CHAPTER 4

The laughing grew louder and louder. Link looked all around, but to no avail. "Who are you? Show yourself, coward!" cried Link. The cold metal floor faded slowly into the darkness. A mist descended upon the room, creeping slowly towards Link, its hands reaching out to grab him. Still looking all around, the laughing appeared to be coming from right behind him. Link swiftly spun around, his blade drawn in anticipation of an attack. Slowly, a dark figure emerged from the mist, walking ever so dominantly towards the lad. The figure laughed and then spoke, "So, you think you can actually defeat me kid? That's valor for you. However, the Dark Lord Ganondorf has no pity for the valiant, and I will not spare you." The Dark Lord pulled out his sword, and Link raised his, ready for the battle. Link lunged at Ganondorf, attempting to strike a quick blow. The fiend quickly side stepped, spun around, and smashed Link to the ground with his pulsating arm. Link then swung his blade at Ganondorf, only to be met by his blade, Darkness. Then, the Dark Lord with one mighty blow sent Link's blade flying across the room, and into the darkness. He stood over his helpless opponent, and laughed. As Link was about to make a dash for his sword, Ganondorf struck the blade into his right chest, immobilizing the hero. The blade's dark powers enhanced the pain that was flowing through his blood now, every second an eternity of suffering. Ganondorf then retracted the blade, and Link lay back grasping for air.

"Pathetic wrench," remarked Ganondorf. "Let this be a lesson to all who oppose me, that I am the supreme force in the world now!" he cried. The Dark Lord then bent down beside Link, leaned in close, and whispered into his ear, "Before you die, I want you to think about everything I am going to do to the ones you love. Just think about what painful torture I will put them through. Think about Zelda, helpless, crying out for you in vain. That is the world that will come with your death!"

Link shot up from bed panting. "No!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Still disoriented from the nightmare, Link looked around, and was reassured that he was back in his room all safe. Link thought to himself, "Who was that guy and Zelda?" Still terrified from the nightmare, Link got up and threw some cold water on his face, and then went to the window to catch some of the sun's warm rays of light. While endulged in the feeling of warmth, Link heard something in the distance. He looked out the window, and saw a figure approaching. Link's eyes widened, and he immediately turned around and started in a mad dash for the door. Racing downstairs, barely missing an antique statue of one of the old Oracles, Link couldn't contain his excitement. As the panoramic view opened up to him as he exited the confines of his home, he could see his mother already running to meet the figure. Link felt like he was walking on water with all of nature standing still, eyes focused on his every next movement.

Finally, as he approached the figure, his mother moved aside and a halo of light blinded Link. Then, a head moved to eclipse the sun, and Link saw the face of his father. "Father!" cried Link as he leaped into his dad's arms. "Oh son, I am so happy to see you again," his father shouted with joy. The three stood embracing each other as the sun continued to rise, oblivious to the events below.

Night had fallen on the quiet port town of Ruto. The town watchman was lighting the road lamps for the night. Minding his own business, he lit the last lamp. As he was about to step down from his pedestal, the glow on is face vanished. Puzzled, he looked up to see the light had gone out. "Dang it, stupid light," he grunted. He took his torch, and raised it up to re-light the lamp. As he tried to touch the wick, his torch went out. "What the heck?" whispered the old man. A cold flow of air came through, and the man turned around as it moved by him. As he faced the other way, he saw one by one the lamps go out in synchronized order. In disbelief, he heard whispers all around him. Suddenly, the moon above started to fade, and darkness was engulfing the man. As the last light faded, the man could only hear his heartbeat. He started to shout, and some towns people opened their doors, but they could not see what was going on. Suddenly, their was a bloody roar, some shrieks from the man, and then a thunderous rumble as the coldness moved past the town, and the townspeople screamed with fear. The lights of the lamps all came back up, and the people ran to where the watchman was. As the first lady arrived, she looked down, and screamed at the top of her lungs. "What's going on?" cried the town's mayor. He looked down, and then uttered, "Dear Lord, what is this fowl enigma that has riddle us?" As the people gathered one by one, the view shifted into an overhead perspective, as the Dark Lord looked upon his work from his throne. The bones of the watchman lay motionless, some parts stained in blood, and some flesh still hanging.

Link and his family had spent the few days after his father returned home to catch up on the events in the world, when news of the event at Ruto reached town. Everyone was worried about this new "devil" that was terrorizing the lands. At Hyrule Castle, when the king announced the news to his court, Aragon raised his head from a conversation with a knight, and then immediately started for his horse. He mounted it, leaving the people he was conversing with confused at his actions, and rode fiercely for Kakariko village.

"Who do you think did this?" Eric asked Link the day after the incident. "My dad thinks it was some renegade Gerudos who were separated from the main forces," responded Link. "My dad thinks it is some forest bandits from the Kokiri Forest traveling around to take advantage of the war going on," added Eric. The two boys were going to a town meeting, ordered by the mayor for the purpose of deciding what actions to take to protect the village from these "devils".

