Chapter 2 – Disturbing Dreams
Zelda knocked on the wooden door, and stood waiting patiently for it to be answered. The street was bright as the sun was full up, and there were no clouds. She had to talk to somebody about what had happened to her the night before, and there was only one person she thought she could really trust. There was a click of a lock from the inside, and then the door was opened.
"Hi Link." She said smiling.
"Hey Zelda," he said, not expecting Zelda to have been the one at his door. "Come in, come in. I'm not totally awake yet." He laughed, "I only just got up."
Zelda's guards remained posted outside the door and Zelda walked in. Despite the alertness of the guards though, nobody spotted the figure dressed in brown sneak behind the building. Karak crouched down below the window and heard everything they said.
Link's home looked very comfortable. It was one room, other than the bedroom and toilet room, which had separate doors leading to them at the wall near the front door. There was a fireplace with three comfy chairs positioned near it at one side of the room. And then there was a place to prepare food with a basin, a stove and some cupboards, and a window looking out up onto Death Mountain. This was the window that Karak had crouched beneath. There was a table for dining with five wooden chairs around it close to the kitchen area. Zelda took a seat at the table whilst Link made a hasty attempt at tidying up. "What brings you here?" He said, clearing some plates into a cupboard.
Zelda looked anxious, and she held her hands close to herself on the table. "I had a dream last night, or at least I think it was a dream, I wasn't sure."
"Oh, you and your dreams Zelda." Said Link, a little frustrated. "You predict every little event in Hyrule way before it happens, and you are right every time. Remember last week when you knew that dog was going to steal my green hat? And then it did didn't it? I've not got it back since." He laughed and turned around, "But the point is, you don't need to tell me all those things."
"Yes well this is different, I know. I don't think it was actually a dream anyway, it just happened at night is all. And while we're on that topic, I'm kind of glad that dog stole your hat."
"That hat is part of my image as the Hero!"
"It's a dirty old hat that everybody thought looked strange."
"Yeah, but still..." Link trailed off and returned to tidying.
"I was asleep last night, when suddenly my dream...I don't know what the dream was... was cut short and everything went black. I heard a cold voice in my head. The voice said he was the 'Puppet Master'."
"Puppet Master?"
"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. Anyway, he told me that a wave of death was going to come upon Hyrule and I had to stop it."
"What sort of death?"
"He didn't say. He just told me that I had to destroy the heart of evil. When I asked him where the heart of evil was, he told me that I had to find 'the shadows within'. I have no idea where that is or what he meant by it."
"The shadows within? Is that all he said?"
"Oh, and there was something about a 'fortress of darkness', he said I would have to go there. But that's all. I woke up in my bed, but everything was normal..."
Link walked over and sat down, facing Zelda across the table. "Well, this sounds more serious than hat-stealing dogs I must say."
Zelda laughed for a second, but then turned serious again. "What do you think I should do?"
Link looked down at the table and thought. "I don't know. But if you are sure that this voice was genuine then you should probably do as he says and try and find this...heart of evil. If a 'wave of death' came to Hyrule...if people started dying and there had been some way to stop it...you...we...we have to do something." He looked at Zelda sternly and she stood up.
"But what can we do?"
"We need to find somebody that knows where the 'Fortress of Darkness' is. Do you know anybody that might know something?" He looked at Zelda hopefully.
She looked back at him in thought, and then slowly replied. "Maybe...maybe one of the scholars at the castle will know something."
"We should go and ask then. Come on." Link stood up and walked to her side. "Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine. Lets go." The two of them left through the door.
Karak stood up and wandered back around to the front of the house and watched Link, the Princess and the guards walk away. How ever was he going to get a chance to talk to him?
Suddenly somebody grabbed him from behind, wrapping their cold fingers onto his neck. He could feel a something sharp pressed up to his neck, most likely a blade. He remained very still. He could see that the fingers around his neck were white-blue, a Zora's. A voice hissed into his ear. "You, what is your name?"
"K-Karak." He spluttered out, shutting his eyes as the blade pressed harder. He could not see the Zora, but was suddenly reminded of the Zora he had seen before watching him with the Grimal sisters. This just had to be the same one.
"Those girls you were with, do you know where they went? I will know if you lie to me."
"No, I don't honestly. I don't even know them. That was the first time I had ever seen them."
The Zora said nothing for a few seconds, then said. "Alright, I believe you." He pushed him towards the wall and held him there close. "Remain standing here for ten seconds then you may go, I will not bother you again. But do not watch me go, or I will know and I will not be forgiving. Stay there and keep your eyes shut."
"Ok-k-kay." Karak was petrified.
"I take my leave." Instantly there was relief on his neck and the Zora was gone. He waited a few seconds and then checked around. He was definitely gone. Karak slouched back against the wall and took deep breaths, he could not remember the last time he had been so frightened.
