Meanwhile, I had done a little exploring in the Dark World yet was no closer to finding my way into the Swamp of Evil. I remembered what Agahnim had told me - the most south-western point of Hyrule, although he might have just as easily have said anything to appease me. Yet, despite his dubious character I had a gut feeling he was telling the truth on this occasion. It was a good time to disappear for a while given that castle guards might be searching for me and I wondered if the thief had been able to get word to Sahasrahla. Of course I had no way or knowing what Agahnim was really up to, I had just assumed he was planning to take over this world and dispose of those who would be in his way. I travelled through the arid desert lands to get there, carefully avoiding the creatures that lived beneath the sand and the vultures circling the air, picking at the bones of long-dead animals. Such hazards were just part of the experience for me and hardly slowed me down. Soon enough I had arrived where the desert ran straight into the large mountains that surrounded Hyrule's borders. I could see nothing but the hot yellow sand on the ground, so I began to scale the rock, slowly making my way up. It was a rough climb but I noticed a narrow ledge right above me. I swung around with my arm and clambered onto it, breathing heavily. I got up in surprise however as I saw the now familiar soft blue glow from behind some rocks. As I moved towards it I heard mocking laughter behind me and spun around.
'Well, so you made it at last!' It was a man with a scar on his left cheek and a purple cloak. I knew who he was - the leader of the Hyrule thieves guild, with a reputation for being greedy and incredibly ruthless. He had a long knife out in front of him, pointing straight at me.
'How did you know I would be here?' I said slowly.
He gave a derisive snort. 'When you have allies like Agahnim, there's not much you don't know. He knew you would come here and when he asked if I would take care of you I was only too happy to oblige, considering what you have stolen from me over the years,' he said, his eyes narrowing.
'Surely that could have been anyone,' I replied, desperately trying to see a way out. The thief was right in between me and the transporter, with a sizeable drop to the desert floor being the other option.
'I know it was you,' he grinned, his dirty brown teeth showing. 'And it's time for my revenge.' There was one trick I had left as he advanced on me, I bent down in a flash and as he was about to lunge, I scooped up a handful of sand and launched it straight into his eyes. He howled in pain, dropping his weapon and I dodged round him, towards the transporter. The brigand, his eyes burning, stumbled after me as I fairly dived into the swirling array of colours.
After the world had stopped spinning, I got up, struggling to see, for I was in the middle of a thunderstorm, rain pelting down around me and dark clouds blotting out any trace of the sun. I was still on a rocky outcropping and as I looked down I gasped - there was not the sand of the desert but a foul greenish-brown swamp, literally covering the land around me. I heard a sound behind me and a figure was lunging toward me - the thief had followed me through the transporter yet he now possessed a head resembling a fish creature, fiery red with sharp teeth and a strange formless body. I slid down the incline, my wings slowing my descent yet I still landed into the swamp with a splash. I leapt to my feet yet almost immediately something crashed into me from behind, sending me and my backpack of supplies flying. My face was thrust into the fetid green water and I resurfaced, gasping for air. I rolled over trying to grab at the creature the thief king had now become yet my paws could not get a grip. Instead I swiped straight at his face, going for his eyes. He shrieked horribly, trying to grab at his face and falling backwards into the swamp.
'My eyes! I'm blind, I'm blind! I'll kill you for this! he screamed at me. I glanced at my hands, noticing for the first time the claws that had retracted from the ends, covered in blood that was not my own. The thief leader was still howling with his hands over his eyes yet something had now gripped him from under the marsh, pulling him under. He struggled against it but the current was too strong - he was caught in a whirlpool and he soon disappeared from sight beneath the dark waters.
I slowly got up and waded back towards my sodden backpack, the rain showing no sign of easing up. I grabbed it and crept over to the tiny bit of dry shelter beneath the rocky outcropping from where I had fallen and opened the bag. Emptying it out along with the putrid marsh water, I gave a strangled cry, staring in horror at the shards of broken glass that was once my mirror - there was now no way back.