Link and Eric arrived, and sat next to some of their friends as the meeting was starting. The mayor took the podium, cleared his throat, and began, "Welcome ladies and gentleman. You have been summoned to this town meeting in order to decide a course of action to protect ourselves from the heinous fiends who have committed the violent murder of a watchman in front of the entire village of Ruto. It is rumored they possess the power of black magic, and that there is more than one assailant. As a precaution, I am ordering a town curfew and watchmen posted at the main gates and an on guard patrol during the late hours of the night. If anyone else has a suggestion, let it be heard now."

A man rose and spoke, "Shouldn't we summon for a mage to come and protect us? If it is black magic, how good will mere guards be against this fiend?" The mayor responded, "Yes, I know. We have already dispatched a horse to speed to the next town to summon one of their mages." The people sighed in relief, and it looked as if the meeting would end, when a man came barging through the doors with two others.

"The rider has been found dead!" the man cried. Chaos broke out among the people as the mayor shouted for order. "Are you sure?" asked the mayor hoping for a positive response. "Sir, he was found mutilated not more than a mile from the main gate. We were riding in from hunting, and we saw his body! We raced as fast as we could, sir, but it" he was cut off by an erie sound. Suddenly, the guards came in, and shouted, "Sir! The lights are going out, and a dark mist is approaching!" The people began to get up and run for cover, and the mayor yelled, "Everyone, we must stick together!"

It was no use, people were mounting their horses and making an attempt to flee the town as the lights went out one by one, closing in on town hall. Link and Eric got up, and got their friends together. "Come on, we've got to get to Hendrik's Grotto!" cried Eric. "We can hide in the caverns behind the old house, they'll never find use there!"

The boys began to run, as the lights in the hall went out. People were running everywhere, and the boys tried to stick together with all the pandemonium. They finally made it to the path, but Link stopped. "Link, what are you doing?" cried Eric as the others ran on. "I have to get my parents!" yelled Link. He than started down the road to his home, and Eric chased after him. As they got closer to Link's home, the shouting got quieter and quieter. Finally, they arrived, and Link saw his mother getting some stuff together inside. "Link! Oh thank god you are alive! You're father is looking for you," cried his mother as they embraced. She then hugged Eric, and praised the lord they were ok. "Quick, we must leave!" she yelled at the boys.

"Link!" cried Link's father as he was running back to the house. "We're all ok!" cried his mother, relieved to see him alive. Suddenly, their was a loud growl outside. Link's dad turned around, and saw the dark mist approaching. "Run!" he cried to his family. Link, Eric, and Link's mother watched in horror as the mist surrounded Link's dad. "FATHER!" cried Link as his mother held him back from trying to run after his dad, and weeping herself. "We've got to get out of here!" shouted Eric to the mourning couple. "Go out the back to the barn! We'll ride the horse from their to the next town," uttered Link's mother. As she led the boys to the door, she swung it open, and screamed as she looked into the dark mist now engulfing her. Link shouted for his mother, but Eric grabbed his hand, and pulled him up the stairs. They reached Link's room, and Eric locked the door, and the two began to block it off. Suddenly, the window crashed open, and the mist entered. The two boys shouted with fear as it closed in. But, as it was about to engulf them, it appeared to form a hand, and it reached for under the bed. The bed went crashing against the wall, and then the hole Link had hid the book in was uncovered. The hand took the book, and formed another hand, and then another. Soon, an endless amount of hands were now reaching for Link and Eric, and all seemed lost.

Suddenly, an arrow shot through the mist, and landed in front of the boys and the mist. The arrow looked harmless, until a burst of light emitted from it. The mist shrieked with agony, and the hands vanished. The book fell to the ground, and another arrow flew into the house. The next burst of light was greater, and the mist moved back. "Jump out the window!" shouted a voice. "Aragon!" cried Link as the boys ran to the window and saw the man on his horse, and two other steeds next to him. The boys leaped out of the window, hitting the ground with a thud. With no time to recuperate from the fall, the two thought of nothing else but to mount the horse. As they did, Aragon yelled for them to follow him. As they began to ride off, the mist followed in a furious dash after them. As the two looked back at the mist, it now appeared as if it was black water rushing at them. Aragon drew his bow, and fired some more of his arrows into the mist. After a few shots, the mist subsided, and disengaged the trio of riders. The three kept riding down the trail, never looking back even for a moment. As they rode on, Link could only think of the horror of what had happened. "Why had this befallen him?" he wondered to himself. He tried hard to fight the tears, but it was futile. "You might want to save your tears, Link, because that book you have unearthed will be the cause of much pain to come," remarked Aragon with a grave undertone.