Zelda knocked on the wooden door, and stood waiting patiently for it to be answered. The street was bright as the sun was full up, and there were no clouds. She had to talk to somebody about what had happened to her the night before, and there was only one person she thought she could really trust. There was a click of a lock from the inside, and then the door was opened.
"Hi Link." She said smiling.
"Hey Zelda," he said, not expecting Zelda to have been the one at his door. "Come in, come in. I'm not totally awake yet." He laughed, "I only just got up."
Zelda's guards remained posted outside the door and Zelda walked in. Despite the alertness of the guards though, nobody spotted the figure dressed in brown sneak behind the building. Karak crouched down below the window and heard everything they said.
Link's home looked very comfortable. It was one room, other than the bedroom and toilet room, which had separate doors leading to them at the wall near the front door. There was a fireplace with three comfy chairs positioned near it at one side of the room. And then there was a place to prepare food with a basin, a stove and some cupboards, and a window looking out up onto Death Mountain. This was the window that Karak had crouched beneath. There was a table for dining with five wooden chairs around it close to the kitchen area. Zelda took a seat at the table whilst Link made a hasty attempt at tidying up. "What brings you here?" He said, clearing some plates into a cupboard.
Zelda looked anxious, and she held her hands close to herself on the table. "I had a dream last night, or at least I think it was a dream, I wasn't sure."
"Oh, you and your dreams Zelda." Said Link, a little frustrated. "You predict every little event in Hyrule way before it happens, and you are right every time. Remember last week when you knew that dog was going to steal my green hat? And then it did didn't it? I've not got it back since." He laughed and turned around, "But the point is, you don't need to tell me all those things."
"Yes well this is different, I know. I don't think it was actually a dream anyway, it just happened at night is all. And while we're on that topic, I'm kind of glad that dog stole your hat."
"That hat is part of my image as the Hero!"
"It's a dirty old hat that everybody thought looked strange."
"Yeah, but still..." Link trailed off and returned to tidying.
"I was asleep last night, when suddenly my dream...I don't know what the dream was... was cut short and everything went black. I heard a cold voice in my head. The voice said he was the 'Puppet Master'."
"Puppet Master?"
"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. Anyway, he told me that a wave of death was going to come upon Hyrule and I had to stop it."
"What sort of death?"
"He didn't say. He just told me that I had to destroy the heart of evil. When I asked him where the heart of evil was, he told me that I had to find 'the shadows within'. I have no idea where that is or what he meant by it."
"The shadows within? Is that all he said?"
"Oh, and there was something about a 'fortress of darkness', he said I would have to go there. But that's all. I woke up in my bed, but everything was normal..."
Link walked over and sat down, facing Zelda across the table. "Well, this sounds more serious than hat-stealing dogs I must say."
Zelda laughed for a second, but then turned serious again. "What do you think I should do?"
Link looked down at the table and thought. "I don't know. But if you are sure that this voice was genuine then you should probably do as he says and try and find this...heart of evil. If a 'wave of death' came to Hyrule...if people started dying and there had been some way to stop it...you...we...we have to do something." He looked at Zelda sternly and she stood up.
"But what can we do?"
"We need to find somebody that knows where the 'Fortress of Darkness' is. Do you know anybody that might know something?" He looked at Zelda hopefully.
She looked back at him in thought, and then slowly replied. "Maybe...maybe one of the scholars at the castle will know something."
"We should go and ask then. Come on." Link stood up and walked to her side. "Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine. Lets go." The two of them left through the door.
Karak stood up and wandered back around to the front of the house and watched Link, the Princess and the guards walk away. How ever was he going to get a chance to talk to him?
Suddenly somebody grabbed him from behind, wrapping their cold fingers onto his neck. He could feel a something sharp pressed up to his neck, most likely a blade. He remained very still. He could see that the fingers around his neck were white-blue, a Zora's. A voice hissed into his ear. "You, what is your name?"
"K-Karak." He spluttered out, shutting his eyes as the blade pressed harder. He could not see the Zora, but was suddenly reminded of the Zora he had seen before watching him with the Grimal sisters. This just had to be the same one.
"Those girls you were with, do you know where they went? I will know if you lie to me."
"No, I don't honestly. I don't even know them. That was the first time I had ever seen them."
The Zora said nothing for a few seconds, then said. "Alright, I believe you." He pushed him towards the wall and held him there close. "Remain standing here for ten seconds then you may go, I will not bother you again. But do not watch me go, or I will know and I will not be forgiving. Stay there and keep your eyes shut."
"Ok-k-kay." Karak was petrified.
"I take my leave." Instantly there was relief on his neck and the Zora was gone. He waited a few seconds and then checked around. He was definitely gone. Karak slouched back against the wall and took deep breaths, he could not remember the last time he had been so frightened.