A Shadow of Hope

Prologue

Dawn had just broken over the horizon, sending sheets of golden light over the green fields so famous in Hyrule. Not enjoying the light now spreading over the landscape was a lone figure clothed in black, who could be seen struggling through the green Hyrulean Fields. Tall and menacing was this figure that strode to find shelter to get out of the light.

The figure traveled across the fields for another hour until, he found a person running across the fields.

"Ho, runner!" the figure cried out his deep baritone voice catching the attention of the runner as he ran by. "Where is the nearest shelter?"

"Oh, that would be Hyrule," the runner replied as he stopped his forward movement and though not moving started running in place as he spoke. "It is just over the next hill. It has walls and a moat, so you can't miss it,"

"Thanks," said the figure as he continued trudging on through the light that was not only a nuisance to him, but now was also blinding him.

Just over the hill as the runner had said, was a city.

"So this must be Hyrule," he thought as he crossed the drawbridge and entered the bustling streets of the city of Hyrule.

All around him now were people. Some bartering with shop owners, some milling about, and some were children playing in the streets. The medieval style houses were tightly packed, with the main shops forming a circle around the square with their small shops and pavilions. On the sides of the square, some ally's could be seen that led to more shops and houses. The stranger went down one of these. As he walked down the ally, he passed by some dogs that were barking at each other and running around.

He walked in and counted the doors as he walked, "One, two, three." At the third door he knocked, and waited for a reply from inside. He knocked again after not hearing any noise from inside, and this time he heard someone rustling about inside. Then he heard the crossbar on the door being moved, and then the door opened.

"I have arrived," the figure said in a low voice.

"Feroc, is that you? My, how you've changed in these five years since we separated," the man at the door said in reply to the large man in front of him. "Come in and I can tell you why I called for you."

The man then led Feroc inside his humble home. Inside were two rooms. The first had a fireplace on the back wall with two chairs by it. Alongside the walls were various piles of papers and books. The other room, that could be seen through a slightly open door in the back, had a small bed with various clothes and odds and ends thrown about inside. The man then took Feroc's cloak and beckoned him to sit in one of the chairs by the fireplace. Turning to the chair, he could see the familiar scar on the right cheek and neck, the dark rough hair, and small beard as he sat.

"Now, why did you ask me to return from my travels in the deserts Akon?" Feroc said as he sat back in the chair that Akon had wanted him to sit in.

"Well, there is this boy...." Akon started saying.