It was daybreak in Parapa, a remote town in Hyrule Field. As the familiar rays of red light shone out from behind the clouds hiding the sun, the townsfolk began to see to their usual morning routines. The shopkeepers were opening their doors and preparing their merchandise. The housewives were fixing their children's breakfast. The guards were donning their armor. The shepherds were letting their sheep out into the fields for grazing. The innkeepers were fixing the messy rooms left by that night's inhabitants.

This was just another day for Jacob, a guard whose job was to stand outside the town's limits and greet visitors. Technically, he was supposed to screen incomers for anything that might danger anything within the limits, but since Parapa was such a remote town, he was really nothing more than a welcome mat paid by taxes.

Once he finished putting on his armor, he stepped outside his door. It was a cold morning, but, as usual, it would probably be hot by noon. He walked through the town square on his way to his post. It was very busy; there was going to be a fair that day, and the square was full of people setting up booths, tents, and the likes. Jacob shook his head. He couldn't believe he was going to miss it.

At his post, he set his spear down, and stared at the acres of bare fields before him, and at the mountain range beyond. He could actually see the very faint, very dim silhouette of Death Mountain. Sadly, it was the most interesting part of his job. As the day went on, he could hear the joyous sounds of the fair in full force. He hated his job.

At 8:45, he saw someone running toward the town. It relieved Jacob of his boredom, but it also worried him a bit, too. When he squinted, he recognized the running person as Erik the shepherd boy.

Soon Erik was within calling distance. Jacob picked up his spear and held it in front of the gate. "Hello, Erik!" called Jacob. "Where are you running to?"

"Do not hinder me!" Erik screamed. He tackled the spear and dashed past it, into the town.

Jacob watched him go, puzzled. He looked back at the fields, and his heart suddenly dropped into his stomach. An army of twenty thousand men was marching for Parapa. Their billowing banners bore the marking, a black circle with a yellow R over it on a red background, that all men feared. It was the symbol of a legendary ruthless, indestructible army that destroyed any town in its path. Everyone knew the legend; everyone feared the legend; no one expected it to be true.

Jacob grabbed his horn and blew into it, creating a loud, resonating cry over Parapa. The fair stopped almost immediately.

Other soldiers rushed to join him. They saw the approaching army, and groaned miserably.

"This is the end," they said.

Jacob held his spear out in front of him like a pike. His hands were trembling. He knew it would do nothing.

The army picked up the pace, paying no heed to the pikes before them. They struck the pikes, and every shaft shattered upon impact.

Before Jacob dropped his broken spear, the soldiers swarmed him. They were all at least seven feet tall, and terribly large muscles bulged from their bodies.

Part of the army rushed into the narrow gate, but some stayed to fight the pathetically small resistance. Jacob was lost in the melee, surrounded by giants swinging swords, men struggling to avoid them, and splashes of hot blood spurting from screaming victims. Over the racket, Jacob could hear the heart wrenching sound of the soldiers inside, slaughtering the townsfolk.

Jacob drew his sword in a pitiful symbol of defiance, determined to kill at least one soldier. There was a particularly small one, about six foot five, hunched over, pushing his sword into the neck of his victim. Jacob brought his sword down on the soldier's back. It shattered upon impact, just like the pikes.

The soldier caught sight of Jacob, and he pulled his sword out of the victim's neck and swung at Jacob's, and Jacob felt a moment of surprising lightness as his head fell to the ground before it was crushed beneath the soldier's foot.