suppose you'd need a bottle to put the water in so I'll be right back."

Link was once again drawn to the shield's power as the man turned and walked into the back room. The eye seemed to grow larger and larger, sucking in all of Link's remaining power. He felt his body get heavy, he was stuck where he stood. Any attempt at moving, running, just put more weight on him.

"Hmm... yesss...I see...you seek my master, Lord Potio. Very daring you are young adventurer...yet still a child and naive in your ways you are. I suppose I will follow along in your little quest, after all, I do need to return to my master, it's all part of his plan. Come Hero; let us take our leave of this place. That old high pitched geezer won't miss us," The shield said. Link stared in utter terror as the shield hopped off of its stand and slid onto Link's back, where his tiny Deku shield had been.

"Ratty old thing...won't need that piece of wood anymore. Well, come on then, walk out. We've got a Dark Lo...er...Garo to follow," The shield said. Link felt his light childhood weight return to him and he quickly darted out of the shop, afraid of disobeying this shield.