It was difficult to explain my job description but I preferred the term 'adventurer for hire' rather than mercenary or thief. I could of course be available to undertake such duties at a given time but it was my natural burning curiosity that led me to pursue such a course - being part of the simple life enjoyed by those of Kakariko was just not for me and it was at quite a young age I would wander outside the village in search of adventure.
The carefree days of my youth were spent exploring the dense thicket north of the village, the Lost Woods (despite being told repeatedly to stay away), finding all sorts of hidden trails and if I was lucky, treasures that thieves had hidden! However I soon realised it unwise to poach from poachers when I overheard one of the brigands describing to a colleague what was in store for the one who had taken his loot - at that moment I decided to quit while I was ahead.
I was apparently destined for bigger and better things and took it upon myself to explore as much of Hyrule as I could. While I was not cut out to be a soldier and wasn't part of the thieves guild, there was no doubt I had well-rounded skills. It wasn't long before I gained a reputation as an excellent guide for merchants and expeditions across the land. I had recently finished touring the Eastern lands of Hyrule, to my delight discovering the rumours of the 'mysterious girl' at the Waterfall of Wishing were indeed well founded.
It was on one of my 'paid ventures' that I had the chance to meet an old man, who dwelled on Death Mountain. The Elder of Kakariko, Sahasrahla, had given me instructions to meet him at the entrance to a cave some way up the mountain and escort him to the village. I had explored parts of Death Mountain before but it was too dangerous to traverse the entire region without the proper equipment I had decided. I made my way through the maze of passageways, my lantern guiding my way through the inky darkness, fighting off the cave bats and brushing aside thick cobwebs as I went. 'All in a day's work,' I thought to myself.
Shortly I arrived at a cave cut into the side of the mountain. Why anyone would choose to live in such isolation was beyond me. Each to his own, I thought, as I entered the cave. My eyes greeted an elderly gentleman dressed in a blue robe, with white whispy hair and a kind face. After exchanging pleasantries and downing some refreshments we were soon on our way back through the caves. The old man had a penchant for chatter and entertained me on the way with some tales of the past.
'Now where was I? Oh yes that's right, Ganondorf the thief.. it was at this time it became known as the Dark World..' he prattled on, yet I was only half-listening. Fairy tales about Golden Power didn't much interest me. However, my ears pricked up when he mentioned something about 'magical transporters'. I stopped him mid-sentence.
'Wait old man.. what was that about.. transporters?'
He looked up at me, wrinkling his brow, 'Why, they are gateways to another land parallel to our own, an alternate Hyrule. But young man,' his face filled with concern. 'You must not go looking for them; that is why they were hidden, for those that wander into one seldom return. The once golden land has become one of ruin and decay under Ganon.'
I was sceptical, for it sounded as though the old man had mixed up myth with reality. And yet, I don't know whether it was something in his eyes, or a memory flash of once hearing someone speak of these transporters in passing long ago but I couldn't discount the possibility. Besides, asking me not to go looking for them simply made me all the more curious.
'Old man,' I began, 'I've wandered Hyrule for some time and not yet discovered these transporters you speak of. However, you have me intrigued - if they do exist, I must see the world that lies on the other side.'
The old man shook his head. 'I can see you've made up your mind about this,' he said with a sigh. He made a motion, reaching for something from his pouch.
'So be it, but please take this with you, consider it payment for escorting me. It will bring you back to this world if you wander into a transporter.' With that he placed something in my hands, a small, sparkling mirror. With some trepidation, I gazed into it and saw... my reflection, nothing more. The old man smiled in my direction when he saw me frowning into the mirror.
'Of course in this world, it's just a mirror but you'll see young man, you'll see.'
We had reached Kakariko by this time and the old man started towards the elder's house, leaving me to ponder over my new toy.
The old man was going to be a few days staying in the village so I had some time to catch up with some friends of mine. While on my way back from the two brothers' house (they had been fighting again, no surprises there) I stopped into the library - perhaps I could find some more information on transporters. I was not really the scholarly sort but was adept enough at reading, for I liked to familiarise myself with the terrain I would be exploring by consulting literature. After what seemed like hours of poring over old texts I found what I was looking for - a distinct reference to magical transporters. I read the faded words in earnest:
'When the entrance to the Golden Land was sealed by the seven wise men, they took great care to conceal the magical transporters that would give access to it. They are seen as small glowing whirlpools of colour. One lies atop Death Mountain, another in the Southern..'
Curses! I couldn't make out the next part for it had been smudged. The next page had something about the ancestry of the wise men but no more about the transporters. 'Well, I'll have to begin on the mountain' I thought to myself. By now it was getting late, so first thing tomorrow I would travel back up Death Mountain, for the second day in a row.
