The riders finally arrived in the town of Mido and checked into the local inn.
As they entered their room, Link fell onto the bed, and passed out. Link had
a dream about his parents and his days as an infant; the happy days. Finally,
the horrible image of his parents deaths flashed across his eyes, and he sat
up in terror and yelled.
Aragon and Eric were sitting at a table playing some game with colored stones
when Link awoke. "Come, join us," Aragon said to Link. As he sat down,
Eric cleared the stones from the table, and put them in his pocket. Aragon didn't
need an introduction to begin his explanation of what had happened to the boys.
"What you two saw attack your village is known as the Darkswin. It the
ancient evil spirit of the undead fiends from the underworld," started
Aragon. Eric commented, "Why did they attack our village though? And what
is this book that we found?"
Aragon looked gravely at the book, and began his tale. "You remember my
tale about my mark on my hand? Well, if you do, then you also remember I said
that the wizard Agahnim was corned in a cave before he was defeated by the Knights
of Hyrule. It appears you two stumbled upon the cave, and broke the barrier
placed on it, and removed the Book of Mudora sealed there. You two must have
also opened the book, and it began to call out to those who understood the ancient
ways. Ganondorf, the evil king of the Tribe of Evil, heard that call, and dispatched
the Darkswin to find the Book of Mudora. That is why it came to your village
and destroyed your home and family."
Link was still hanging his head in sorrow, and this new revelation that he
was responsible for all this was making him sick. "But, Aragon, why does
this Ganondorf guy want the Book of Mudora?" inquired Eric.
"In the Book of Mudora is the key to the ancient language of the Hylian
race. The locations of the ancient hidden artifacts are only recorded in that
scripture. When he has it, he will begin his quest to reclaim the Seven Sage
Medallions in order to remove the barrier of the Triforce. However, he will
also learn that, at his time if imprisonment, the newly forged Master Sword
actually is a seal on the entrance to the Sacred Realm. He will seek the Three
Stones of Virtue, and attempt to remove the Master Sword from its pedestal in
hopes of opening the way to the Sacred Realm," he spoke.
"Again, Aragon, I heard as a child that only the 'Legendary Hero' would
be able to draw the Master Sword from its resting place. Is that not true?"
asked Eric.
"Yes, it is true, only one can claim the Master Sword, and Ganondorf certainly isn't the one that will. However, he can destroy the Three Stones of Virtue and that would cause the Master Sword to shatter and the entrance to open. He can do so by claiming the Seven Sage Medallions and the Crystals of Light. Placing them around his dark alter in the Evil Realm where he was banished, The Sage Medallions encase the Three Stones, and then the Crystals of Light, in the forsaken realm, become Crystals of Darkness.
When placed around the Stones with the Medallions, it will extract the Stones'
power and they will shatter, then the Master Sword will follow," answered
Aragon.
"With that, Ganondorf will be able to enter the Sacred Realm and re-claim
the Triforce. Link now looked up, and spoke, "Wasn't Ganondorf sealed in
the Evil Realm? Then how can he do all this stuff you say?"
"Very clever, Link. Only Ganondorf was sealed away, but he took control
of the Evil Realm and now commands their dark forces. He can send any of them
through the portal to our world to do his bidding. If he claims the Seven Sage
Medallions, he can undo the seal on him and return to our realm. More than likely,
the first goal will be to reclaim the Book of Mudora. He then will go for the
Seven Sage Medallions once he can discover their location. Next, when he's free,
he'll go for the Crystals. Finally, if he succeeds in that, he'll go for the
Stones and destroy them and claim the Triforce," Aragon answered.
"What must we do then, Aragon?" asked Link. Aragon smiled, and replied,
"We will go to Hyrule Castle to consult with the King about what we should
do. I'm also going to summon the other members of the Order of Light to convene
there. More than likely, our leader will instruct us to seek the Three Stones
of Virtue and to then protect them with our lives."
"Aragon, what happens if Ganondorf does claim the Triforce?" asked
Link. Aragon just stared down, and gravely spoke, "Pray that does not happen.
When true evil holds the Sacred Triangles, it reflects the evil wishes of that
man. The world will become black and filled with evil. When that happens, there
is no way to save Hyrule, and the powers of dark will win.
"That's not fair! Can't we do something to prevent evil ones from using
the Triforce?" asked Eric.
"Yes. If we claim all the artifacts, and the Legendary Hero with the Master
Sword places them in the Temple of Light with the Triforce, the "Coming
of Light" can be performed, and the Triforce can be made purely good. That
is the goal of my Order, but we have never found the 'one' who is that hero,"
answered Aragon. "However, the Order placed a spell on the land, that a
crest of the Triforce would appear on the back of the left hand of the Legendary
Hero to help us find him."
With that, Link looked at Eric, and Eric looked back at Link. Link then looked
down at his hand and remembered the glow from his hand that day in the cave.
He wondered to himself, "Could that be what Aragon was talking about?"
Aragon responded to Link's thought, "That is what we are going to ask
the Order when we arrive."